Chapter 16
Alright… let’s make this fun for all of us. 😌
Here’s how I’m rewarding you, my special readers, and the ink to my pen.
1. Hit a top ranking for a week straight → mass release of 3 Chapters.
2. Send a super gift → mass release of 5 Chapters.
Now for the real mischief, these are the rewards. Also, this is where the real chaos lies.
1. Top interactive reader in a week → gets a shoutout
2. One-time super gift → gets a Chapter dedicated to you.
3. Repeated super gifts → you start getting little spoilers + future hints.
4. Highest Golden Ticket sender of the month (20–30 range) → you get a permanent role in the book
Yes, an actual role. 😅🥹 Immortality secured.
Let’s build this story together 🤍
Alaric’s head throbbed.
It wasn’t a simple pain. The pain came sharp, biting, and insistent. It clawed at the back of his skull and lodged itself behind his eyes, and with it came the unbearable, familiar growl.
His wolf.
It surged to the surface, coiling in fury, hot and wild, demanding release.
“You insolent bastard! How did you let them insult her and sit there like a stone?” His wolf growled.
Alaric clenched the edge of the carved table, feeling the vibration of his own pulse in his teeth.
His wolf’s anger was pure and primitive, spilling over in a wave he could not contain. Every muscle in his body ached to react, to leap across the hall, teeth bared, with his claws digging into polished wood.
His wolf demanded personal audience with the nobles before him.
Alaric forced his jaw to relax.
’No,’ he told the wolf. ’Not here. Not now. You have to stop this at once if you want me to listen to you p>
The headache eased as quickly as it had struck, leaving behind a faint hum of unease. However, the tension in his chest remained. His wolf prowled invisibly, restless, pacing inside him like a caged animal. Its claws itched for blood.
Alaric’s fingers flexed, almost unconsciously twitching as if he could feel the phantom weight of Aire’s humiliation on the table. He had watched, had done nothing and the thought made his wolf blood boil, and now his.
Meanwhile, Madam guided Aire down the quiet hall.
She took her far way from the breakfast hall’s chaos, the sneering noblewomen, and the whispers of curses still clung to Aire like a mist.
Aire felt the sting in her chest each time Violet’s polite venom replayed in her mind. Her shoulders slumped slightly, though she tried to straighten, and pretend strength.
Madam led her to her bedroom, and closed the door behind them with a soft click.
The room fell into near silence, broken only by the faint rustle of linens and the distant clatter of breakfast trays being cleared.
Aire moved sluggishly toward her bed. Her eyes were distant, and her thoughts tangled in a web of confusion and helplessness.
“Why didn’t you say something?” Madam asked, stepping closer. Her voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge beneath it.
“I… I thought I wasn’t supposed to make the Alphas react,” Aire murmured.
Madam stopped, placing her old rumpled hands on her hips.
“Not supposed to make them react?” she repeated, incredulous. Her dark eyes pierced through Aire’s downcast gaze. “Do you even understand what just happened in that hall? They insulted you. They mocked your silver hair, your shoulders, and your very presence. And you sat there as though nothing had happened p>
Aire tilted her head slightly, confused. “But… they didn’t react. They also just… sat there. Xanden was with his father, Alaric didn’t even look, and Nate She trailed off, uncertain, “he kept his whole glance at Adele. So… I thought p>
“You thought that silence meant they accepted it?” Madam’s voice hardened. She stepped closer, lowering her tone so only Aire could hear. “No. That silence was not acceptance. That was… caution and something far worse which is uncertainty p>
Aire’s eyes widened. “Uncertainty p>
Madam took a breath and softened slightly, sensing Aire’s confusion. “Your mate bond… it is unstable. More than that, it is… unpredictable. You are cursed, Aire, yet you have rejected them. You are the Alphas mates, but they are not yours. You choose Damien to be your mate and the rejection was the only reason the Alphas could claim you. That rejection… it twists the bond in ways you cannot yet control p>
“I… I don’t understand,” Aire said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “If the bond is there, why did they… not step in? Yesterday, Nate would have done something if I had been hurt, and yesterday Her voice faltered. “You almost died because I nodded my head at him p>
Madam’s lips pressed into a thin line. She exhaled slowly. “The bond does not guarantee protection when it is weak. When it wavers… it can make them behave worse, or better. Unpredictably. Sometimes, they will act with restraint. Other times… they will hesitate, even when you most need them. And you must learn that, Aire. You must learn when to act, when to wait, and when to rely on no one but yourself. You must also accept the bond p>
Aire’s mind spun. “So… you mean… they might treat me worse because I rejected them p>
“Yes,” Madam said firmly. “And yes, they might also treat you better when they feel the bond stir. You are a catalyst, Aire. Letting them mark you might resolve everything, or worsen it p>
Aire swallowed, feeling the weight of the words press into her chest. The thought of being at the mercy of their whims, sometimes protected, sometimes ignored, was dizzying.
Madam stepped closer again and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. “Do you understand what I’m saying p>
Aire nodded slowly, still trying to digest the new reality. “I… I think so p>
Madam’s eyes softened slightly. “Good. You will need that understanding in the days ahead. You are not just a girl at a table. You are a force they cannot ignore, a future Luna. And whether they like it or not… they will learn to fear and desire you in equal measure p>
Aire swallowed again, her chest tight. “And… the bond p>
“The bond,” Madam said, tilting her head, “is still forming. But you must remember, Aire… rejecting your mates does not make you stronger. It makes you dangerous to them, and to yourself p>
Aire’s eyes dropped to the floor. Her fingers clutched the edge of the bed. She felt the thrum of her pulse, faint but insistent, almost like a heartbeat that belonged to someone else.
Madam’s gaze lingered on her. “I will help you, Aire. I will guide you. But you must begin to act. You cannot wait for them to save you… or for the bond to stabilize on its own p>
Aire swallowed again, her throat tight. “I understand p>
Madam gave her a small, approving nod. “Then start by standing tall, Aire. Stand taller than they expect, even when they sneer. That… is your first lesson p>