Unspoken Fears
He stared at her, disbelief flickering into a deeper, stranger recognition. “You…” His voice softened, barely a whisper. “You can feel it too, can’t you?”
Mina hesitated, then nodded weakly, pressing her palm to her chest. “I can. I—I don’t understand it, Alpha. But I can feel you. What you’re feeling.”
Theo’s anger slowly ebbed, replaced by a heavy, quiet awe. The bond between them pulsed like a faint light—unmistakable, divine, alive. His heart clenched painfully as realization dawned.
“The Moon Goddess…” he breathed, eyes lowering as if in prayer. “She’s given me a second chance.”
Mina blinked in disbelief. “What?”
Theo’s voice steadied as he looked at her. “You’re my second-chance mate, Mina. That’s why I could feel you. That’s why… I couldn’t stop myself last night.”
The words struck her like lightning. Her body trembled, her eyes darting between him and the door as if searching for an escape. “I’m just a maid,” she whispered. “An omega orphan. I—I could never—”
He stepped forward gently, his tone calm now, almost tender. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” He reached out, brushing his fingers under her chin to make her meet his eyes. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”
When she didn’t move away, he sighed deeply. “I owe you an apology. Last night… I didn’t know. I thought—” his voice cracked slightly, “—I thought you were her.”
Mina lowered her head, her cheeks burning. Theo’s gaze flicked briefly to the crimson stain on the sheets, and guilt twisted inside him. “Your first time…” he murmured softly. “I’m sorry if I was too rough. I never meant to harm you.”
She shook her head quickly, unable to meet his gaze, her voice a whisper. “You didn’t hurt me, Alpha.”
Theo’s expression softened. He placed a hand on her head, then leaned in to kiss her forehead gently — not out of desire this time, but quiet respect.
“Mina,” he said, “the bond is real. Whether we expected it or not, the Moon Goddess chose this path. From now on, I will protect you. You are mine, and I will make sure no one harms you.”
Her heart pounded at his words, confusion and warmth colliding in her chest.
He then asked softly, “Tell me about yourself.”
“I… I’m an omega,” she murmured. “An orphan. I turned eighteen three days ago.”
Theo nodded thoughtfully, his tone kind but firm. “Listen to me carefully. You must act normal around everyone. No one can know about this bond until I decide to announce it to the council. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Alpha,” she whispered.
“Good,” he said gently. “And one more thing—never tell anyone about last night. Not even the maids. For your safety.”
Mina nodded again, clutching her dress to her chest, still trembling.
Theo stepped back, his expression softening. “Now go,” he said quietly. “Get some rest.”
She hesitated for a heartbeat, then bowed slightly before leaving the chamber.
As the door closed behind her, Theo sank onto the bed, exhaling shakily. For the first time in weeks, the hollow ache in his chest was gone. He felt lighter—alive.
He smiled faintly, calling for the guard outside. The moment the guard stepped in, Theo’s tone became cold and commanding.
“You will say nothing of what you might have heard or seen last night. Understand?”
“Yes, Alpha,” the guard replied, bowing his head.
“From this moment,” Theo continued, “you will watch over the maid named Mina. Protect her at all times. But no one must know why.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
Theo dismissed him with a nod. When he was alone again, his lips curved slightly — not with arrogance, but something almost like gratitude.
“The Moon Goddess works in ways beyond our understanding,” he murmured quietly, looking toward the fading dawn.
Then, for the first time since Rina’s death… Theo smiled.
\---
Mina walked out of Theo’s chamber with trembling hands pressed tightly against her chest. Her heart raced so fast it felt like the sound echoed in her ears. The dawn air was cold, brushing softly against her heated skin as she made her way down the quiet corridor. Each step she took seemed to replay flashes of what had happened — his voice calling her Rina, his touch, his eyes filled with emotion, the way he had held her afterward as if she were something precious.
Her mind was in chaos.
She wanted to cry. To scream. To run far away where no one would ever find her. But instead, she forced herself to breathe — in and out — just to keep from falling apart completely.
How could she explain this? What had she done?
Even though Theo had spoken gently before she left, promising to make things right and even calling her his mate, Mina couldn’t fully believe it. The word mate was sacred — a gift from the Moon Goddess — yet she had always been told that omegas like her didn’t get blessed with such fates. She was just a servant. An orphan. Someone unworthy of even standing in the Alpha’s presence, much less sharing his bed.
As she reached her small chamber and closed the door behind her, she leaned against it weakly. Her legs gave way and she slid to the floor, covering her face with both hands as tears slipped silently down her cheeks.
Everything felt too heavy. Too strange.
She could still feel him — the warmth of his emotions lingering through the strange bond that now pulsed faintly inside her chest. Every time she tried to calm down, that connection reminded her of him again — steady, firm, protective.
When the knock came on her door a few minutes later, she startled so hard that she nearly tripped. Quickly wiping her face, she opened it to find Samantha standing there with her usual cold smile.
“Mina,” Samantha said, her voice sweet yet edged with curiosity. “I was just passing by and thought to check on you. You were the one who served the Alpha’s meal last night, right?”
Mina’s heart skipped. So she found out already.
Trying not to reveal anything, she bowed slightly. “Y–yes, lady Samantha. The guard said it was urgent. He told me to take it in since you weren’t around.”
Samantha’s sharp eyes lingered on her face for a long, suspicious moment, but Mina lowered her gaze, keeping her tone steady. “The Alpha ate the food… and that was all,” she added softly.
Samantha hummed faintly, studying her. “Is that so? Strange, I had something important to discuss with him last night… but I suppose I’ll just do it this evening.” Her voice was calm, but Mina could tell she was masking annoyance — perhaps frustration at missing an opportunity she had planned.
Mina, however, didn’t understand her meaning. She only felt a brief wave of relief wash over her — relief that Samantha hadn’t mentioned anything about the potion. Maybe she truly didn’t know what happened.
Remembering something, Mina spoke up quickly, “Um, about my request before… you said you could talk to head maid Merida on my behalf about taking three days off when things weren’t busy. I wanted to remind you again.”
Samantha’s brows arched, and a sly smile curved her lips. “Oh? Still eager to run off to see that little lover of yours?”
Mina’s face warmed instantly. “It’s not like that,” she murmured. “I just… need some rest.”
“Of course,” Samantha said smoothly, though her eyes gleamed with amusement. “Well... she had agreed ro it. You can have your three days. I’ll even handle the Alpha’s meals myself while you’re gone.”
Mina looked up quickly. “She did? You mean i can go now?”
“Yes, i will resumed in serving his meals ” Samantha replied, tone silky. “I have something very important to discuss with him tonight.”
Mina hesitated for a moment, feeling a flicker of unease but quickly pushed it aside. She had no desire to face Theo again so soon — not with all the confusion clouding her mind and heart. So she nodded in agreement.
“That’s fine,” she said quietly.
“Good,” Samantha smiled, satisfied. “Then it’s settled.”
With that, she turned and left, her steps light and confident down the hall. Mina closed the door behind her once more and leaned against it, exhaling shakily.
She didn’t know what game Samantha was playing, but for now, she was just grateful that the woman hadn’t discovered the truth. Still, as Mina pressed her hand against her chest, she could feel the faint rhythm of her bond with Theo — a heartbeat that wasn’t just hers anymore.
And it frightened her more than anything else.