Edeline
"You... you really won’t?"
The words were barely a whisper, but they carried a treacherous spark of hope that I wasn't ready to handle. I watched him in the sunlight; the way the light played off his skin was a cruel distraction, making my heart ache with a want that felt like a betrayal. I couldn't do this—not if there was another woman between us.
He shook his head slowly, his voice heavy with the weight of his choices. “She isn’t with me, Edeline. She’s staying at the Oracle’s cabin with my parents. I’ve moved into that empty house across the lake.” He looked away, his jaw tight. “I didn’t want her wolf near mine, and my father thought it was best if I kept my distance from you for now. Being on the other side of the water... it’s the only way to keep your scent from drowning me.”
I stared at him, stunned. I had pictured them together in the Packhouse, playing house, building the life that was supposed to be mine.
“So you’re hiding?” I asked, a bitter eyebrow arching. “Staying away so our wolves don't force a marking while we’re vulnerable?”
It was a mercy, but it felt like a cage. My wolf was snarling at the distance he’d put between us, even as my human heart felt a twisted sense of relief. I didn't want to see them together, but I hated that he had to run from me to keep his control.
He gave a small, defeated nod. I stayed silent, letting the rush of the river fill the gap between us until he spoke again.
“Tatiana’s father is Alpha Conor of the Celestial Moon pack. The second he found out I didn't have a mate, he demanded I claim her. He sees it as a political win—uniting our bloodlines to rule both packs one day.” He finally looked me in the eye, his gaze piercing. “But the moment I saw you... the moment I caught your scent and realized who you were to me, everything changed. I told her I couldn't do it. She’s terrified of the scandal, of losing her status, and she begged me to just give in. But I won’t. I can’t do that to myself, and I refuse to do it to you.”
He reached out, his hand hovering near mine, and I felt a sudden, sharp gasp leave my throat. He was calling to my wolf without saying a word, pulling at the invisible thread that tied our souls together.
“You are the only gift I ever wanted,” he whispered, his voice thick with a raw, desperate hope. “I know you probably hate me right now. I know I’ve lost the right to ask for anything. But I’m still holding on, Edeline. I want to mark you more than I want my next breath, but I’ll never force you to accept a man who carries this kind of baggage. My only tie to her is the child. I’ll see her through the pregnancy, but I won’t let that baby go back to Celestial Moon alone.”
The pain in my chest doubled. He was caught in an impossible vice. He hadn't marked her—which meant Tatiana’s father would be out for blood. For a high-ranking female, being an unwed mother without a mate’s mark was a death sentence for her reputation. She couldn't lead her pack alone; she needed an Alpha to consolidate power.
I looked at him, my vision blurring with fresh tears. “So what then? You bring her into our pack? You raise the child together while I watch from the sidelines?” My voice cracked, a sob escaping as I struggled to keep my composure. “Her father will never allow her to just be a pack member. He’ll want your head if you don't claim her.”
It was a mess. It’s a rare, fragile thing for a wolf to carry a child that isn't their mate’s. Without that soul-bond to protect the pregnancy, the risks were terrifying. There was every chance the Moon Goddess would reclaim that life before it even drew breath.
A dark, selfish thought flickered in my mind—if the baby didn't survive, would we have a chance? I immediately felt sick. I didn't want him to suffer that kind of loss, no matter how much it hurt to see him bound to her.
Percival sighed, a sound of pure exhaustion. “She can’t just join the pack. Her father expects me to take over his territory through her. But you know the truth, Edeline... babies born outside of the bond... it’s a gamble. It almost never works.”
He was right. The Goddess usually only allowed such things for those who had lost their mates or were truly alone. But for a man who had a fated mate standing right in front of him? A mate he hadn't even marked yet? The odds were abysmal.
Percival stepped closer and placed a single finger under my chin, tilting my face up. The contact was electric. A jolt of pure fire shot through me, making my breath hitch and my insides tighten. It was just one finger, but it felt like he was reaching into my very soul.
I looked into his hooded blue eyes, drowning in the desire and the sorrow there. Then, as quickly as he’d touched me, he pulled away. He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply, catching my scent as if he were trying to memorize it. The sudden cold where his hand had been made me want to scream. I wanted to lean into him, to beg for that heat again, but I held my ground.
“My wolf is screaming at me to take what's mine,” he said, shaking his head as if to clear it. “And I’d only hate myself more if I let him win before I earned you back. She’s miserable, Edeline. She’s terrified that the pregnancy won’t last, and she hates you because she knows you have the only thing she actually wants—my heart. I don't care about her. That night was a mistake I’ll regret for the rest of my life. I haven't touched her since, and I never will again.”
A wave of relief washed over my wolf, though I kept my expression guarded. I was grateful to hear the truth, grateful that the images in my head weren't reality. But it didn't fix the broken pieces. I wasn't going to be a consolation prize or a secret kept in the shadows while he dealt with his "mistake."
I wasn't anyone's backup plan.
