Chapter#52

Chapter#52
Rhea’s POV

These wolves loved with a fierceness that bordered on worship. I stood at the edge of the crowd, a soft smile tugging at my lips, quietly admiring how beautiful this pack truly was.

I watched as wolves paired off, their bodies swaying in sync with the rhythm of bone flutes and steady drums. Hands clasped. Eyes locked. Each movement was an ancient dance that honored the moon and the sacred bonds they shared.

Leandro stood apart.

His gaze was fixed on the ground, distant. He was probably thinking about Ironfang… and her. That bitch… Selene. I hated her. I hated her name, her pack, her very existence.

I saw her once, years ago, when Silverthorn summoned the Alphas from every territory for a grand dinner to celebrate the Blood Moon. She was nothing remarkable. But that night, when Leandro was in bed with me, inside me, while his body trembled with the pleasure I gave him… he moaned her name. Said he wanted her. Said he would have her, no matter the cost.

My heart had never cracked the same way since.

“For you, Alpha Leandro, and for Beta Rhea,” a young she-wolf approached, pulling me from my thoughts. She held out two woven flower crowns. “To honor your strength beneath the moon.”

I took the crowns and placed one gently on my head. I nodded with a soft smile. “Thank you.”

Then I glanced at Leandro, who was still staring at the ground, and turned back to the young wolf. “Alpha Leandro is pleased as well,” I stated smoothly.

“The pack requests that you and the Alpha join the dance,” she added, “It would be a great honor for us.”

Leandro’s lip curled. “I don’t dance,” he growled.

The girl flinched, but she didn’t back down. Around us, the crowd grew still. Their gazes flicked between us like a ripple across the pack.

Elder Myrra stepped forward. “Dance with your Beta, Alpha,” she urged. “Let Ashveil honor Lady Rhea. It is our way.”

Leandro’s eyes narrowed. He let out a long, sharp sigh, clearly bristling. “Grandmother,” he muttered, “I did everything you asked of me. But this... dancing and singing…” His tone darkened, “Don’t expect me to be part of it.”

Dancing with Leandro had always felt like an impossible dream, one I’d buried a long time ago. But now, with all eyes on us, I couldn’t let this slip by.

And I knew just the right way to convince him.

“Alpha, this is your mother’s home,” I managed to say, meeting his gaze. His mother was his weakness, the only chain he’d never managed to break. I stepped closer, as my voice softened, “She’d want you to honor them. One dance won’t dull your armor.”

His eyes snapped to mine.

“She’d want this,” I pressed gently. “She’d want you to remember her traditions… and embrace them.”

His breath hitched, and in that flicker of a moment, I didn’t see the Alpha… I saw the boy he used to be. Lira’s son.

He exhaled slowly, his shoulders dropping ever so slightly. “One dance,” he growled, offering me his hand.

The crowd exhaled in unison as I put my hand into his. The drums swelled, and the flutes soared. Wolves stepped aside like a tide parting, clearing a path into the firelit circle.

His hand found my waist. My body moved instinctively to his, drawn like a thread pulled tight. I swayed with him as the music wrapped around us. His scent filled my lungs. And for a heartbeat, I let myself believe it was real. That he wanted me. Not as his Beta… but as his mate.

Then came the sting, the ache behind my ribs that nearly unraveled me. I was wolfless now. And he would never touch me the way he once had.

But I masked it, pressing closer. My fingers brushed his chest, and I gave him a smile I didn’t feel. One that trembled at the corners.

The music faded and the dance ended, just like that, like it was as long as the blink of an eye.

The crowd cheered, and their joy echoed in the night, completely blind to the quiet ruin between us.

Leandro released me instantly. His hand dropped like I was nothing. Without a word, he turned and strode toward the stone building where his room awaited.

I stood there, frozen, still feeling the touch of his hands on my waist.

“Lady Rhea,” Myrra called out gently.

I blinked, realizing my feet had already begun to follow him. I stopped and turned back toward her.

“Stay with us a little longer,” she urged softly.

I shook my head, offering a faint excuse. “I would love to… but we have a long day tomorrow. I should give my eyes some rest.”

Before she could reply, I slipped through the crowd, weaving quietly between dancing wolves and flickering torchlight. My heart guided me toward the stone building… toward him.

The door was ajar.

I paused, breath hitching, and peered through the gap. Leandro stood in the center of the room, his back to me. His fingers were unclasping the leather straps of his armor. Piece by piece, he stripped it away. The firelight cast golden shadows on his skin, making every movement feel like a cruel form of worship.

My heart ached.

And yet… it fluttered too. Excitement and sorrow wove together like poison and perfume.

All I’ve ever wished for is to be yours.

He moved toward the adjoining bath chamber.

Compelled by something I couldn’t name, I stepped inside the room, quietly, and crept closer. The door to the bath was slightly open. I peeked through, not even knowing what I was doing anymore. My breath stilled as I watched him sink into the cold bath as the water lapped against his skin. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

A quiet gasp escaped me, and my eyes stung.

But then, my foot slipped.

The door creaked as I stumbled forward, crashing through. His eyes flew open, sharp and startled, locking onto mine.

I straightened as my face flushed. “Sorry, Alpha, I didn’t mean…”

“Stay,” he growled. His voice was a command, pinning me in place. “Entertain me, Rhea. You’ve always been good at that.”

My heart lurched. I stepped closer and slipped off my tunic. I walked toward the bathtub and dipped my feet into the water, settling them between Leandro’s legs.

It was freezing, but I didn’t care.

All I wanted was his gaze. His undivided attention. For just a moment, I wanted to be the only thing that filled his thoughts.

I slowly sank into the tub. The water clung to my skin like ice, yet the heat in his eyes never wavered. He didn’t look away. Not once.

“Touch yourself,” he commanded, “I know you’re hurt, Rhea. Show me how you ache for me.”

His words stung, but I obeyed. 

My fingers traced down my body, trembling slightly as they moved with quiet desperation. My breath caught the moment I reached the place where the ache lived. My eyes never left his. His didn’t leave mine.

The water rippled.

His hand moved beneath the surface. Slow at first. Our shallow gasps tangled in the air until they were the only sound that filled the silence between us.

The space around us faded. The world outside the tub, the pain, the past… none of it mattered.

Only this.

Only him.

I moaned his name. My back arched and my fingers quickened as the pleasure sharpened. I was desperate. Desperate for him to touch me. He let out a rough groan, and his hand moved faster, staring into my eyes.

“Come closer,” he commanded, and I slid through the water. 

My feet now touched his chest. He grabbed my legs and tugged me toward him, making me slip into the tub. He held me from my waist and lifted me onto his lap. I crossed my legs behind him. 

He grabbed my hair, yanking my head back as his mouth claimed mine. His tongue plunged deep, as if he’d been hungry to claim my mouth again.

I gasped. My hands clutched his shoulders, pressing myself into him. He kissed me like he fucked my mouth with his tongue, and I surrendered, letting him take full control.

He pulled back, his breath ragged, “On your knees,” he ordered, and I sank into the water. 

My hands braced on his thighs, and my face was half-drowned in the cold water as I opened my mouth. He thrust into me. His beast filled my throat as his hand gripped my hair and his hips moved in a brutal rhythm. 

I choked, but I didn’t pull away. His groans were music to my ears. And then just as soon as it started, it ended as his salty release spilled into my mouth, which I swallowed completely.

He slumped back, closing his eyes, “Good girl,” he murmured. “Now go and rest well.”

I nodded, smiling. “Yes, Alpha.” I got out of the tub and grabbed my tunic from the floor.

“You’re sleeping in my bed tonight.” He groaned, making me turn back to face him. My heart thudded fast in my chest. 

“Tomorrow, Selene will be mine for life.” He continued, “So enjoy your last breath of me while you can… because my hands will never touch you again.”

A smile appeared on my lips. I recognised what he said, but I knew that I was his, always his. I never paid attention to what the future was going to be, and for now, sharing his bed for the last time was enough for me. 

He’d ruined me, and I still chose him every time. And this wasn’t even the worst part. The worst part was that he knew. He knew how I felt, and he kept using it… kept putting me through tests like love was something I had to earn. 

He'd hurt me, then pull me close like I was the only thing that mattered, only to let go the moment I started to believe it. A part of me wanted to leave. God, I tried many times in the past, but every time I did, he'd look at me like I was the air in his lungs. 

He made me feel like I was special… like I was his. And then, just when my heart stopped shaking, he reminded me I was nothing more than a quiet place for him to rest his demons. Nothing more than a shoulder to carry the weight he didn’t want to bear alone.

I know I was stupid, but I was a woman in love. Stupid didn’t begin to describe me.