The morning light filtered through the heavy drapes of the mansion, casting a muted gold across the room where Asis lay awake. She hadn't slept much—every creak of the floorboards, every distant howl in the woods had kept her tense, her mind racing. The events of the previous night played on a loop: Sorin's chilling laughter, Harald's wolf form tearing into the vampire, the raw terror of realizing the world she'd dismissed as fiction was all too real. But it was Harald's words that lingered most—"You'll live to hate me. That's enough." She sat up, her fingers gripping the edge of the silk sheets. Hate wasn't the right word. Not anymore. It was something messier, something that gnawed at her pride and curiosity in equal measure.
She dressed slowly, choosing a simple linen dress from the wardrobe someone—Harald, she assumed—had stocked with clothes her size. The fabric felt foreign against her skin, too elegant, too his. When she opened the bedroom door, two Lycan guards stationed outside stiffened, their golden eyes tracking her movements. "I need to speak to him," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. One guard nodded and disappeared down the hall, leaving the other to shadow her as she wandered to a nearby balcony. The gardens below were immaculate, roses and jasmine weaving through iron trellises, but the beauty felt like a gilded cage. She leaned against the railing, breathing in the crisp air, and rehearsed the terms she'd drafted in her head.
Harald found her there minutes later, his presence announced by the shift in the air—a warmth that prickled her skin before she even turned. He wore a tailored black shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, his hair tousled as if he'd been running his hands through it. The casualness unnerved her; it made him seem almost human. "You wanted to talk," he said, his tone neutral, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of hope.
"Conditions," she replied, crossing her arms. "If I'm staying here, it's on my terms. Not as your prisoner. Not as your… mate." The word tasted bitter, too intimate for the chasm between them. "I want freedom to move around the mansion. No guards following me unless Sorin's nearby. I want access to my phone to message my family, to assure them I'm safe. And you'll answer every question I have about your world. No lies, no half-truths."
Harald's jaw tightened, but he didn't interrupt. When she finished, he stepped closer, his gaze piercing. "And in return?" "In return, I won't try to run. For now." She held his stare, refusing to blink. "But if you break these terms, I'll disappear, and not even your wolves will find me."
A muscle feathered in his cheek, but after a weighted silence, he nodded. "Done. But the guards stay at the perimeter of the estate. Sorin's magic is unpredictable. He could be anywhere."
"Fine." She turned back to the gardens, her shoulders loosening slightly. "And one more thing. You don't get to decide what's best for me. If I choose to leave someday, you let me."
This time, his pause stretched longer. When he spoke, his voice was low, roughened by something she couldn't name. "If you choose to leave, I won't stop you. But know this, Asis—you're safer here than anywhere else. And not just from Sorin." She didn't ask him to elaborate. Some truths were too dangerous to unravel.
Her phone was placed on the antique desk in her room. Asis stared at it, her thumb hovering over the screen. Lying to her mother felt like swallowing glass, but the alternative—dragging her family into this nightmare—was unthinkable. She typed quickly, her chest tight: "Ma, I landed safely. Decided to stay for a while. Need time to sort things out. Don't worry about me. Love you." The reply came instantly: "Bittu, be careful. Call me soon. We miss you." She tossed the phone onto the bed, guilt curdling in her stomach. "Miss you too", she thought, but couldn't bring herself to type it.
Berit found her in the gardens the next morning, wandering the gravel paths with a book she'd plucked from the mansion's library—a dusty tome on Lycan history she'd hoped would distract her. The crunch of footsteps made her glance up, and her breath caught. Berit stood a few feet away, her auburn curls haloed by the sun, hands twisted nervously in her sweater. "Hi," she said softly. Asis snapped the book shut. "You shouldn't be here."
"I had to see you." Berit took a tentative step forward. "Anders told me what happened with Sorin. Are you… Okay?"
"Define okay." Asis turned away, her voice brittle. "My friend lied to me about being a werewolf. My life's been upended by creatures I didn't believe existed. And now I'm trapped in a mansion with a man who thinks he owns me. So no, Berit. I'm not okay." Berit flinched. "I wanted to tell you. So many times. But the rules—we're forbidden to reveal ourselves to humans unless…"
"Unless what? Unless you're forced to?" Asis whirled on her, anger sharpening her words. "Was any of it real? Our talks by the lake? You calling me your lucky charm? Or was I just a pawn in your world, too?"
"Of course it was real!" Berit's eyes glistened, her composure cracking. "You're the first human who ever looked at me and saw me. Not a wolf, not a myth. Just… Berit. That's why I didn't tell you. I was selfish. I didn't want to lose that."
Asis stared at her, the hurt a live wire in her chest. "You did lose it," she whispered. "You just didn't know it yet." A cold breeze swept through the garden, scattering petals between them. Berit wiped her cheeks roughly. "I know you are angry with me. But please—let me explain. Let me show you what our world is. Not the monsters, not the bloodshed. The good parts. The pack, the bonds, the way we protect what's ours."
"Yours," Asis echoed bitterly. "That's the problem, isn't it? Claiming someone without their consent." Berit shook her head. "It's not like that. The mate bond—it's not ownership. It's… a choice. Your majesty waited years for you. They're trying, in their way, to respect yours." Asis laughed hollowly. "By kidnapping me?"
"By keeping you alive." Berit's voice hardened. "Sorin isn't just some vengeful vampire. He's obsessed with power, with breaking Lycan alliances. And you're our Alpha King weakness, which Sorin wants to exploit."
"Leave," she said finally, her voice trembling. "I can't do this right now."
Berit opened her mouth to argue, then thought better of it. "When you're ready," she murmured, "I'll be here." She turned and vanished into the maze of hedges, leaving Asis alone with the weight of truths she wasn't sure she could carry.
Harald found her hours later in the library, curled in an armchair with the Lycan history book abandoned on the floor. She'd torn through chapters on pack hierarchies, mate bonds, the eternal feud with vampire covens—each page a revelation that chipped away at her denial. Now, she stared blankly at the fireplace, the flames mirroring the chaos in her mind.
Harald crouched in front of her, close enough that she could see the flecks of amber in his eyes. "Asis Sinha, you are my mate, and I know it is difficult to accept it." A shudder ripped through her. "I don't believe in this."
He hesitated, then reached for her hand. She let him take it, too exhausted to pull away. " I will stand by your side whether you like it or not." His thumb brushed her knuckles, a gesture so tender it stole her breath. "And I believe… if you let me, I can help you navigate this. Not as your keeper. As your ally."
Ally. The word felt fragile, a truce in a war she hadn't chosen. She studied his face—the sharp angles softened by firelight, the vulnerability he tried so hard to mask. "I don't trust you," she said quietly. "I know." He stood, releasing her hand. "But I'll earn it. However long it takes."
*****