Chapter 3: My Mate
1331 Words
Chapter 3: My Mate
(Elara's POV)
The moment I stepped into Rhys's office, it felt like the world beneath my feet had slipped away.
The air was charged, electric with an invisible pull that I couldn't fight. Lumi, my wolf, was howling within me, her energy desperate and raw. The longing, the recognition—her cry consumed every inch of me. Mate.
That word hit me like a blow. My whole body trembled, my knees felt weak. I wanted to collapse, but I couldn't show any weakness, not here. Not in front of him.
No. No. This couldn’t be happening. My mind screamed in rebellion even as Lumi roared with joy.
I forced my legs into motion, one step at a time, until I crossed the threshold into the enormous, intimidating space. The office was sleek, cold, and commanding, much like the man who ruled over it. The glass walls stretched ceiling-high, bathing the room in light, but it felt oppressive.
Despite the grandeur, my eyes found him immediately. Rhys. The Alpha King.
He sat at a massive black desk, his shoulders broad and still. He wasn’t looking at me; his attention was on several alphas seated before him. His face was stone, his silver-gray eyes sharp and calculating as he listened to their disputes.
My breath hitched as Lumi surged forward again with an urgency I had never felt in her before. She knew. She knew this was her mate.
But my human heart? It rebelled. Elian’s face flashed in my mind, his warm brown eyes, his quiet strength. My feelings for my adoptive brother, feelings I had buried and denied for so many years, suddenly resurfaced, clawing at me. How could this be happening?
"Miss Song," Rhys said, his deep, commanding tone cutting through the tension in my chest like a knife. "Take a seat."
The alphas seated around him didn’t spare me more than a glance, but beneath their calm expressions was curiosity. I could feel their silent questions hanging in the air.
I forced one foot in front of the other, my legs stiff like stone as I moved to the empty chair across from him. How I managed to make it across the room without tripping, I’ll never know.
I dropped into the seat, clasping my trembling hands together to stop them from shaking. Lumi wasn't helping me stay calm. She was pacing, clawing inside me, desperate to reach our mate.
Rhys continued his meeting as though I wasn’t even there. His jaw was set, his silver eyes locked on the alphas who spoke. But I noticed the signs. The subtle flexing of his fingers on the desk. The way his emerald-green wolf eyes flickered to the surface before he controlled them again.
Nyx, his wolf, was restless, just as Lumi was.
I wasn’t the only one affected.
The alphas droned on about border disputes and resource claims. Their voices faded to the background as I focused on my breathing. Keep calm. Don't look at him. Ignore the way his very presence was pulling me apart at the seams.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the pack alphas bowed their heads to Rhys and made their way out of the office. As the door clicked shut, leaving us alone, my heart jumped in my chest.
It was just us now.
"State your business," Rhys said bluntly.
His tone was cold and sharp, his expression completely unreadable. The authority radiating from him was suffocating.
I took a slow breath, trying to keep my voice calm. "I’ve come to discuss Frost Hospital, Alpha King. The situation with the hunting grounds."
His gaze flickered to me briefly, but it was enough to send a shiver down my spine. "The Frost Hospital’s disputes are not my concern," he replied curtly, leaning back in his chair.
The way he dismissed me so easily set my blood boiling. My wolf growled low within me, not at him but at the rejection of her mate. I clenched my fists, forcing Lumi down.
"This isn’t just a petty dispute," I said, keeping my voice steady. "The project we’re working on is critical for wolves with blood disorders. Wolves like Iris."
"Iris." His voice rolled out, low and sharp. He didn’t even blink. "The same Iris whose wolf is flickering out of existence?"
I leaned forward, refusing to be deterred. "That’s exactly why this project matters. The rare plants in those hunting grounds are necessary for treatment, and Derek—"
"Derek," he interrupted, his tone laced with amusement. "The traitor who stole your research. Am I correct?"
I swallowed. "Yes. He’s using the stolen research to negotiate with the Shadow Pack for hunting rights. If he succeeds—"
"Stop," Rhys said abruptly, raising a hand.
I froze, my heart hammering. His piercing silver eyes bore into mine, and for a moment, I thought Nyx was going to surface. His wolf’s energy thrummed in the air like an unspoken challenge.
"Internal disputes like this do not interest me," he said coolly, the calmness of his tone almost dismissive.
My stomach twisted. He was refusing to help. His indifference felt like a slap in the face—not just to me, but to all the wolves depending on this research.
"You have to understand," I pressed on, my voice rising despite myself. "This isn't just about me or Iris. Wolves are dying. This... this research could save lives!"
His eyes gleamed for the briefest of seconds, but his expression didn't change. "And why should I involve myself in your hospital's failure to manage its resources?"
He was testing me. I could feel him watching, waiting for something. My frustration mounted, but I couldn’t let it show. This wasn’t just about pride. Iris was counting on me.
Lumi growled in my head, urging me to keep going. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, steadying my thoughts. I needed another approach.
I forced myself to meet his gaze again. "Elian can vouch for our work."
The moment Elian’s name left my lips, the air in the room shifted.
It was subtle, but I saw it. His jaw tightened for a fraction of a second. Nyx stirred, his energy spilling into the room, heavy and full of possessive fury.
"Ah," Rhys said, his voice low but cutting. "The future Alpha of Crescent Moon. How predictable."
I couldn’t tell if the disdain in his voice was for Elian or me.
"You’re the first to use your pack connections to appeal to me... little princess."
The nickname—a teasing label I'd grown used to from my childhood—hit differently now. The warmth it once carried was replaced with something heavier. There were layers to it now, weight I couldn't unravel.
"I'll do whatever I have to for my pack," I countered, holding my chin higher.
His smirk widened, but there was no humor in his eyes. The tension in the room was unbearable. Lumi whined beneath my skin, but I pushed her back.
"And just what exactly would you do?" Rhys leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a dangerous level. His silver eyes bore into mine, and his wolf growled low, the sound almost audible.
I blinked, caught off guard by the intensity of his gaze. Was he asking about Frost Hospital? Or something else entirely?
My voice faltered slightly. "Whatever it takes."
The silence stretched between us, taut and suffocating. Rhys watched me for several long moments, as if assessing every word I’d said, every movement, every breath.
He leaned back in his chair, breaking the tension. "We'll see about that," he said, his tone unreadable.
I felt dismissed, but at the same time, there was an unspoken thread hanging in the air between us.
I rose from my seat, Lumi still pacing furiously, the bond between us and Nyx screaming for acknowledgment. But neither of us said another word, and I turned toward the door, my head higher than my heart felt.
- Writer
