Chapterr 3: The Serpent's Comfort

The chill from the training grounds followed me back to my room, seeping deep into my bones. I felt raw, exposed, as if every nerve ending had been scraped bare. The phantom sensation of Adrian’s touch was a brand on my skin, a constant, humiliating reminder of my body’s betrayal. Luna, for once, was quiet, a subdued silver presence radiating a confused hurt. She couldn’t understand the complexities of lies and alliances; she only knew our mate had pushed us away.

A soft knock on the door made me jump. “Elara? May I come in?”

Anastasia’s voice. Sweetness layered over venom. Every instinct screamed at me to tell her to go away. But defiance was a luxury I couldn’t afford. I was a guest in her future domain, a problem they were tolerating.

“Come in,” I said, my voice flat.

She entered, a vision of concerned grace. She had changed into another exquisite gown, this one the color of twilight. In her hands, she carried a small porcelain cup steaming with a fragrant herbal tea.

“I thought you might need this,” she said, placing the cup on my bedside table. Her smile was a masterpiece of sisterly compassion. “First training sessions with Adrian can be… overwhelming. He pushes everyone to their limits. It’s how he forges strength.”

She sat on the edge of my narrow bed, patting the space beside her. The gesture was so familiar, so reminiscent of a childhood that now felt like a lie, that I almost sat down out of sheer habit. But I remained standing, leaning against the cold stone wall, putting a physical barrier between us.

“I’m fine,” I lied.

“Oh, my dear sister,” she sighed, her eyes brimming with a well-practiced sympathy. “You don’t have to be strong for me. I can only imagine what you’re feeling. That… reaction… during the greeting ceremony. It must have been terribly confusing for you.”

She was picking at the edges of the wound, gently, expertly. I said nothing.

“The mate bond is a powerful, primal thing,” she continued, her gaze distant, as if recalling a fond memory. “Especially for an Alpha like Adrian. His instincts are so strong. Sometimes, they can be… overwhelming. Even misleading.”

My heart gave a painful lurch. Misleading?

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

She looked at me, her expression full of pity. “I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea, Elara. What you felt… it’s biology. It’s a deep, animalistic pull. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything more than that.” She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. “When an Alpha of his caliber meets an unmated female, particularly a young, impressionable one, the bond can sometimes flare up like that. It’s his wolf recognizing a potential mate, yes, but it’s not… it’s not love.”

Each word was a carefully placed dagger. Animalistic. Impressive. Not love.Luna whimpered in protest, but the seeds of doubt were already taking root in the fertile soil of my own insecurities. Was that all it was? A powerful Alpha’s instinctive reaction to any available female? Had I, in my desperation, mistaken basic biology for destiny?

“Adrian and I,” Anastasia said, a dreamy smile playing on her lips, “what we have is built on so much more. It’s built on time, on respect, on shared dreams.” She looked around the small room, her smile turning wistful. “He promised me, you know. Right after the betrothal was formalized. We stood on the western ridge, under a full moon just like the one that will rise soon. He took my hands and he said, ‘Anastasia, together, we will build a future that will be remembered for generations. You will be the Luna this territory needs, the heart of my pack.’”

The image was vivid, cruel. I could see it perfectly: the moonlight silvering her hair, the look of devotion in Adrian’s stormy eyes. A future I had inadvertently crashed into.

“He’s a male of his word,” she added softly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears that I knew were as fake as her concern. “His sense of duty is everything to him. He would never let a… a temporary biological impulse… destroy what we’ve planned for so long. It’s why he was so stern with you today. He’s trying to control it, for the sake of the pack. For our future.”

The pieces clicked into a devastating mosaic. His initial shock, followed by the cold, corrective distance during training. His quick retreat when she appeared. It wasn’t a struggle against a fated bond; it was a Alpha managing an inconvenient instinct. A problem to be disciplined.

The fragile hope I hadn’t even realized I’d been clinging to—the hope that the bond meant something, that the connection I felt was real—shattered. The ache in my chest was no longer from the bond’s pull, but from a profound, soul-crushing humiliation. I had felt chosen, special, for one blinding moment. Now, I felt like a fool.

“I understand,” I managed to say, my throat tight. I looked away, unable to bear the triumph I knew was shining in her eyes.

“I knew you would,” she said, her voice dripping with false warmth. She stood up, smoothing her dress. “Get some rest, sister. Don’t trouble yourself over this. It’s just the way of things. The bond will… settle… in time. And you’ll see it for what it is.”

She glided out of the room, leaving the scent of her expensive perfume and the poison of her words behind.

The moment the door closed, I sank to the floor, wrapping my arms around my knees. The tears came then, hot and silent. Luna howled in despair, a sound only I could hear. She lies!my wolf insisted. The bond is true!

But was it? What did a dormant Omega like me know of true mate bonds? Anastasia’s explanation was cold, logical, and fit the facts perfectly. It explained his behavior far better than any romantic notion of a forbidden destiny.

I had to be stronger. I had to lock this away. The bond was a biological accident, a trick of instinct. Adrian was my sister’s fiancé, my Alpha mentor. Nothing more.

I would learn what I could from him. I would stay out of trouble. I would complete this wretched year and go home. And I would do everything in my power to never, ever be alone with him again. The pull of the bond was agony, but the humiliation of being a mere “temporary biological impulse” was a far deeper wound.

The war wasn’t just on the training grounds. It was inside me. And after Anastasia’s visit, the side of cold, hard reason had just won a significant battle.