Mated to you

Chapter 2 - Curious

The room was empty. Untouched since she had last stood in it. She didn’t know what she had expected, some sign of him, maybe. He’d left so suddenly weeks ago, had his feelings now changed?

He was Alpha of Velmira, an entire country. He could be anywhere. Command any territory, sleep in any bed… The thought pained her but she was the one who pushed him away, she needed to leave it to him, she wasn’t going to force it.

She sat on the edge of the bed, no longer interested in dinner. The quiet had settled in, familiar and heavy. She had read the rest of the book, something to occupy her hands, if not her thoughts.

But she wouldn’t ask about Reign’s age.

What would it change, really? He didn’t even bother looking at her today. The distance he spent away, was felt and it hurt.

She spent the next hour pampering herself, the next time he saw her, she wouldn’t look like a sweaty mess. As she dried her hair in the bathroom, she heard the soft click of the bedroom door. Curious, she opened the door, but the room was empty.

No one was there.

But the scent stopped her. Rich, warm, unmistakable.

Lasagna.

Her favourite. A human dish she had recently mentioned to River. A smile tugged at her lips before she could stop it, she didn’t waste any time and ate every bit of it. The next afternoon, during her daily lesson with River, she brought it up casually, gratitude laced in her voice. She thanked her for sending the meal to her room, and especially for having the chef make the lasagna she spoke about.

River blinked, confused. “Lasagna?”

Then her expression shifted. Realisation flickered.

“Oh,” she said slowly. “Yes. No problem. Anytime.”

Thea hadn’t noticed River’s hesitation and smiled. “I read them all,” she said, gesturing to the stack of books River had given her the day before.

She hadn’t meant to. That wasn’t the plan. But after devouring the lasagna, something shifted. The warmth of the meal, the quiet gesture, it was so thoughtful of River, or so Thea assumed.

So, she sat down to read, just as she had promised.

She finished the second book as quick as the first, then another, and another, until the stack was gone and the room was quiet, save for the soft hum of her thoughts.

“Did you get any sleep?” River asked, a knowing edge to her voice. She didn’t need the answer, reading that much in one night spoke for itself.

Thea shrugged, a smile tugging at her lips. “Eventually,” she said. “After the last page.”

River raised a brow, amused. “You weren’t supposed to finish all of them.”

“I know,” Thea replied, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I couldn’t stop. It felt… good. Like I was finally in the right headspace.”

River didn’t press further. But she watched Thea closely, wondering if it was really the books, or the lasagna, that had shifted something in her. Maybe it was the comfort of something familiar, something human. River’s gaze lingered a moment longer, before she let it go.

“Well, I promised you his age,” she said, smiling.

Thea’s brows drew together. “Mmhmm. I shouldn’t pry,” she murmured.

River raised a brow. “Really? You pried my age out of me,” she said with a chuckle.

Thea laughed, but it came out thinner than she meant. “Yeah, but we’re friends, right…” Her voice trailed off, uncertain. She glanced at River, searching her face for confirmation, because if she was wrong, if she had misread everything, that would be humiliating.

River’s smile softened. “Of course we are,” she said, then added with a teasing chuckle, “but he’s your mate. You can ask him anything.”

Thea’s smile faltered for half a second, just enough to notice. “Yeah… I guess,” she murmured.

River didn’t push. But she saw it, the flicker of doubt behind Thea’s eyes.

“So… did you want to know or what?” River teased.

Thea hesitated. The truth was, she did want to know. But the right answer, the respectful answer, was no.

River’s brow lifted.

“Don't tell me." Thea said, a chuckle escaping her.

"I know you want to know,” River said with a chuckle.

“Fine. Of course I do. But don’t tell me,” Thea said quickly, then paused. “Is he older than you?”

“Yes,” River replied.

“By how many years?”

“He’s eighty-nine,” River blurted out, grinning. “You earned his age. I was always going to tell you.”

Thea didn’t move. Her jaw dropped. She blinked a few times, as if that would help her process the number faster.

River watched her, thoroughly amused by the reaction.

“And you thought I was old,” she laughed.

"Wow... Um, initial thought, gross but only because eighty-nine as a human is elderly. How long can you live... As a werewolf?” Thea asked, still stunned. Her mind scrambled to reconcile the man she thought she knew with the weight of that number. “I get why he kept so much from me,” she added, her voice softer now, almost apologetic. “Can you imagine if he had dropped that on me too, along with everything else?”

She let out a chuckle, but it didn’t reach her eyes.