Kael
The evening air carried a chill that had nothing to do with temperature.
I stood in the now empty hall, leaning against one of the pillars with my arms crossed as Rowan entered with that sa troubled expression he’d worn throughout the entire eting.
He closed the doors behind him with a soft click, then turned to face . For a mont, neither of us spoke. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken questions.
We weren’t close. Never had been.
Our interactions over the years had been cordial at best, limited to the necessary diplomatic exchanges that ca with our positions.
I had expected resistance when I had requested this private conversation. But the fact that he agreed imdiately set my instincts on edge for so reason.
In fact, he’d seed almost eager.
"Hello, Kael." He smiled, making his way to one of the seats and occupying it. His posture was deceptively casual as he faced .
"Thank you for making ti," I said, keeping my tone neutral.
He nodded, leaning an elbow on the edge of the table. "It is no problem. I actually wanted to speak with you as well."
That gave pause. "About?"
His eyes t mine, and I saw sothing shift in his expression. A careful deliberation, as if he was weighing how to phrase his next words.
"The woman in your quarters," he said finally. "The one with dark hair and soft grey eyes. Who is she? Not a lot of wolves in your territory have that appearance."
Every muscle in my body went stiff. My wolf stir dangerously close to the surface. The casual way he asked, as if it were a simple question he had any right to know.
"Do you know her?" My voice ca out cold.
"Pardon my question. I know it is in poor taste, but I am curious. What is she to you?"
I snarled. "I did not call you here to discuss such private manners. And you are even aware of how foolish and invasive your question is."
Frustration flickered across his face before it then tightened with confusion. "I just need to—"
My jaw clenched. "All those words and you are not speaking of your relation to her. It is none of your concern. Is this what has been troubling you throughout that eting? What—"
"Except it is!" He clenched his fist on the table so tight it trembled. Then he drew in a deep breath and spoke, his voice low and strained. "Because that is my mate."
’What?’
His words had a strange effect on , and for a heartbeat, I could not process them. I could not make any sense of the sounds that had just left his mouth. They hung in the air between us, impossible and devastating and completely, utterly wrong.
"I felt it the mont we t," he continued, his words tumbling out now as if he couldn’t stop them. "On my second day here. The bond just flared to life. It was undeniable! I had never felt anything like that before..." He paused, and sothing that looked like pain crossed his features. "But she ran from . Just... turned and fled like I was sothing terrible. I don’t understand. She looked—"
His words drowned out.
Everything drowned out.
A wretched, despairing feeling ripped through my chest with such force that it nearly drove to my knees. My vision narrowed to a single point. My throat constricted. And every rational thought in my head scattered to leave only one terrible, consuming certainty.
No.
No.
That wasn’t possible.
This wasn’t happening.
It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real.
"That is a disgustingly foul joke," I heard myself say, my voice coming from sowhere far away. "If you think that is funny—"
"This is no joke."
Rowan’s voice was quiet but firm, and when I forced myself to focus on him, I saw nothing but sincerity there. No hint of deception. No trace of mockery.
Just honest, painful confusion.
The pieces fell into place with sickening clarity.
Violet’s behaviour since that day. The way she had been so withdrawn and upset. I had thought it was just about the wolves from Shadowpine. About the upcoming trial.
But it had been this.
This entire ti, it had been this.
"You are lying," I breathed out, straightening.
’And why didn’t she tell ?!’
No. No. No...
I did not like this.
’At least she ran away from him and—’
No...
The implications crashed over in waves, each one worse than the last. My mind reeled, trying to reconcile what I knew with what I was hearing, trying to find so explanation that didn’t tear everything apart.
"How dare he?" my wolf growled. "End him here and be done with it! He will not have her!"
I shook my head, stepping away from the pillar.
I stopped and stared at Rowan, trying to compose myself as my words ca out flat and distant.
"You shouldn’t bother yourself with this. I am her mate." A familiar heat built up in my eyes. "Whatever you think you felt, get rid of it."
He went completely still, his eyes widening.
"What?"
"You heard ." I forced myself to hold his gaze, even as sothing ugly and defensive coiled in my chest. "She is my mate. Mine. Whatever interest you think you have—"
"That is not possible." He stood up, anger creeping into his eyes with a faint glow. "The mate bond is singular. You can’t both—"
"And yet here we are."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Rowan’s hands had curled into fists at his sides. "How long?"
"Long enough." My lips curled in a taunting bitter smile. "Long enough that she’s mine in every way that matters."
Understanding dawned in his eyes, followed imdiately by an intense wave that simred underneath his skin as his face beca tight with fury. His entire posture changed, shoulders squaring as he glared at .
"You—" He cut himself off, taking a visible breath to compose himself. He failed. "You’re saying that you have already—"
"Yes." I wanted him to understand exactly what I ant.
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