Chapter 10| All It Took Was Her

Theo’s POV 

Her face came to me so clearly it stopped me for a moment. That soft skin like milk, that hair I imagined tangled in my fingers, those lips full enough to drive a man mad. And her eyes…goodness, her eyes. 

They didn’t just look at you. They held you, like they could see straight into your hunger and still come closer. She wasn’t just beautiful. She was broken in the most delicate way, like glass that somehow stayed in place after the world had tried to shatter it. 

And maybe that’s why I couldn’t stop thinking about her, because even in the middle of her pain, she still looked untouched. I could almost feel her against me, her breath brushing my neck, her body pressed close like she belonged there, like she wanted to be there. 

And in that moment, it wasn’t just fantasy. It felt real. So real it scared me.

I could see her now.

Right in front of me.

Eyes locked on mine. Lips slightly parted. Her hand reaching for me like she needed to hold something steady. My body tensed hard, the pressure snapping in a sudden wave that rushed through me so fast I didn’t even have time to hold it back. 

I let out a low groan as the feeling overtook me, hot and too damn much. I gripped the edge of the sink, head dropping forward, chest heaving as I rode it out, the aftermath leaving my skin burning and my hand slick with proof.

I stared at myself in the mirror.

I had never released that fast before.

Not ever.

And all it took was her. Just the thought of her.

That was wrong.

Very wrong.

I stood there, naked and quiet, my mind racing while my body still trembled. She had nothing to do with this. She wasn’t supposed to be in my thoughts like that. 

She wasn’t supposed to make me lose control when no one else could. I closed my eyes, but her face was still there, soft and haunting.

“What the hell are you doing to me, Daphne,” I whispered.

But no answer came.

Just silence.

I washed my hands slowly, watching the water swirl down the drain as if it could carry away the confusion still clinging to my skin. My chest still felt tight, not from the act itself but from the sudden rush of emotion that came with it.

I leaned forward, bracing both hands on the sink, staring into my own eyes in the mirror like I was searching for an answer I didn’t want to say out loud.

After a long moment, I turned off the tap and grabbed a towel, wiping myself down without thinking too much. I put on my robe and stepped back into the room.

Christabel and Joan were still there. Lying on my bed like nothing happened, stretched out across the sheets, skin glowing faintly in the low light, looking completely unbothered. But their silence said more than words ever could. 

I didn’t say anything to them as I walked toward the bed. I just wanted to rest. That was all. They shifted slightly, moving aside to give me space, and I climbed in, letting out a long, quiet sigh as I sank into the mattress. 

My eyes closed for a moment, expecting the usual routine where they’d fall asleep beside me or slip away quietly into the night.

But they didn’t move.

I could feel both of them staring at me.

That kind of stare that sits heavy on your skin, the kind you can’t ignore no matter how tired you are. I kept my eyes shut, hoping they’d just let it go. But they didn’t.

“What now?” I asked finally, my voice flat and low.

There was silence for a few seconds before Christabel spoke, her tone careful but firm. “We’ve been doing this for a while now, Alpha. It’s been almost six months. You haven’t found your mate, and we’re here, still here.”

“Why not just… mate us already? What’s the point of waiting this long when you clearly need us?” I didn’t open my eyes. I just shook my head slowly and exhaled again, this time sharper. 

I knew this conversation would come tonight cause it’s what they’ve always wanted, what their father wanted. For them to be the Luna of the Silver pack. My mind still a mess, and the last thing I wanted to talk about was claiming someone I didn’t feel anything for.

Twins for that matter too.

“All of us knew what this was from the beginning,” I said, finally turning my head slightly so I could look at her. “So spare me the pep talk. I’ve had a stressful day, and I don’t want to hear about mates or bonding or anything close to that.”

They needed to hear it straight, no softness. But just to end the conversation once and for all, I added without thinking too hard, “That being said… I already have a mate.”

I turned my back to them, closed my eyes, and let the silence settle. “What?” they both said at the same time, their voices sharp with disbelief. Joan was the first to move. I heard the sheets shift, felt the air stir as she stood. 

Her voice trembled, not with sadness, but with rage barely held back. “What do you mean you have a mate? How? When?” I didn’t even turn around. I kept my eyes closed and said only one thing, the only thing I had left in me tonight.

“Please leave. I need to rest.”

She didn’t answer.

I heard the soft shuffle of her feet, then the door opening, then closing again. And just like that, the room was quiet again.

I didn’t think about her reaction. I didn’t think about Christabel still lying there, probably trying to understand what just happened. I didn’t even think about Daphne, not really. 

I just let myself sink into the mattress, my body tired, my mind blank, and finally, after what felt like forever, sleep took me.

Christabel’s POV

The morning sun had barely risen, but I was already moving through the stone-paved path that led to the training field. My boots hit the ground with steady rhythm, but inside, I was anything but steady. 

My thoughts wouldn’t stop circling. His voice kept ringing in my head like a curse. “I found my mate.” Theo’s words from last night wouldn’t leave me alone. I had barely slept, tossing and turning, my heart pounding with a pain I didn’t understand. 

It was almost 6 months and he chose to find it mate now if all times. We could have been mated to his in the next mating ceremony. Or maybe he was lying. Maybe this was just another way to push me and Joan aside. 

We had loved Theo since when we were teenagers when he was brought to this pack. We had been with him through everything. Every war. Every loss. Every damn heartbreak. We were there. Supporting him. Loving him. 

Offering comfort when he needed it. Even our bodies. Anything to prove we were worthy. But nothing ever worked. He never saw us the way we saw him. I kept walking, trying to keep my mind focused on the warriors ahead, but every step felt heavier than the last. 

Joan hadn’t stopped crying since last night. She was my sister, my blood, and she loved him just as much as I did. We were always sure one we would be his chosen mate. It made sense. We were strong. We were trained. We were born for this. 

Alphas don’t take weaklings as mates. But now?

Now he claimed to have found her. I rounded the last corner when my eyes caught movement near the eastern wing. Down the stone steps that led to the dungeon, I spotted the pack’s priestess, Marilyn. 

She was walking fast, her assistant following behind her with a small tray of herbs. My chest tightened. No one went down there this early unless something was wrong.

“Where are you going with that?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended. Marilyn stopped immediately and bowed her head, respectful as always. 

“Good morning, Christabel. Alpha Theo asked me to treat the female captive he brought in last night.”

I blinked. “Female captive?”