Faunee's POV
The cell was… different. Cleaner. Sharper lines, the stone polished smooth, a small bed for each of us, blankets folded neatly. The guards had even left a table with bowls of food and water.
It wasn't freedom, not by a long shot, but it was a far cry from the cold, damp pit we'd first been thrown into.
Thalora was pacing immediately, chains rattling softly against the floor. Ziko sat on his bed, elbows on knees, staring at the floor like he could will himself out of the cuffs. I ran a hand over my own wrists, feeling the metal bite slightly less than it used to.
I swallowed hard. The words I had to say—had to tell them—felt like lead in my chest.
Thalora stopped pacing and shot me a glare. "You're quiet. What is it?"
I took a breath. "It's… it's about Ingrid…. I guess that's her name"
Both their heads snapped toward me. Ziko's brow furrowed; Thalora's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"She… she spared us tonight," I began slowly, my voice barely above a whisper. "Not just that—she postponed the prosecution. No one… no one else has ever defied the pack like that."
Ziko let out a short, incredulous laugh. "You're telling me we almost died tonight, and she just… didn't?"
I nodded. "Yes. And there's more. Something… personal. Something dangerous." My throat tightened. "Ingrid… she's my mate."
For a moment, silence hung in the room like a thick fog. Even the chains seemed to hush, rattling softly as if to eavesdrop.
Thalora's jaw dropped solid. "What?"
"She's… bonded to me," I said, almost in disbelief myself. "I felt it when she touched me—when she touched me on the field. We… we are mates, Thalora. She's my mate."
Ziko's eyes widened. "Mate? You mean… like mates by the power of the moon goddess? That's… that's insane! The Alpha? I've never seen two girls being mates before"
I swallowed hard, "me neither."
"Yes. And she knows it. She knew before anyone else. The moment she touched me, the moment I felt it… I knew. And she still called off the prosecution. She—she's protecting me."
Thalora's hands clenched into fists. "You don't… you don't understand what this means. For you. For all of us. If the pack even suspects—"
"I know," I interrupted, my voice firm despite the tremor in my chest. "I know the risks. I don't care. It's real. I can't ignore it. Ingrid… she's not just Alpha. She's my mate."
Thalora finally stopped pacing around the room and sat on the plush foam of the bed, a long tired sigh escaping her lips "this changes everything"
And I just noticed that we must all look so terrible
Ziko leaned back against the wall, shaking his head in awe. "Damn. I don't think she's going to let us leave. No wonder she called it off. She didn't just see traitors tonight—she saw you. And she chose you."
Thalora sank depper into the bed , muttering under her breath. "I don't like it. Doesn't matter how much power she has. The pack will see her less for this. And we have to make it far away from here before Alpha Red can find us remember?And you—" she jabbed a finger at me, "you're standing in the middle of it all, chained, and still… hers?"
I nodded, because it was true. I was hers. And the truth, dangerous as it was, burned through me hotter than fear or anger.
"I don't know what's coming next, but I'm sure she'll be able to protect us" I admitted softly.
Ziko leaned forward, a small grin forming. "Well… congratulations, mate. You've got the Alpha herself on your side. I'd say that's a win."
Thalora didn't look convinced, but she said nothing. She just stared at me, chains clinking softly, the weight of our situation pressing down on all of us.
I sank back onto the bed at the other side of the room, feeling the metal bite into my wrists and the warmth of knowing that, despite the chains, despite the danger, I was no longer alone. Ingrid was mine. And somehow, that made the world feel… a little less deadly.
The door to the new room swung open with a sharp click. Ingrid stepped inside, clad in the dark coat she had been wearing before, her posture rigid, shoulders squared, eyes scanning the room with the same cold precision she always carried.
"Faunee," she said, voice clipped, almost distant, though her gaze lingered on her longer than strictly necessary.
I didn't rise from the bed. Instead, I leaned back slightly, arms draped over her knees, and let a small smirk curve over my lips. "You finally decided to show up. I was starting to think you'd left us to our doom."
Ingrid's eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't move closer. "I postponed it. That's all you need to know."
I tilted my head
"That's all?" I said. Seems like I'm beginning to get on her nerves
Ingrid stiffened, and a flicker of something unspoken crossed her eyes before she masked it with a cool, distant expression. "You're very bold for someone who was a hair's breath away from getting be-headed tonight" she said flatly.
Ouch.
With a sigh, she continued
"We have a bigger problem than… whatever you think this is. I want to know why you came to my pack, all of you."
I rose from the bed, taking a deliberate step closer. "Problem or not, Ingrid… I know you felt what I felt today"
Ingrid's jaw tightened, she didn't falter nor a blink nor a step back. She exhaled slowly, forcing her voice back to its usual calm edge.
"I feel nothing that will compromise my duty. Nothing that matters right now."
Her powerful aura seeped through every piece of clothing she wore
Thalora and Ziko are going to kill me for standing up to her like this
I smirked.
So this was really the infamous Alpha Ingrid
Cropped Sharp dirty blonde hair, grey eyes, sharp jaw, cold heart.
My …. Mate.
Ingrid's lips pressed into a thin line, and for a heartbeat, the air between us crackled with tension—an unacknowledged pull neither of us would admit….. yet.
"Cayden?" Her command was crisp, echoing off the walls. "Give them a bath and some food. Make sure everything is prepared."
Ingrid's gaze softened for the briefest instant—so fleeting that I could almost believe she'd seen something real—but then the cold mask
"If you'll all excuse me, I have important things to handle"
Without another word, Ingrid swept out of the room, her presence leaving a strange emptiness behind, one that thrummed with unspoken tension. The guards entered shortly after, moving efficiently as they led Thalora, Ziko, and I to the detention bath wing, their movements precise but respectful.
Why wouldn't she just give in
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Ingrid moved through the quiet corridors to her own wing, shutting the door behind her. Alone, she leaned against the wall, her hands clenched at her sides.
The warmth of Faunee's boldness, the pull of the unacknowledged bond, gnawed at her resolve. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on duty, on the coming persecution—but her thoughts kept drifting back to Faunee: bold, daring, unyielding, unafraid to stare into the cold that Ingrid had carefully cultivated.
Ingrid exhaled slowly, her mind racing. She couldn't admit it—not yet. But one thing was certain: whatever this was between them, it wasn't going away, and she'd have to face it sooner or later.
She sighed "you could have at least granted me someone who couldn't match my power Celestè".