Athena’s POV
I couldn’t keep lying—not when his eyes kept searching mine like they already knew the truth. The secret burned in my chest, louder with every heartbeat. He had to know. Not because I wanted him to stay. But because someone else would tell him if I didn’t.
I had only walked past Varianth’s chamber on my way to the library, trying to stay out of sight, out of trouble, and definitely out of Emily’s way. But the second I passed the heavy doors, I froze.
Because I heard her.
Emily.
Her voice wasn’t sweet and polished like usual—it was sharp, loud, and shaking.
I knew I shouldn’t listen. I knew I should walk away.
But I didn’t.
“You’ve been distant lately.” Emily’s voice was laced with frustration. “Ever since she arrived, you’ve barely looked at me.”
There was silence. Then Varianth’s calm, deep voice responded, “Don’t start this again.”
Emily’s heels clicked on the marble floor as she paced. “I’m your mate. I’m carrying your heir. And you’re acting like we’re strangers.”
More silence. Then, a sigh. “I don’t feel a connection.”
Her steps stopped. “What?”
“With the baby,” Varianth said slowly. “I don’t feel… anything. No instinct. No bond.”
I covered my mouth with my hand, heart thudding wildly.
Emily was quiet for a second, and when she spoke, her voice was trembling. “It’s too soon, Varianth. That bond comes later—when the baby grows. It’s not supposed to happen right away.”
Varianth didn’t respond. He didn’t have to. His silence was answer enough. He didn’t believe her. And I could feel it.
“You think I’m lying, don’t you?” Emily asked, voice rising.
Varianth replied softly, “I don’t know what to think anymore.”
The pain in her voice was real this time. “I’ve done everything right. I’ve stood beside you, smiled for the court, played the perfect Luna—and now you’re pulling away from me for what? A rejected pregnant girl with no wolf?”
That last line hit like a dagger. Ouch.
“You shall not talk about Athena like that!” Varianth roared, and I stumbled back just as the door flung open and he stormed out, his aura like a thunderclap against my skin.
I froze, hand inches from the doorknob. I had been about to turn it, to walk in and confront the storm. To say something. Anything. But my fingers trembled. And then… I let go. I stepped back. Turned. And walked toward my room instead, pulse racing and chest tight.
But I didn’t make it far.
Emily’s voice cut through the hallway behind me, raw and shaking: “Are you in love with her?”
Silence.
I stopped walking. My breath caught.
Varianth didn’t answer.
Emily’s voice cracked. “Then why do you care so much about her?”
More silence.
My knees weakened. I pressed a hand to the wall to keep standing.
Emily’s voice was no longer angry—it was desperate. “You need to choose, Varianth. Me or her. Who do you think your kingdom will accept as Luna? Me, the woman you’re mated to, carrying your heir? Or her ? A girl who looks like vulnerability incarnate, like one wrong word would shatter her?”
The words echoed like a cruel prophecy.
My chest tightened. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. The ache bloomed fast and heavy, like grief.
A tear slipped down my cheek, then another. And then I ran. I didn’t look back.