ISOLDE’S SILENT RAGE

The moment Isolde stepped away from the hallway where Lutheran and Soren had spoken, she felt as though the ground beneath her had disappeared. Her heart pounded against her ribs, and her breathing became sharp and uneven. The truth had crashed over her like a wave, leaving her drenched in betrayal.

She had been a pawn. The connection she thought existed between them, the way he looked at her, touched her and talked to her, it's all been a lie.

But she didn’t storm into his chambers to demand answers. No, that would be too easy for him. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.

She paced around her room, the weight of betrayal sat heavily in her chest, but she refused to let it show. She needed time to think and decide what to do with everything she had just heard. If she acted too soon, if she let her emotions rule her, she could end up making a mistake and she couldn’t afford mistakes.

So she did the only thing she could: stay silent and pretend to know nothing.

She woke up the next morning as if nothing had changed, though everything inside her had cracked. She trained, but only enough to seem engaged. Then, she returned to have her breakfast, every bite tasted like ash. Her responses to Lutheran were measured and controlled. It was never too warm, and never too cold.

Lutheran began to notice the shift, at first, it was the small things, the way she didn’t linger after meals, the way she barely spoke during training. He watched her, his golden eyes were filled with unspoken questions. But Isolde never let her mask slip.

It wasn’t easy to put up the pretence. Every time he touched her, she wanted to scream. Every time he smiled at her, she wanted to ask if it was her he was seeing, or if it was Lyrabi. And worst of all, when he whispered her name, she wanted to believe he meant it.

She hated herself for that. Lutheran became terribly concerned, and no longer met his gaze for too long. When he reached for her, she found an excuse to step away.

“Are you alright?” he asked one evening after training.

“I’m fine,” she replied smoothly. The way she said it, the ease and the coldness in her voice made Lutheran frown. His instincts immediately alert. “You’ve been different.”

Isolde gave a small shrug. “I said am fine” She turned away before he could study her face further, walking off with the same elegance and grace he had always admired. But there was distance now. A space she had never placed between them before.

The next morning, she didn’t show up for training.

Lutheran waited, his arms crossed, watching the sun rise higher in the sky. It was unlike her to miss a session. Training was her escape, her passion, and if there was one thing he was certain of, it was that Isolde didn’t run from a fight.

But today, she had. He found her hours later, standing at the edge of the pack’s territory, staring into the distance.

“You didn’t train today.” His voice was calm, but she could hear the tension beneath it.

“I didn’t feel like it.” Lutheran arched a brow. “You did not feel like training?”

She turned to him with an unreadable expression. “Is that a problem?”

He exhaled sharply. “Isolde, talk to me. Something is wrong.” She almost laughed. Talk to him? The man who had planned to use her? The man who had only seen her as a weapon to wield against Kaelen?

Instead, she gave him a soft smile, the kind that meant nothing. “I’m fine, Lutheran. You’re overthinking.” She turned and walked away, leaving him watching her with suspicion. By the third day, Lutherans could no longer ignore that something was wrong.

“Isolde,” he called as she passed by the training grounds. She stopped and turned to face him; her expression was calm and controlled. “Yes?”

He studied her for a long moment as if trying to find something in her face, something that wasn’t there before.

“You’ve been distant.” She tilted her head slightly. “Have I?”

His brow furrowed. “You know you have.” She smiled. “I suppose I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”

“Then talk to me.” He reached for her, but she stepped back. Not too noticeably, not enough to cause suspicion, but enough. “I’m fine, Lutheran,” she said smoothly. “You don’t have to worry about me.” His jaw clenched, he wasn’t convinced. Before he could say more, she turned and walked away.

She had to because if she stayed any longer, she might have broken down. Later that evening, as Lutheran sat in the strategy room, staring blankly at a map he wasn’t really seeing, Soren entered.

“You look troubled.” Lutheran exhaled through his nose. “It’s Isolde.”

Soren’s expression sharpened slightly. “What about her?”

“She’s different,” Lutheran admitted. “She has been distant for a few days, I tried to find out what the problem is, but she keeps saying it's nothing. I'm worried.” Soren leaned against the table, his arms were crossed. “Maybe she already knows.”

Lutheran’s head snapped up. “Knows what?”

Soren shrugged. “You said it yourself, she’s acting strange. And if she knows, then it’s only a matter of time before she does something about it.”

Lutheran’s grip tightened on the table. The idea of Isolde knowing or leaving is something he can't even conceive.

“She doesn’t know,” he said, more to himself than to Soren. “She can’t.”

Soren stared at him, “What if she had heard our conversation that night?”

Lutherans froze at the possibility. “Then I'll kill you, Soren, she can't find out, do you understand?”

Soren was stunned at his outburst, he sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “Look, I’m just saying, watch her. If she’s pulling away, there’s a reason. And if that reason is what we think it is then you better be ready for what comes next.”

Lutheran’s stomach twisted. “She knows nothing, she's just still upset over a fight we had after I called her Lyrabi.” His eyes widened. “You did what?”

Lutheran’s face dropped in guilt. “It was a slip; we were having a moment; I wanted to call her name; I can't even tell how it happened. But I had apologised. Now, she feels that she is only a replacement for Lyrabi. I really do love her.”

Soren shrugged. “Oh I see now, that was a terrible mistake. Let's just hope that's the only thing on her mind. I'm sure you both will sort that out. Because if she finds out about our plans _”

“Never mention that again; as far as this issue is concerned, all initial plans are abolished, and if a word of this slips out of your mouth ever again, I will have your head chopped off. Understood?” He snapped. But deep down, he knew Soren might be right.