Chapter 3

Mina's POV

"Put the knife down, Mina," the stranger murmured, stepping into the dim light of the cellar room. "You don't need a weapon against me. You never did."

My hand shook, the silver blade glinting between us. I stared at his face, the sharp jawline, the dark hair falling into his eyes, and the sheer power radiating from his frame. He looked so much like Alaric that for a terrible second, my breath caught in my throat. But the warmth in his gaze, the slight tilt of his lips, and that familiar scent of cedarwood and rain belonged to someone else entirely.

"Rhydian?" The name left my lips in a breathless gasp.

"The very same," he said softly, closing the distance between us. He gently reached out, his warm fingers wrapping around my trembling wrist. He didn't force me, but the gentle pressure made me lower the dagger. "I came back the moment I heard."

"You... you're supposed to be with the Ironhide pack," I stammered, my mind spinning into complete chaos. He had been sent away five years ago for warrior training, a distant memory I kept locked away in my heart. Now, he was standing in my room, looking like a fully grown Alpha prince. "Why are you here?"

"Because my brother is a fool," Rhydian said, his voice dropping into a dangerous growl. The sudden flash of anger in his eyes made my pulse take a sudden halt. He gripped my shoulders, his touch grounding me against the cold floor. "I was at the pack borders when the news reached me. I ran all night to get to you, Mina. Alaric humiliated you in front of everyone. He called you... I can't even say the word without wanting to tear his throat out."

"Don't," I whispered, looking down at my feet. "My mother said it too. Everyone thinks it. I am just the fat, useless sister who wasn't enough for a prince."

"Look at me," Rhydian commanded gently, lifting my chin with his finger. His touch sent a strange, electric jolt straight up my spine, a sensation so sharp it made me gasp. "Look at me, Mina. They are blind. My brother is blind. You are worth more than this entire pack combined, and I am absolutely furious at what they did to you."

"You shouldn't be saying this," I said, trying to step back, but my back hit the cold stone wall. "My bond to Alaric just snapped last night. I am a rejected wolf, Rhydian. I smell like failure. You shouldn't even be near me."

"I don't care about the rejection, and I don't care about what Alaric wants," Rhydian said, stepping closer until there was no space left between us. His chest rose and fell heavily. "I hate that he put you through that pain. I hate that he made you cry. But a quiet part of me... a selfish part of me is glad the bond broke."

I looked up at him, my heart hammering like a trapped bird. "What are you saying?"

"I am saying that for five years, I stayed away because I thought you belonged to him," Rhydian murmured, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that burned my skin. "I thought the goddess would give you to the future Alpha, and I had to accept that. But now? He threw you away. And now I finally have a reason to stay close to you, the way I always wanted."

My entire body reacted to his words before my mind could even process them. A sudden heat flared deep in my stomach, melting the icy loneliness that had settled in my chest since the bonfire. It confused me, terrfied me, and made me feel an overwhelming wave of guilt. My fated mate had just rejected me hours ago. I was supposed to be mourning, supposed to be broken, yet here I was, craving the warmth of his twin brother's touch.

*Mate,* a voice echoed inside my head.

I gasped, gripping Rhydian’s forearms for support. It wasn't my thought. It came from deep within my soul. My inner wolf, which had been completely silent and dormant during the entire binding ceremony with Alaric, suddenly woke up. She scratched against my ribs, howling with a fierce, wild hunger that shook me to my core. She wanted him. She was clawing to get to him, pushing her power into my veins until I felt my own vision blur.

"Mina? What's wrong?" Rhydian asked, his brow furrowing with deep concern. He held me tighter as my knees buckled slightly. "Are you in pain? Is the snapped bond hurting you?"

"No," I choked out, my chest heaving as I tried to suppress the wild energy bursting inside me. It was stronger than anything I had ever felt around Alaric. When Alaric stood near me, my wolf had only whimpered. Around Rhydian, she wanted to rule. "My wolf... she is doing something strange. She is stirring, Rhydian. It doesn't make sense."

"What do you mean she is stirring?" Rhydian asked, his own alpha aura flaring in response to my sudden shift in energy.

"I don't know!" I cried softly, panic gripping my throat. "She never acted like this with Alaric. Never. It's too much. It frightens me."

"Hey, look at me, breathe," Rhydian coaxed, his voice a soothing balm against the chaos in my mind. He rubbed his hands up and down my arms, trying to calm the storm raging inside my blood. "I've got you. You're safe with me, Mina. I am right here."

I leaned into his chest, unable to fight the magnetic pull drawing me toward him. The guilt was heavy, but the desire was heavier. We stood there in the dark cellar room, our breathing syncing up as the wild energy slowly began to settle into a deep, vibrating hum between our bodies.

Suddenly, Rhydian stiffened.

His muscles went completely rigid under my hands, and the gentle warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, predatory sharpness. He shoved me gently behind his back, his large frame completely shielding me from the open doorway.

"Rhydian?" I whispered, my hand instantly going to the silver dagger on the table. "What is it?"

"We are being watched," he muttered, his voice dropping into a dangerously low octave.

I held my breath, listening intently. Through the quiet night air, past the heavy sounds of the wind, I heard it. A soft, deliberate crunch of gravel right outside the tree line near my cellar window. A lingering scent of ozone and envy drifted into the room. Someone had followed him here. Someone was lurking in the pitch-black shadows, spying on us.

Rhydian stepped toward the threshold of the door, his eyes locking onto a thick cluster of oaks just twenty yards away. His jaw clenched, and a terrifying, low growl vibrated from his chest, shaking the very air around us.

"Show your face to me now, coward, or stay in the dark," Rhydian barked into the night, his voice laced with the absolute authority of a dominant Alpha prince. "But if you take one more step toward her tonight, I will rip your spine out through your throat.”