Fenris strode in, something like alarm flickering across his sharp features. His nostrils flared, scenting the room.
"How are you feeling?"
When he drew closer, he finally noticed how pale I was—my lips completely bloodless, my scent thin and weak where it should have been strong.
He frowned, confusion creasing his brow. "Is it your moon-cycle again? Why didn't you send word to me?"
Irregular cycles had always plagued me—a weakness in my bloodline that the healers had never fully corrected.
Following my instructions, Mira hadn't told him about the lost pup. She'd sworn a silence oath at my request, her eyes wet with tears she didn't dare shed in front of me.
So in his mind, I was simply here at the Healer's Lodge to rest and let my body mend.
I watched him in silence, studying the sharp angles of his jaw, the way his wolf's presence barely stirred beneath his skin when he looked at me.
Every time I'd felt unwell before, I would let my scent turn soft and pleading, nuzzling against him, begging him through our bond to stay close.
But this time, I hadn't sent a single howl-call.
And he hadn't remembered I existed until a full week later.
Seventeen missed calls or none at all—in the end, the result was exactly the same.
Why torture myself?
"I figured you were too occupied with pack matters," I said softly, keeping my scent carefully neutral. "I didn't want to burden you."
Something flickered across his face, a brief shadow passing through those amber eyes. He stepped forward to embrace me, his arms wrapping around my smaller frame. "I'm your mate. You could never burden me."
I didn't pull away, but I didn't lean into his warmth either.
The moment my head rested against his shoulder, breathing in the familiar pine and storm scent of him, the question slipped out before I could stop it: "The same way you feel about Aurora?"
I regretted it instantly.
It made me sound like a jealous Omega fighting for scraps of her Alpha's attention.
His body went rigid for a split second, his wolf stirring with something I couldn't read, before he recovered. He chuckled, stroking my hair with practiced ease. "Of course it's the same."
Just then, Kael's howl-call came through the message-sigil on my wrist.
I kept it brief in front of Fenris—a few short responses through the magical link before closing the connection.