Forbidden to the Wolf Prince

She was sworn to protect the crown.She was never supposed to fall for its heir.Lieutenant Esme Laurent has spent years protecting Prince Rowan Grey, the future king of Valedain. She knows how he moves, how he thinks, and how to keep him alive. What she doesn't know is how to survive the moment her wolf recognizes him as her fated mate.The problem? A centuries-old royal law forbids a protector from claiming a bond with the royal she serves.There is no time to deal with forbidden attraction. An assassin has already breached the palace. The king is being poisoned. Someone is manipulating the royal succession, and a conspiracy reaching deep into the Crown Guard is beginning to close around them.As Esme and Rowan investigate the threats against the royal family, the distance between duty and desire becomes harder to maintain. Every secret they uncover puts them closer to the enemy—and every step closer to each other risks destroying the future they are trying to protect.Rowan refuses to use fate as an excuse to control her.Esme refuses to let a mate bond decide her life.But when the conspiracy turns against them, they must discover whether trust can survive the crown, the law, and the wolves waiting beyond the palace walls.A slow-burn royal wolf-shifter romance filled with forbidden attraction, fated mates, bodyguard tension, palace intrigue, danger, suspense, and a love that must ultimately be chosen—not commanded.