Chapter 1 Unwanted

RHEA

The bond was supposed to feel like warmth. Like coming home. But with him, it feels like winter.

I stand in the doorway, holding the tray of food with shaking hands. I made roasted chicken and potatoes. His favourite. I seasoned it the way his mother used to, down to the last herb. I even burned my hand flipping it just right. But none of that matters.

He doesn't even look up from his desk.

"Just leave it," Kieran says, his voice as cold as the wind that howled during our mating ceremony.

"I thought you might be hungry," I offer, trying to keep my voice hopeful. It's pathetic.

"I'm not."

It’s always the same answer.

I set the tray down on the small table near the fire. The scent of the food rises, but it doesn't soften his features. Nothing ever does. He barely spares me a glance, and when he does, it feels like being cut open.

I want to ask him what I did wrong? Why he avoids me? Why his touch feels like rejection instead of passion?

But I don't ask. I already know he won't answer.

Even when he does touch me, it’s like he can’t stand the feel of my skin. Like I'm dirty. Like I'm broken. An inconvenience he's forced to tolerate.

How are we supposed to have an heir like this?

We haven't even kissed properly. Mating? He won't even share the same bed with me. I sleep alone in a room meant for two while he builds walls between us.

"I'll come back later," I murmur.

His eyes meet mine, finally. They're so grey, cold storm clouds that never break.

"Don’t bother," he says.

I freeze, every word slicing deeper than it should. I nod, because I don't know what else to do. Because crying in front of him never changes anything.

I walk out, my footsteps echoing behind me like an apology I'll never give. The hallway stretches long and empty ahead. My chest tightens with every step, the lump in my throat thick and sharp.

They say the Moon Goddess never makes mistakes.

But if that's true…

Why does my mate look at me like I'm the worst thing that ever happened to him?

---

I don't know how long I wander before I find myself behind the pack house, near the old greenhouse that no one uses any more. It’s quiet here, and the scent of wildflowers still lingers despite the glass panels being cracked and overgrown.

Eva finds me there like she always does.

"There you are," she says gently, plopping down beside me on the low stone wall. Her scent, lavender and honey wraps around me like comfort. "I figured you'd be hiding again."

"I'm not hiding," I say, staring down at my hands. "I just needed air."

Eva doesn't press me. She never does. That's why I trust her. She never judges or look down on me like the others--she just stays by my side like a warm, comforting pillar.

"They said you missed breakfast again," she continues, plucking a stray leaf from my hair. "And Kieran didn’t even look at you at the meeting yesterday."

I wince. "You know he never does."

Eva frowns, but her eyes are kind. "Rhea… it'll change. He's your mate. The bond is still new, maybe he's just adjusting."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Adjusting? He acts like I repulse him."

She looks away, uncomfortable. Not because she doesn't believe me, but because she does. It's not exactly a secret that my mate despises me.

"I try," I whisper. "I cook. I clean. I smile when I want to scream. I reach for him and he pulls away like I'm poison." My throat tightens, but I keep going. "We barely talk. He barely touches me. And when he does… It’s like I'm disgusting to him. Like the Moon Goddess made a mistake."

Eva squeezes my hand. "She doesn't make mistakes. You’re kind and loyal and stronger than you think."

"But I'm nothing," I say quietly. "I was born to a no-name wolf family. I don't have a title. I don't have a lineage. What could someone like Kieran possibly see in me?"

"Maybe the part of you that no one else sees," Eva says softly.

I want to believe her. I want to cling to the hope that one day Kieran will wake up and see me--not just the weak girl the pack whispers about when they think I'm not listening. But it’s hard to hold onto hope when every glance from him feels like punishment.

"I'm tired, Eva," I whisper. "Tired of pretending I'm enough."

She pulls me into a hug, and I let myself fall into it. For a moment, I pretend that this warmth is what a mate's love is supposed to feel like. Like I'm safe. Like I'm chosen.

But deep down, I know the truth. Kieran didn’t choose me. He tolerates me. And fate... Fate feels more like a curse than a blessing.

Eva pulls back slightly, brushing my hair from my face. "You’re not nothing, Rhea. One day, you'll see it too. And so will he."

I nod, even though I don't believe it. What would I do without Eva?