THE KINDNESS

PAULINE

The air in the grand ballroom was thick with the scent of expensive lilies and aged wine. It was the former Alpha’s birthday, a celebration for a man who had led the Blue Sky Pack for decades but was now a shadow of his former self. He sat in a velvet chair near the fireplace, looking frail, while his children and the rest of the pack buzzed around him.

I stood in the corner, clutching a glass of sparkling water I hadn’t touched. My eyes were constantly scanning the crowd for Ricardo. Ever since the night he told me we were trying for a baby, things had been... different. The air between us was charged, but tonight, I was terrified.

Maria had arrived an hour ago, looking radiant in a flowered maternity dress, but her eyes were red-rimmed. She was alone. My brother Leo was nowhere to be seen.

He’s going to be so angry, I thought, my heart thumping against my ribs. Leo isn't here, which means Ricardo will punish me for Maria's loneliness. He’ll probably drag me to a dark room and leave me there so I can feel what she feels.

But to my surprise, Ricardo didn’t come for me. He stood across the room, talking to some elders, his eyes occasionally flickering toward me. There was no rage in his gaze—just a strange, brooding intensity.

I took a deep breath and decided to do something brave. I walked over to Maria, who was sitting by the buffet, picking at a plate of fruit.

"Maria," I said softly, sitting beside her.

She looked up, her expression hardening. "Come to gloat, Pauline? Come to see the 'lonely' sister?"

"No," I said, reaching out to touch her hand. She flinched but didn't pull away. "I came to talk to you. Please, Maria. Look at what is happening to us. Leo hates being trapped, and Ricardo is taking his anger out on me. This cycle is destroying everyone. Please... just divorce him. End this, and we can all be free."

Maria’s eyes filled with tears, but her jaw set firmly. "I can't."

"Why not? You're miserable! He doesn't even come to your father-in-law's party with you!"

"Because I love him, Pauline!" she hissed, her voice trembling. "I’ve loved Leo since we were teenagers. Yes, I framed him. Yes, I forced the marriage. But I believe that once the baby comes, he’ll see. He’ll change. I’d rather be his wife in pain than live a day without being his."

"You're trade-off is my life, Maria," I whispered. "Is your obsession worth my suffering?"

She looked away, her silence giving me all the answer I needed. She wouldn't let go.

Just as the party was beginning to wind down and the shadows grew long across the marble floor, the heavy oak doors swung open. Leo walked in. He looked disheveled, his tie hanging loose, his eyes tired.

Maria stood up, her face lighting up with a desperate hope. "Leo! You came!"

She moved toward him, her hands reaching out, but Leo didn't even blink. He walked right past her, his eyes locked on me.

"Pauline," he growled.

"Leo!" I cried out, rushing to him. I threw my arms around his neck, burying my face in his chest. I knew the truth, I knew Maria had trapped him, and I knew how much he was hurting. "I missed you so much."

"Are you okay?" he whispered into my hair, his grip tightening. "Is he hurting you? If he touches you, I'll kill him, Pauline. I swear it."

"I'm fine, Leo. Just... be careful," I pleaded.

Maria stepped between us, her face contorted with jealousy. "Leo, everyone is watching. Please. Just one dance? I want to record it. I want the pack to see that we are happy. For the baby, Leo. Please."

She grabbed his arm, trying to pull him toward the dance floor. She had her phone out, ready to record a lie for the world to see.

"Get off me, Maria," Leo said, his voice dangerously low.

"Just one dance!" she pleaded, tugging harder. "Show them you love me!"

"I said, let go!"

In his frustration, Leo shoved her away. He didn't mean to be violent, but he was strong, and Maria was caught off balance. She stumbled back, her heels catching on the carpet. She was headed straight for the sharp edge of a marble pedestal.

"Maria!" I screamed.

I lunged forward, sliding across the floor. I managed to catch her by the waist just before she hit the stone, pulling her into my lap as we both tumbled to the ground. She was shaking, clutching her stomach, but she was safe.

The room went dead silent. My eyes flew to Ricardo.

This is it, I thought. He saw Leo push her. He’s going to humiliate me now. He’s going to hit me or throw me out in front of everyone.

Ricardo stepped forward, his face pale, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white. He looked at Maria, then at Leo, and finally at me—still holding his sister on the floor.

He didn't scream. He didn't touch me. Instead, he let out a choked sound of pure frustration and turned around. He kicked the heavy ballroom door open with such force it cracked against the wall, and he stormed out into the night.

The party ended abruptly after that. Leo took Maria home, forced to play the role of the husband after nearly causing a disaster. I was left to go back to the Alpha’s suite alone.

I sat on the edge of the bed, waiting. My heart was a drum in my chest. Why didn't he hit me? Why did he just leave?

An hour passed before the door opened. Ricardo walked in. He didn't look angry anymore; he looked exhausted. He had taken off his suit jacket and his white shirt was unbuttoned halfway.

I stood up, my voice trembling. "Ricardo... I saved her. I know Leo pushed her, and I'm so sorry, but I caught her."

He walked over to me, stopping just inches away. I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact of a slap that I felt was coming.

Instead, I felt his large, warm hands cup my face. I opened my eyes in shock.

"Why did you do it, Pauline?" he asked. His voice wasn't cold. it was soft, almost broken.

"Do what?"

"Save her. After everything I’ve done to you... after how I’ve treated you because of her... why would you risk yourself to catch her?"

"Because she’s your sister," I whispered. "And she’s carrying a baby. I don't want more pain, Ricardo. I don't want us to keep hurting each other."

Ricardo leaned his forehead against mine. I could smell the faint scent of rain and whiskey on him. "I went outside to break something," he confessed. "I wanted to find you and make you feel what I felt when I saw him push her. But then I realized... you were the only one who did the right thing tonight."

"Ricardo..."

"I’m tired, Pauline," he whispered, his thumbs stroking my cheekbones tenderly. "I’m so tired of the hate. Tonight, when I saw you on the floor holding her, I didn't see an enemy. I saw a woman who is far better than I am."

Suddenly, he pulled me into a kiss. This wasn't like the other nights. There was no "duty" in this kiss. There was no talk of heirs or revenge. It was slow, desperate, and filled with a strange, budding romance that terrified me more than his anger ever had.

He lifted me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He laid me back on the pillows, his eyes searching mine.

"Tonight," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Tonight isn't for Maria. And it isn't for Leo."

"Then who is it for?" I asked, my breath catching.

"It's for us," he said. "Just us."

For the first time since the wedding, the room didn't feel like a prison. As he moved with me that night, it wasn't harsh or fast. He kissed every inch of my skin, whispering my name like it was a prayer. For a few hours, the war outside didn't matter.

But the next morning, as the sun began to rise, the reality came back. We were still in the middle of a storm.

Ricardo sat up, looking out the window. The softness from the night was gone, replaced by the heavy mantle of the Alpha.

"We are going to see a specialist today," he said, his back to me.

"For the baby?" I asked softly.

"Yes," he said. He turned to look at me, and for a second, I saw a flash of that tenderness again. "But Pauline... don't think this means the war is over. Maria is still hurting."

He stood up and started to dress. "We are trying for another baby tonight," he told me, returning to his professional, cold tone. But as he reached the door, he paused. "Wear the blue dress. It suits you."

The door closed, leaving me in the silence. I touched my lips, still feeling the ghost of his kiss. I was falling in love with a man who was using me as a weapon, and I didn't know if that made me a saint or a fool.