When we are one

Chapter 10 Anika

I return home from a full day of training—sore, bruised, and hollowed out. The Beta didn’t hold back, and I had nothing left to give. No strength, no sharp retorts. Just empty lungs and aching limbs. I collapse face-first into the bed, fully dressed, my body welcoming the soft mattress like a lost lover.

Silvara is quiet in my mind. Even she is exhausted. But exhaustion like this doesn't last long. My breath slows. My mind drifts. And suddenly, I’m no longer in my room.

I blink, and silk sheets—deep crimson like blood—whisper under my bare skin. I sit up in confusion and realize I’m clothed in delicate black lace, as if this body isn’t my own. The room is dim, almost dreamlike. And then I see him.

Alpha Corbin.

Shirtless. Confident. A slow, dark smile tugging at his lips as he approaches. His pants ride low on his hips, revealing that damn V-cut that makes Silvara purr. Goddess help me, it’s suddenly sweltering in here.

Silvara hums in my chest. “It’s just a dream,” she teases. “But oh, what a delicious one.”

I gasp softly as he closes the distance. His scent—woods and wildfire—wraps around me, clouding my thoughts. His hand grabs a fistful of my hair and pulls me into a kiss that ignites every cell in my body. My fingers slide down his waist on instinct. His muscles tense under my touch, and I moan—quiet but undeniable.

I want him. All of him. On me. Inside me.

Just as his body lowers to mine, the dream begins to tear apart, threads unraveling like smoke in the wind.

“Anika,” a voice calls through the haze.

My eyes snap open.

Reality.

And standing there, real and smug and infuriatingly handsome, is Corbin himself—wearing that same knowing smile.

“Good dream, little rogue?”

My cheeks burn hotter than the sun. Oh, Goddess, did I actually moan in my sleep?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Alpha,” I say coolly, but the crimson in my cheeks betrays me.

“Oh, you don’t?” he chuckles. “The noises coming from this room could’ve woken the whole damn house. Don’t forget—we’re bonded now. I feel everything you do.”

My mouth goes dry. Silence stretches too long between us. I don’t want to admit how deep this connection is becoming. I rise without another word and head for the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.

Behind that closed door, I rest my forehead against the cool wood, trying to steady my breath.

“He affects you more than you want to admit,” Silvara says, her voice soft.

“I know,” I whisper back. “And it scares me.”

Outside, Corbin speaks again, his tone softer.

“Little rogue… I know you’re hiding, but I’d like to take you somewhere tonight. Just you and me.”

I hesitate. “Where?”

“Somewhere we won’t be disturbed. Think of it as… neutral ground.”

When I open the door, he’s leaning against the frame, arms crossed, looking out the window. The late golden light catches the curve of his back, the way his jeans hug his hips. My breath catches. I commit the image to memory—just in case.

I brush past him on purpose, letting my arm slide across his as I walk by. I grab black pants and a fitted top. As I dress, I can feel his eyes on me, hot and unwavering. Ezra must be struggling with his restraint—I can hear him growl softly through Corbin's chest.

Good.

“Come on, big boy,” I purr, tossing him a wink as I walk out. Behind me, I hear a low, frustrated growl. A thrill dances up my spine.

We slip through the kitchen and into the night. The garden is stunning after dark—thousands of fairy lights glow like stardust caught in trees. Magic lingers in the air, thick and sweet. Corbin takes my hand, his palm engulfing mine.

Silvara leans in. “He’s showing you his heart, even if he doesn’t know it yet.”

I squeeze his hand.

We walk into the woods, the world growing quieter, the stars more visible through the canopy.

“Umm, Corbin… is this where you kill me?” I ask, half-joking, half-not.

His laugh is dark velvet, rumbling in his chest. It sends a shiver through me.

“If I wanted to kill you, little rogue,” he whispers, “I’d take you to the dungeons. I’d make you beg for death first.”

The way he says it makes my breath hitch—not from fear, but from something deeper, darker.

My mind flashes back to the dream, and heat floods my body. Corbin stops. He leans close, his breath warm on my neck.

“You smell like my next meal. Better keep it together.”

Ezra's presence flickers behind his eyes. He’s losing control again. Or maybe… maybe he’s just letting it go.

We finally arrive at a quiet clearing by the river. Moonlight dances on the water’s surface. A soft rug waits by the shore, surrounded by flickering candles. The whole scene is almost too intimate to be real.

I sit, and Corbin follows. No words at first. Just the sound of water and heartbeats.

“Is something wrong?” I ask, aware of the way he watches me.

“No. I just… you fascinate me.”

“Fascinate you, Alpha?”

“Everything about you,” he says. “You came out of nowhere. No family. No records. It’s like you stepped out of a dream.”

I hesitate. Silvara growls softly in warning.

“They wouldn’t understand,” she warns.

But I’m tired of the weight. The hiding. I pull off my glove and slice my palm, letting blood drip freely.

“I bleed like you,” I whisper. “I’m no illusion. I come from a place no one should. I was abandoned as a pup and sent to the surface because the underworld couldn’t contain me anymore.”

The air stills.

Corbin reaches for my hand, but I pull it back, slipping the glove on again.

“You’re no monster,” he says softly. “Monsters don’t have remorse. But you? You feel too much.”

Tears prick at the edges of my eyes, but I hold them back.

“I’m sorry you have to be my mate,” I whisper. “I didn’t choose this. You didn’t either. I never meant for you to feel my pain.”

“You were chosen for a reason,” he says. “Maybe we’ll never understand it. But the bond is real. It won’t let go of either of us.”

Silence wraps around us again, but this time, it feels like an embrace.

Corbin may be an infuriating, arrogant Alpha. But right now? He’s also something else.

He’s safe.

And I’ve never known that before.