Chapter 2 2

The heavy oak door to the council rooms clicked shut behind Alpha Fenric and Beta Marcus, and the sound seemed way too loud now that Fenric wasn't there anymore. The invisible, shaky connection that had stretched between Elena and her Alpha just snapped, leaving her feeling empty and confused. The lively feeling of the Great Hall rushed back in – everyone talking and laughing again, glasses clinking, and all the different smells mixing, almost too much for Elena's suddenly sensitive senses.

Her legs felt wobbly, like a baby deer's, and her palms were sweaty as she squeezed them into fists, her nails digging into her skin.

Mate. The word still bounced around in her head, a crazy, happy howl from her inner wolf that felt so different from the cold, awful feeling in Elena's stomach, making her feel chilled inside. He had felt it. He really had. And he had walked away.

"Elena? Are you okay?" Maya's voice, sounding worried, finally got through to her. Her friend put a gentle hand on her arm, a familiar touch that felt real in a world that had just spun off its center. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Or... well, maybe the Alpha?" Maya's eyes got a little wider as she thought about how intense that moment had been. "Wow, Elena, seriously, the way he was looking at you... right before Marcus interrupted... what was that?"

Elena swallowed hard, trying to find her voice and act normal. "I... I don't know." It was a bad lie, and she knew it. She knew exactly what it was. Fate, in its weird and often mean way, had finally done its thing, linking her soul to the most powerful, most respected, and most completely out-of-reach werewolf in the whole pack. The one man who was in charge of the pack's future, and now, it seemed, hers too.

But he had walked away.

The clear urgency in Beta Marcus's voice, the slight frown on Fenric's face before he turned... Was it really important pack business? A sudden problem that needed his full attention right away? Or was the strength of the bond, the total surprise of it hitting him in a crowded room, too much? Overwhelming? Maybe he just needed a minute to think about the shock, like she did. Hope, weak but stubborn, flickered in her chest. He wouldn't just ignore the bond. No werewolf, especially not an Alpha whose instincts were everything, could just ignore something so important, so sacred. Could he?

"He looked right at you," Maya said, really curious, not knowing the storm inside Elena. "Like, really looked. Not just looking around like he usually does. It was... intense. Did he say anything before Marcus dragged him off?"

"No," Elena managed, shaking her head and feeling numb. "He... he was called away. Important stuff, I guess." She made herself take a deep breath, trying to look calm even though she felt far from it. Inside, her thoughts were racing. He felt it. I know he did. That connection... it's real. It has to be. He'll come back. Once whatever it is is over, he'll come back. He has to.

The rest of the feast was a painful blur. Elena tried to join in, nodding and giving weak smiles to people she knew, picking at the fancy food on her plate – roasted pheasant, sweet vegetables, and berry tarts – but it all tasted like nothing. Her focus, her whole being, was stuck on the heavy oak door Fenric had disappeared through. Every time it creaked open, her head shot up, her heart jumping with a painful bit of hope, only to fall again when someone else came out – a beta with a message, an elder needing advice, a servant with drinks. Never him.

Maya tried her best to talk to her, chatting about couples she'd seen, guessing about friendships between packs, and sharing gossip, but Elena could barely follow. Her world had shrunk down to one painful point: the Alpha who held her destiny, the Alpha who had looked at her like she was the only one there, and then vanished. The minutes stretched into an hour, each one feeling like forever. Then almost two. Doubt, cold and sharp like ice, started to creep into her fragile hope, poking at it. What if she had imagined how intense it was? What if just being noticed by the Alpha had made her instincts go crazy, making up a bond that wasn't really there? What if the connection was only on her side? That was super rare, more like a story than real life, but the scary thought started to grow in her mind. Or worse... what if he had felt it, knew she was his mate, and immediately thought she wasn't good enough? A delta healer's apprentice isn't exactly the right Luna for a powerful Alpha like Fenric Thorne.

Her eyes drifted to the platform where Lyra, the beautiful and accomplished daughter of an important council member, was laughing easily with Beta Rhys, her shiny silver dress glowing in the candlelight. Lyra was everything Elena wasn't: confident, well-born, smart, and stunningly beautiful. Was she the kind of Luna the pack expected? The kind Fenric wanted, no matter what fate said? The thought made Elena feel even more insecure, wanting to disappear.

Just as she was getting ready to sneak away, convinced it had all been a terrible mistake, just her being nervous and wanting something so badly, the council chamber door opened again. This time, it was him.

Alpha Fenric stepped back into the main hall, Beta Marcus no longer with him. The serious, worried look was still on his handsome face, maybe even more so than before. He stopped for a moment, his strong presence immediately getting everyone's attention, his eyes scanning the room again with that unsettling intensity. Elena's breath caught, her heart squeezing in her chest. This time, he didn't hesitate or look around. His eyes found hers right away, locking her across the room like a hunter spotting its prey.

A low murmur went through the nearby crowd as people noticed the Alpha looking so intently. It was like an invisible path cleared between them without anyone saying anything. He started walking towards her, his long, determined steps covering the distance quickly, his boots quiet on the stone floor. There was no mistaking what he was doing now. The air around them felt charged with anticipation. Elena felt stuck to the spot, her heart pounding loudly in her ears, drowning out everything else. This was it. The moment of truth.

He stopped right in front of her, so close she could feel the almost scary heat coming from his body, smell the faint, clean scent of pine needles, cold night air, and something that was just him on his clothes. He was even more imposing up close, his strong presence making you want to bow down and acknowledge him. Her wolf whined softly inside, wanting to both show respect and run away from the fear growing in her gut.

But Elena stood still, somehow finding the strength to meet his intense whiskey-gold eyes, desperately looking for any sign of the recognition, the shared shock, the undeniable bond that had hit her soul just hours ago. His face was a perfect mask of cool, unreadable control. Distant.

He looked down at her, his expression steady, almost like he was examining her. The silence stretched, thick and suffocating, making the frantic, terrified beat of her own heart even louder. Hope and fear fought inside her, tearing her apart.

Then, he spoke. His voice was deep, strong, completely calm, and totally missing the warmth she had irrationally wanted, the deep soul recognition she desperately needed to hear, to feel.

"You are Elena," he said, his tone flat. "The healer's apprentice?" It wasn't really a question; his eyes told her he knew exactly who she was.

She could only manage a quick nod, her throat suddenly tight, unable to speak.

He gave a short, almost invisible nod back like it was the end of something. His eyes stayed locked on hers, hard and completely determined. The last, weak bits of her desperate hope started to fall apart. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. This wasn't right.

"There seems to have been some confusion," he said clearly, his voice carrying a little in the sudden quiet, his tone sharp and final. "A... misunderstanding of what fate intended, perhaps. Something that shouldn't have happened." He paused, letting his carefully chosen words sink into the stunned silence, sink deep into her hurt soul. Then, looking right into her eyes, delivering the final blow with cold, precise cruelty, he declared,

"I, Alpha Fenric Thorne of the Silver Moon Pack, do not acknowledge any mate bond with you. Therefore, I reject you."