Not reading the comments on the last chapter because I know some of you are ready to send me to the same realm where Selena trapped Sophia. *Hides face behind blanket.*
AlexeiThe silence in the house isn’t peaceful. Not even close.It’s thick, tense, crawling under my skin like it’s trying to choke me out. She hasn’t said a word in what feels like forever.And it’s driving me insane.I’ve dealt with people’s emotions before. I’m not the guy who snaps or says the wrong thing when someone’s crying or yelling or shutting down. But Irene’s silence? It’s on a whole other level.Why the hell does she affect me like this? More than I want to admit. More than I can even begin to understand.When Stella rejected our bond, yeah, it stung. But just Irene's silence is maddening.It’s something deeper, messier.I’m two seconds away from calling out her name when I hear the soft creak of her door. She walks out, and just like that, there she is again. Calm. That kind of calm that doesn’t make sense. Her face is unreadable, and it only fuels the fire inside me.“You alright?” she asks, like everything’s normal.That question breaks whatever I’ve been holding in.“
AlexeiAsk me to jump into a battle with a thousand rogues, and I wouldn't even blink. I'd dive in without thinking twice. But sitting here, trying to talk to Irene? It feels like the hardest damn thing I’ve ever had to do.I’m running the words through my head, trying to make sense of them. How do I explain something that never made sense to me in the first place? How do I tell her about Stella… and the truth behind what that bond really is or isn’t?I glance at her, hoping for some kind of reaction. Anything. But her face is calm. Too calm. Like she shut a door and locked it from the inside. And I feel it, that invisible wall between us. It’s there, cold and thick, and it’s messing with my head more than I want to admit.I rake a hand through my hair and drop my head, letting my hands rest behind my neck. I breathe in deep, hoping it’ll help settle the tightness in my chest. Then I lift my head and catch her holding the union crystal I placed beside me earlier. Her fingers are wrapp
AlexeiNormally, at this time, I’d be out. Either running patrols, overseeing the morning training rounds, or caught up with Mikhail in some pack issue that needs fixing. But not today. Today, I took the day off.I told myself it’s just so Irene doesn’t feel left alone on her first real day here, and maybe that’s partly true. Sophia even offered to spend the day with her, give her the pack tour, make it a “girls' day” kind of thing. But the moment she said that, I knew it would have made Irene uncomfortable. She is too polite and kind to say no, but inside, she would have been anxious all the time. So, I turned the offer down, nicely, and stayed.But that’s not the whole truth.The real reason I’m staying in today is that I’ve been meaning to talk to her. About everything. About Stella. About my mate bond with her. About what it meant… and what it didn’tShe deserves to know the whole picture. I can’t let her think I’m hiding things from her.I know I should’ve told her before the un
AlexeiHer laugh echoes around us, loud and wild and completely unfiltered, and damn if it doesn’t do something to me. Her whole face lights up, cheeks flushed, eyes crinkling, and for a second, the weight she carries just melts off her. That glow on her face... it loosens something in my chest, something tight that I didn’t even know was wound up. My wolf perks up too, proud like we’ve done something right just by getting her to let go.I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything this honest... this pure before.I think maybe Sophia was right. Everything probably just hit Irene all at once. The changes, the new place, the people, the chaos, it’s been a lot. I didn’t see it at first, but it makes sense now, why she suddenly pulled back. I thought I’d messed something up, but no... she just needs time to settle in. To breathe. I’m glad I stopped by Sophia’s before grabbing groceries. I didn’t think asking her for advice would help this much, but it did.Irene needs space to feel safe. And I
IreneThe moment the door clicks shut behind him, my eyes fill with tears. I press my lips together and try to breathe, but my throat feels tight and sore, like I’ve swallowed something sharp. I blink fast, hoping the tears will stop, but the first one slips down my cheek before I can help it. I wipe it away quickly with the back of my hand.I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve been through worse. I’ve held myself together when the world around me was falling apart. But this... being here, away from my family, in this quiet little house... It’s like everything’s finally caught up to me.I sit at the edge of the bed, fingers curling into the blanket. It’s soft and smells like fresh linen and a faint trace of him. And for some reason, that makes the ache inside me worse.This is the first time I’ve felt alone since I accepted Alexei.All this time, I thought I was doing okay. I told myself I was strong enough. That maybe, in some strange way, this was fate trying to make up for the m
AlexeiAs we pull into the driveway, I catch her looking out the window. Her face is calm, but her eyes are moving like she's soaking it all in. She doesn’t ask where we are, not even a whisper. She trusts me, or at least she’s trying to.Normally, the distance from the packhouse to my place can easily be covered on foot, but since Irene's stuff is in the car, I took the car.I cut the engine and glance her way. “Normally, I stay at the packhouse,” I tell her, keeping my voice easy. “But since you’re with me now, I figured you might want a place that’s a little more... I don’t know, peaceful. A place you can have to yourself.”She turns toward me, blinking like she’s not sure how to take that. “Thanks,” she says quietly. “But I don’t wanna be a bother. I can stay wherever you want me to. I am okay with anything.”I shake my head and reach out, laying my hand over hers. “Irene, you’re not a bother. You’re my responsibility now. It is my duty to take care of you.”She doesn’t pull away.