Chapter 58 Chapter 58
Tiana
Not keep watch over her. Just keep watch.
Like I was part of the camp supplies that needed guarding.
“Understood, Alpha,” Rowan said from somewhere behind me.
Within minutes, they were gone. Four wolves disappearing into the forest with barely a sound.
And I was left sitting by the fire with Gamma Rowan, feeling strangely hollow.
Rowan was kind, at least.
He didn’t hover or treat me like I was fragile. Just went about his duties maintaining the camp. Most of it were checking supplies, ensuring the perimeter wards were still active and keeping the fire steady.
After an hour of sitting uselessly, I stood and stretched.
“Is there a place to bathe nearby?” I asked.
Rowan looked up from the rope he was repairing. “There’s a stream about fifty yards west. Follow the deer trail.” Noticing the look on my face, he added, “there’s nothing to worry about, you can’t miss it.”
“Okay. But is it safe?”
“Safe enough. The wards extend that far, and I’ll hear if anything approaches.” He paused. “But don’t wander beyond the stream. Stay within shouting distance.”
I nodded and headed in the direction he had indicated.
The stream was exactly where he had directed. It was a narrow ribbon of clear water cutting through the trees. Sunlight filtered through the canopy, dappling the surface with gold.
I knelt at the water’s edge, splashing the cool liquid on my face and neck. The morning had already grown warm, and the cold felt like a blessing against my overheated skin.
I should have felt relaxed, enjoying this moment of solitude.
Instead, all I could think about was Kaius’s face when he’d seen me on Zane’s lap.
And I hated to recount it continuously but I could not erase that I had observed that the smile he gave after had not quite reached his eyes.
Why did it bother me so much?
Kaius was a friend. Of course I didn’t want things to be awkward between us.
I cupped water in my hands and pressed them to the back of my neck, letting the cold trickle down my spine.
“Tiana?”
I jumped, spinning around so fast I nearly lost my balance.
Kaius stood a few feet away, hands raised in a placating gesture.
“Sorry,” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I called out, but you didn’t hear.”
My heart hammered against my ribs. “I thought you were on patrol.”
“We finished early. The perimeter was clear.” He lowered his hands slowly. “Rowan said you’d come this way. I wanted to check on you. Are you good?”
“Yes. I’m fine.” I replied quickly.
“Are you sure?”
The question hung between us, weighted with something I couldn’t quite identify.
I straightened, brushing water droplets from my hands. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You seemed upset. Earlier. After…” He trailed off, gesturing vaguely.
After he’d found me straddling his uncle, my mate.
Heat crept up my neck. “I wasn’t upset.”
“Ohh, it’s I just… you looked uncomfortable when I walked up. And then at breakfast, you barely spoke.”
Because I had been replaying that moment over and over, trying to understand why his reaction had unsettled me so much.
“It’s nothing. I am fine,” I said again, more firmly this time. “I’m just a bit tired.”
He studied me for a long moment, and I had the uncomfortable feeling he could see right through the lie.
Then he nodded slowly and moved to sit on a flat rock near the stream’s edge.
“Mind if I stay?” he asked. “Or would you prefer to be alone?”
I heard myself reply quickly, “You can stay. I am almost done”
He smiled—that easy, genuine smile that had always made me feel safe. And slowly, the tension in my shoulders began to ease. I quickly finished, then went to join him, sitting on the flat rock.
We sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sound present being the gentle burble of water over stones.
Then, before I could stop myself, the question tumbled out.
“Can I ask you something?”
Kaius looked over at me. “Of course.”
I hesitated, suddenly unsure. But I had already started, and backing out now would only make it more awkward.
“Have you ever thought about getting married?”
His eyebrows rose slightly. “That’s a random question.”
“I know. I just—” I fumbled for an explanation that didn’t sound completely insane. “Your mother mentioned she wanted that for you. And at the Convergence, there were offers. Luna Margot’s daughter…”
Understanding dawned in his eyes. “Ah. That.”
“You don’t have to answer,” I said quickly. “I was just curious.”
“No, it’s fine.” He picked up a smooth stone and turned it over in his hands. “Honestly? I’ve thought about it. Having a mate. The whole traditional path, and I know it’s necessary especially as I would be leading my pack one day.”
“But?” I prompted when he didn’t continue.
“But I’d want it to be real.” He tossed the stone into the stream, watching the ripples spread. “Not political. Or arranged because it benefits the pack or strengthens alliances.”
His words echoed my own thoughts so perfectly it was almost painful.
“I would want to marry someone I actually care about,” he continued quietly. “Someone who makes me feel whole.”
He turned to look at me then, and the intensity in his gaze made my breath catch.
“I would want to marry someone who sees me.”
“So you definitely would want to marry. That’s…” I cleared my throat. “That’s a good answer.”
“Is it?” A small smile played at his lips. “Or is it hopelessly romantic and impractical?”
“Maybe both.”
He laughed softly, and the tension eased.
But when his smile faded, something else remained in his expression. Some emotion that made my stomach flutter uncomfortably.
“What about you?” he asked.
“What about me? I am mated to your uncle.”
“Is that what you wanted? Before…” He gestured vaguely. “Before the bond. Before everything.”
Before I became Luna to an Alpha who could barely stand to touch me outside of moments of anger or necessity.
“Yes,” I admitted quietly. “That’s exactly what I wanted.”
Past tense, I told myself firmly. Wanted. Not want.
Because that dream had died the moment Zane forced the bond. The moment I became nothing more than a vessel for his heir.
Kaius was quiet for a long moment, still watching me with those thoughtful eyes.
“It’s not too late,” he said, then hesitated. “At least… that’s what I tell myself.”
I let out a smile. “Too late to do what?”
“To have that. What you wanted.” He leaned forward slightly.
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“I think you do.” He shrugged. “It’s obvious in your eyes that you want something more.”
“Haha,” I chuckled. When he looked at me weirdly, I straightened my face. “I thought we were saying hilarious things.”
He rolled his eyes. “Let’s go back to the camp.”
“Sure,” I yelped, pulling myself up. Till a shift in my bones made me land back on the floor.