Chapter 2 The Cold Between Us
RHEA
The sun is low by the time I hear the guards at the main gate announce the Alpha's return.
He's been gone for three days on a northern hunt. I don't know why I miss him. He never gives me a reason to. But still, my heart jumps the way it always does, clinging to a hope I should have let die a long time ago.
I hurry to our room, his room, really and slip into the pale silk nightdress I've kept hidden in the back of the wardrobe. It's soft and nearly sheer, clinging to every line of my body. A foolish part of me hopes tonight might be different. That maybe he'll see me. That maybe he'll want me.
I light the candles. Let my hair fall. And wait for him.
When he enters, he doesn't say a word. Blood clings to his jaw and cheeks--he hasn't even cleaned up. He walks straight past me, dropping his weapons on the table, like he couldn't be bothered by my presence.
Still, I rise from the bed and approach him.
"I missed you," I say quietly, placing a hand on his arm.
He tenses under my touch.
"I thought… maybe tonight we could be together." I step closer, pressing myself gently against him. "Maybe try for an heir."
His eyes lift to mine, finally, but there's no warmth there. Only ice and contempt.
"You think I'd lay with you?" His voice is sharp, disgust curling his lip.
I flinch, but I don't step away. "We're mated, Kieran. The pack expects an heir. I--"
"You’re not Luna," he snaps, shoving me back with enough force that I stumble. My bare feet catch on the rug, and I fall hard onto the cold wooden floor.
I lie there, stunned by his brutal treatment. My cheek stings from humiliation and my pride shatters.
He towers above me, breath ragged, eyes burning with a hatred so powerful it could consume.
"You were a mistake," he growls. "A weakness the Moon Goddess forced on me. Don't ever try that again."
Then he's gone. Slamming the door behind him. Taking the last of my hope with him.
I press my hand to my chest, where the bond between us throbs like a wound, fresh, open, and bleeding.
If this is love… Why does it feel like dying?
---
The bruise on my hip is still blooming when a knock comes at the door.
I already know who it is before I open it.
Luna Mirena--Kieran's mother, once the queen of this pack, and in many ways, she still is, stands by the door. Her presence carries weight, sharp and cold like silver. She looks regal in a fur-lined cloak, her white hair twisted into a perfect braid, her lips tight with displeasure she doesn't bother to hide.
"Luna Mirena," I say, dipping my head.
"Rhea," she replies, not unkindly. But not kindly, either. Her eyes sweep over me, pausing for a heartbeat too long on my nightdress, even though I've pulled a robe over it. "I assume I'm not interrupting anything."
"No," I say quickly. "Alpha Kieran left a while ago."
She hums, stepping into the room without being invited. Her heels click softly against the wood. "As expected."
She studies the space like a commander inspecting a battlefield. Her gaze settles on the untouched side of the bed.
"The pack has been asking questions," she says, turning to face me. "You must know what they're whispering."
I swallow hard. "About the heir?"
"Yes." Her eyes narrow. "It’s been months. No signs. No scent of heat. No claim marks. No public affection. Tell me, Rhea, have you even shared a bed with my son?"
The shame hits like a slap.
"I've tried," I say quietly. "He… he doesn't want me."
"Wanting is irrelevant," she snaps. "Duty isn't about want. It’s about legacy."
I say nothing. Because there's really nothing I can say to her that will plead my case.
Her gaze rakes over me, her disappointment thick as fog. "You were born low. No alliances to your name. No power. No title. But the Moon Goddess chose you, and we all had no choice but to accept that. Even Kieran."
She steps closer, close enough for me to see the lines around her eyes. "But the Moon Goddess also expects us to fulfil our roles. An heir must be born. The bloodline must continue."
"I know," I whisper.
"Do you?" she asks sharply. "Because you look like a girl who's waiting for love, not a Luna fulfilling her destiny."
Her words dig deep and I clench my jaw to keep it from trembling.
Mirena steps back, smoothing her cloak.
"If you cannot rise to this, someone else will. Our pack cannot wait forever."
With that, she turns and leaves our house, her scent trailing behind her. And I am left in the silence, feeling smaller than ever. Not good enough for my mate. Not strong enough for my role. And not fast enough for fate.
The moon is high when Eva and I reach the temple.
It sits at the edge of the forest, half-carved into stone, half-grown from the trees themselves. Vines drape over the arched entrance like veils, and the air hums with the ancient weight of prayers once heard.
Eva walks beside me in silence, her hand brushing mine in quiet support. She doesn't ask what happened. I think she already knows.
We come here every full moon, but tonight feels different. I feel different. I feel broken.
I step into the sacred circle, cool stone under my bare feet, and tilt my face to the moon's silver light.
"I don't know what else to do," I whisper, the words trembling from my throat. "I was chosen... wasn't I? So why does it feel like I'm being punished?" My voice cracks on the last word as I close my eyes.
"Please," I murmur, the prayer raw. "If there's still purpose in this… if I'm meant to be more than just unwanted… show me. Help me."
The wind stirs. A breeze curls through the temple, brushing over my skin like a ghost's fingers.
Beside me, Eva shivers. "Did you feel that?" I nod slowly, my breath caught in my lungs. Somewhere in the trees, an owl calls once, then silence falls heavy around us.
