AT THE SAME TIME
MICHAEL
By the time the moon had climbed high, the heat of Zavier's presence still clung to me, a stubborn echo beneath my skin. We'd returned from his hidden clearing at dusk, my cheeks still flushed, my wolf still purring like an idiot. I thought maybe I'd have a moment to breathe, to clear my head before the next storm, but of course, Selene never allowed peace for long.
The dining hall was lit with golden lanterns when we arrived, Adrian leaning against a pillar, Terrence hunched over a map, Xavier sharpening a blade. Zavier stayed close to me, his arm brushing mine like he dared them to comment. None did, though their eyes followed. Always watching, always measuring. Selene rose gracefully from her chair, her smirk already waiting for me. The goddess's words still rang in my skull, making her look even more unbearable.
"I hope you've all enjoyed your… little distractions." She said, her eyes cutting straight to me before flicking to Zavier. "Because in two days, our true guests will arrive."
My stomach dropped. Her tone was silk, but I caught the venom under it.
"The saintess herself, Rose. And the lost saint omega. Charlie."Selene said.
The air went still. I froze, pulse stuttering. Rose. The red haired savior, the one I used to believe would fix everything. And Charlie. The one I thought I was supposed to be. The one they all whispered about. The 'real' one. My throat went dry, heat crawling up my neck, but not the kind that came from the bond mark. This was different. Rose. The same Rose I had prayed for when the heat first tore me apart. The one I thought would walk through fire for me. The one I thought would save me from all of this.
And Charlie. Sweet, innocent Charlie. The one who was supposed to shine brighter. The one the Goddess had named first. My chest ached like something inside me was splitting. Zavier's hand slid into mine under the table, firm, grounding, his silver eyes daring anyone to look too closely. I clung back, but my thoughts were a mess.
Two days. Two days until the people I thought I needed most would walk through these doors. Two days until the balance shifted again, until whatever fragile thing Zavier and I had built would be tested by the very ones I used to pray for. And for the first time… I wasn't sure if I wanted to be saved anymore. Selene's smirk widened like she could taste my doubt.
"Prepare yourselves. Everything changes when they arrive."She said.
The entire castle was restless. I could feel it in the air, humming through the halls like the storm before lightning. The three of them, Adrian, Terrence, Xavier were suddenly everywhere, pacing, arguing, preparing like tomorrow would decide their fates. Adrian had traded his usual loose tunic for something sharp, embroidered with gold thread that caught the lamplight. His golden hair had been tied back, his jaw freshly shaven. Every movement of his felt rehearsed, careful, like he wanted to look untouchable when Rose stepped through the door. Terrence, usually wild and untamed, was polishing his armor piece by piece, storm grey eyes narrowed with focus. He even braided part of his hair back, a strange attempt at control that only made his sharp edges seem sharper. And Xavier… gods, Xavier looked like he was preparing for war. He'd chosen black, sleek and regal, his blade polished to a mirror sheen at his hip. His every word to the others was clipped, calculating. Preparing strategies, plans, contingencies for when 'our honored saintess and her companion' arrived. They weren't saying it out loud, but I could feel it, they were dressing for judgment. For competition. For Charlie.
But Zavier? He didn't move. Didn't fuss. Didn't change. He stayed. While the others argued over collars and fabrics, Zavier lounged against the wall near me, silver eyes steady, wolf humming under his skin. His clothes were the same dark, practical ones he always wore, a little wrinkled at the sleeves, one boot scuffed. He didn't care. He didn't need to. Because his hand was locked around mine the entire time.
Every time I tried to shift away, to hide the heat crawling up my neck, to pretend I wasn't watching the others polish themselves into saints, his grip only tightened, pulling me closer to his side. My wolf purred every damn time, shameless, curling into him.
"You're not nervous?" I whispered once, too low for the others to hear.
His mouth twitched.
"Why would I be? They're not here for me." His gaze cut sideways, silver burning into me. "They're here for you. And you're already mine."
The bond mark at my neck throbbed hot at his words, my chest tightening in a way I hated to admit felt good. Across the room, Adrian's jaw clenched. Terrence muttered something sharp under his breath. Xavier's dark eyes flicked toward us, cold and assessing. They all saw. They all knew. And yet, Zavier didn't so much as blink. He just leaned down, brushing his lips dangerously close to my ear, enough to make my skin flush.
"Let them dress like kings." He murmured. "You don't belong to a crown. You belong to me."
My wolf shivered, purring so loud I was terrified the others could hear it. And I realized then that tomorrow wasn't just about Rose or Charlie. It was about the war that was already starting here, between the ones who polished themselves into saints and the ones who refused to let me go. I knew that soon I would meet the amazing Charlie that Moon Goddess and Selene were waiting for.
The next day I was ready and at the same time a bit nervous to meet them. The hall smelled of incense and polished stone. Too clean. Too heavy. My chest was tight even before the doors opened. I knew it was them. Rose entered first. Her hair was fire, the kind of red that caught every flicker of torchlight and made the air itself bend toward her. Her emerald eyes shone like polished glass, her steps steady, robes flowing as if the world had been sewn to flatter her. She didn't walk into the room, she claimed it, head held high like she had never known the weight of doubt in her life. And beside her, Charlie.
Gods above, Charlie. Soft light curls framed his face, falling just enough to brush lashes so long they looked almost unreal. His eyes, wide, clear, impossibly innocent were the kind of eyes that made you want to protect him before he even spoke. His mouth curved into the sweetest smile as he waved lightly to the room, cheeks dusted with the kind of blush that wasn't shyness, but natural, permanent sweetness. He looked like every storybook painting of an omega saint. Too soft. Too beautiful. Too perfect. My stomach twisted. The air shifted instantly. Adrian's golden eyes widened, glowing brighter, hungry and desperate all at once. Terrence's jaw clenched, storm-grey wolf prowling so close to the surface it almost bled into the room. Xavier adjusted his cuffs, but the sharpness in his stare betrayed the calculation already racing through his mind. Even Selene smiled, that sly, sharp smile of hers, as though the goddess herself had delivered her prize. And Charlie? He just beamed, bouncing a little as if the sheer weight of being wanted hadn't yet reached him.
"Hello!" His voice was soft bells, the kind that curled through the chest and melted everything in its path. "I'm so happy to finally meet you all."
The others surged forward like moths to flame, each trying to speak first, to stand closest, to catch his light. Rose's gaze swept over them like a queen tallying her court, her lips curling faintly as if she already knew exactly how easily she could bend them. But Zavier didn't move. Not one step. While the rest of them nearly tripped over themselves in Charlie's orbit, Zavier's arm slid across my back, pulling me flush to his side in a single, unflinching motion. His silver eyes never even glanced at Rose or Charlie. They stayed locked on me.
"They look at him like he's the sun." Zavier muttered low, just for me. "But I already found my light."
Heat flushed through me so fast I nearly choked. My wolf purred, traitorous and loud, burying itself against him while the rest of the hall swirled around Charlie like he was some untouchable star. Rose noticed. Of course she did. Her sharp green eyes flicked toward us, lips curling with faint disdain before smoothing back into her saintess smile. And Charlie? Sweet, oblivious Charlie? He giggled, actually giggled, at the chaos of alphas tripping over themselves to greet him. His eyes flicked toward me and Zavier, head tilting curiously, and then, gods help me he waved. Like I was an equal. Like he hadn't just walked in and shifted the entire room without effort. I swallowed hard. Because as beautiful as he was, as radiant as Rose was, as much as every part of this was meant to remind me of who the real saint omega was supposed to be. Zavier's arm tightened, his claim mark pulsed hot, and for the first time, I didn't feel like the mistake. I felt like someone they'd never be able to unbind from him.