Mated to you

Chapter 3 - Us again

A shimmer in the night sky caused the crowd to stir in awe, voices dropping to a low hush as the aurora unfolded. Ribbons of colour shot across the sky, twisting and pulsing. Thea’s breath caught, she’d seen photos, videos, even paintings, but nothing compared to this. It was alive. Reign shifted beside her, gaze still on the sky. “It’s beautiful,” he said softly. She nodded, unable to speak. Her throat was tight, her chest heavier than she expected. Because this, this was the moment she had imagined sharing with him. He turned slightly, just enough to see her face in the glow. “I’m glad you’re here.”

She didn’t answer. Just watched the lights dance, refusing to let the ache ruin it. For now, the sky was enough.

Reign hadn’t spoken again, and she was grateful for the silence, for the way the sky gave them something to look at rather than speak.

Reign shifted beside her, arm brushing hers, and pulled her gently into his side. She didn’t resist. Instead, she leaned into him, letting the warmth of his body anchor her.

They lay there, shoulder to shoulder, eyes on the lights pulsing above. The lights ended too quickly, fading like a held breath. Neither moved afterward, nor spoke. Both unsure, when or how to peel away from the comfort they’d found in each other.

Finally, Thea moved first. “Did you want to have a beer back at the hut?” she asked, voice quiet, almost too casual.

“Sounds good,” Reign said, rising to his feet. He offered his hand, and when she took it, his grip lingered, warm, grounding, familiar in a way that made her chest ache.

They walked side by side, the silence between them thick but not uncomfortable. Words weren’t needed. The gravel crunched beneath their steps, the night air cool against flushed skin. They stopped a few times to speak with other packs, they mentioned, not seeing much of Thea, and she apologised, both making up excuses for why she hadn't shown face.

When they reached the hut, they hesitated at the door, as if crossing the threshold meant surrendering to something neither had named aloud.

Eventually they made it through the door. Reign moved to the mini bar, grabbing two beers. Thea curled into the armchair, legs tucked beneath her, watching him with guarded eyes.

“Cheers,” she said, tapping her bottle against his.

“Did you enjoy the lights?” he asked, sipping slowly, as his gaze landed on her.

“Mmhmm,” she murmured. “It was amazing.” It was all she could say to mask the ache in her chest, the want she didn’t dare voice.

She finished her beer too fast, rising to get another. “Want one?” she asked.

Reign drained his bottle, jaw tight. “Sure.”

She handed him the second beer, her fingers brushing his. The contact was brief, but electric. She turned to walk away, but he caught her wrist, gently, deliberately.

“Thea,” he said, her name a breath, rough, reverent, warning.

She turned, startled by the heat in his voice.

Then he pulled her to him.

She gasped, her body colliding with his as he guided her onto his lap. Her legs straddled him instinctively; hands braced against his chest. Their eyes locked, amber and storm, and the tension that had been building for months snapped.

His mouth found hers, desperate and unrelenting. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, anchoring herself to the only thing that still felt real. His hands gripped her hips, possessive, trembling with restraint he no longer cared to hold.

They kissed like they were starving. Like they’d been dying without each other.

She moaned into his mouth, and he stood, lifting her effortlessly. The beer bottles clinked to the floor, forgotten. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her breath hot against his skin.

He carried her to the bed, not gently, but not carelessly either. Like he needed her now or he’d come undone.

She pulled him down with her, fingers clawing at the fabric between them, mouths never parting.

No hesitation. No restraint.

Only the truth of their bodies, finally allowed to speak.

They laid tangled in the sheets, breath slowing, skin still humming from the storm they’d just weathered. Reign’s arm was wrapped around her waist, his fingers tracing idle patterns along her spine. Thea’s head rested against his chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat.

Then he shifted, just enough to look down at her. His amber eyes were soft, unguarded in a way she hadn’t seen in months.

“I love you, Thea,” he said, voice low and steady, the kind that carried weight even when it broke. “I’m sorry for it all. I truly am.”

She looked up at him; eyes shadowed with everything she hadn’t said. The Diandra thing still stung, and his distance hurt just as bad.

“I pushed you away because…” He hesitated, jaw tightening until the muscle jumped. “I thought history was repeating itself. The men in my family have always destroyed their mates, just by being what we are.” His voice dropped, rough and dangerous. “I didn’t want that for you. So, I made sure there were no threats… including myself.”

He said it like a confession, but it sounded like a warning. Packs feared him for good reason. He was ruthless, his name alone enough to silence a room. He’d torn down Alphas, broken bloodlines, and left entire territories trembling. He knew exactly what he was capable of, and that knowledge lived behind his eyes like a shadow that never left.

But with her, that shadow shifted. Thea didn’t make him soft; she made him aware. And that awareness was the only thing keeping the monster in him from surfacing again.

She didn’t speak, but her breath hitched.

Her fingers curled against his chest.

“I came back a few times, when I thought I was ready.” he admitted. “But every time I saw you, you seemed to be better without me. I wanted so badly to be a part of it. But the fear of losing you again… it held me back.”

Thea’s eyes shimmered, her silence no longer cold but heavy with emotion. She wished that he had been honest with her, months of silence wasn’t the answer.

He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “I hope one day, you can forgive me. But I understand if you never do.”

She leaned into his touch, eyes closing for a moment. Then she opened them, gaze steady.

“I’ll always love you,” she whispered. “And I do forgive you, I understand now, why you found it hard to expose the truth to me. It hurts, but I also am sorry, I never gave you a chance, maybe if I did, none of this would have happened.” She said, pulling his hand to her lips to kiss.

He exhaled, like he’d been holding that breath for months. "Does this mean, we can start again?" He asked, and she looked up at him and smiled.

"That smile is mine." He whispered, pulling her even closer to him.

Thea smiled "Can we snooze for a bit before we join the rest?" She asked, voice sleepy, and eyes already closing.

They stayed wrapped in each other’s arms, and Reign finally relaxed, everything was perfect, he was finally able to get some sleep.

Until a knock came.

Three sharp taps. Then a pause. Then one more. Reign stirred, brow furrowing as he shifted beneath the sheets. His nose twitched, instinct flaring before thought could catch up. He sat up slowly, the scent of Diandra lingered near the door. His jaw clenched. Thea stirred beside him. “You going to get that.” She said with a sleepy smile. Reign didn’t answer. He was already pulling on his pants, the tension in his shoulders unmistakable.

He opened the door.

Diandra stood there. He moved outside and shut the door behind him. “What do you want?” he asked, voice cold, clipped.

Diandra flinched, hurt flickering across her features. “We need to talk. It’s important.”

“What is it this time?” he said, already impatient.