The silence between us is thick and uncomfortable, the air charged with yet more unspoken words. Alistair stands before me, his imposing figure blocking the doorway to the room and I can’t help but feel the weight of his presence pressing down on me like a heavy stone. His amber eyes, so piercing, never leave mine as they roam over me, lingering on my face, my body, as if assessing me in a way that makes me want to shrink from his gaze. The tension rises in the space between us, curling around the edges of my thoughts like smoke, settling in my chest until it’s all I can focus on.

  Finally, Alistair speaks, breaking the suffocating silence. His voice, though low, rings clear in the quiet room, its cool edge sending a shiver down my spine.

  "Leave us," he commands, and there’s a sharp finality in his tone that leaves no room for negotiation.

  Behind me, I hear the soft rustle of movement as the other does gather their things, their presence shifting with haste. There’s a quiet flurry of motion, the swish of cloaks, the click of boots on the wooden floor as they almost flee the room, disappearing as quickly as they entered. Alistair steps aside just enough for them to exit, his gaze never wavering from me. He doesn’t blink, doesn’t show any sign of impatience, only watches with the steady intensity that feels like a weight on my shoulders.

  The door clicks shut with a finality that echoes in the stillness of the cabin, leaving me alone with Alistair. The silence that follows stretches on, thick and suffocating, until it’s almost unbearable.

  Finally, after what feels like an eternity, he speaks again, his voice softer but no less cutting.

  "There is no mate bond between us, is there?"

  The words hang in the air, their sharpness cutting through the fragile calm I had been holding onto. I swallow hard, the ache in my chest tightening with every syllable. I knew it, of course, knew that the bond hadn’t formed, that something was missing between us. But hearing him say it so plainly, so matter-of-factly, makes everything feel…too real, too undeniable. The truth settles in my chest, a cold that is weighing me down and I can’t help but feel the sting of it.

  I open my mouth to respond, but for a moment, no words come. It’s as if my body betrays me, unable to give voice to the hurt that bubbles just beneath the surface. Finally, I manage to speak, my voice steady but laced with the sharpness I feel in my heart.

  "No," I say, the word tasting bitter as it leaves my lips.

  The finality of it stings, but I force myself to hold my ground, to meet his gaze without flinching.

  The silence stretches between us again, this time heavier. I can feel the weight of his gaze on me, and despite the ache in my chest, I refuse to look away. I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing how deeply his words have wounded me.

  After a moment, Alistair’s expression doesn’t change, but there’s something darker in his eyes now, something that wasn’t there before. A flicker of something I can’t quite name, a conflict beneath his arrogance. He stands tall, his posture straight and proud, but I can see the strain in the way he holds himself.

  "We could try again...tonight," I offer, wincing at how I almost sound pleading. "There’s a chance if you haven’t bonded yet."

  I try to keep my composure, but the words twist in my chest like a dagger. The ache inside me deepens, the wound fresh and raw. I had known it wouldn’t be easy, but to hear myself offer to try again, to pretend that there is still hope for something that wasn’t there, it feels like salt on an open wound. My heart races, but I force myself to stay still, to keep my face unreadable.

  "No," he says, his voice unwavering despite the chaos swirling between us. "It’s too late for that."

  I don’t flinch at his words, but I can sense the frustration beneath his calm exterior. His eyes narrow ever so slightly, though his expression remains stoic. He shifts, his stance changing just enough that I can see the conflict there, barely hidden behind his carefully constructed fa?ade.

  “I’ve bonded with someone else,” he admits, his voice steady, though there’s an undercurrent of something else there, something that sounds almost like regret. “I didn’t want it to be like this, but it is.”

  The words strike me like a slap to the face, knocking the breath out of me. Another. He’s bonded with someone else. The realization sinks deep into my chest, cold and heavy, and for a moment, I feel the world tilt beneath me.

  How could he? How could he abandon his duties like this?

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  I feel the heat rise in my throat, a bitter wave of anger mixing with the hurt. I bite down on my lip to keep the words from spilling out too recklessly.

  "Is that so?" I force out, my voice a controlled question, though my insides are twisting with a pain I refuse to show. "And who is she? The one who has your bond?"

  Alistair’s eyes soften, just a fraction, but he doesn’t offer an explanation. And I can see the way his posture shifts ever so slightly, like he’s trying to protect something, something he doesn’t want me to know. I catch the flash of possessiveness in his eyes, sharp and fleeting, before he masks it with the same cold indifference he wears so well.

  “She’s not important,” he says dismissively, waving his hand as if it’s a trivial matter.

  But there’s something in the way he says it, something possessive lurking beneath his words.

  “What matters is that you and I… we both know what we need to do for the herd, and that’s why I’m here.”

  The cold knot in my stomach tightens, and the disappointment wells up inside me. I try not to let it show, but I feel the sting of betrayal more sharply than I would have expected. What could I want from you? That’s the question I want to scream at him.

  “What do you want from me, Alistair?” I ask, my voice sharp. "You’ve bonded with someone else. So why are you still here?"

  For a moment, there’s a flicker of something in his eyes, an emotion I can’t place, but it disappears just as quickly as it came. He doesn’t flinch. He stands there, unmoving, the air between us crackling with the tension of the unspoken.

  “I’m here because I know what’s at stake,” he says, his voice steady, though there’s an edge to it now, a hard finality that grates against my already fragile nerves. “The herd needs stability. They need to see strength, whether you like it or not, you and I are the ones who are expected to lead.”

  His words hang in the air, pressing on my chest as I try to process them. He’s right, of course. The herd needs us to stand together. They need to see us as a pair, a strong, capable pair.

  “The herd will follow us,” Alistair continues, his voice softening slightly, as if trying to convince me. “We need to present a united front. Together.”

  I want to shake my head, to tell him he has no right to ask anything of me. But as much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. The herd would look to us. They would expect us to present ourselves as a strong, united front. There’s no room for weakness, no room for failure.

  I stand there, caught between the weight of my duty and the bitterness of his proposal. The Rut hasn’t ended yet, but the time for me to cement my position is fast approaching. To stand as one, Matriarch and Sentinel, as it was meant to be.

  His next words hit me like a punch. “I know we don’t have a mate bond, but that doesn’t mean we can’t create one. Not in the eyes of the herd.”

  My breath catches in my throat. "Create one?" I repeat, my voice soft, the disbelief clear in my tone. "What are you suggesting?"

  Alistair steps forward, closing the space between us with slow, deliberate movements. His gaze never leaves mine, his eyes burning with intensity, and I feel a shiver run down my spine.

  “What if we pretend?” he murmurs, his voice low but edged with something I can’t quite name. “What if we act like we’re bonded, in front of the others? Show affection, be seen together...we’ll create the illusion of a mate bond. You’ll still lead the herd, and I’ll still protect it. But in front of them...we’ll be together.”

  I stand frozen, my breath shallow as the words sink in. The idea of pretending, of wearing a mask for the herd’s sake, feels like a betrayal, not just to the herd, but to myself.

  “You want me to lie?” I whisper, the words barely escaping my throat, the weight of them almost too much to bear. “To pretend we’re something we’re not? Just for the herd’s sake?”

  Alistair’s expression hardens, but his voice stays steady. “It’s not lying,” he says, his words laced with arrogance, but there’s something darker there too, something that makes my blood run cold. “It’s doing what’s best for the herd. They need to see us together. They need to see strength. The bond doesn’t have to be real, only real enough to keep them strong and in line.”

  The words churn in my stomach, sour and twisted. A sickening knot tightens in my chest, and I feel the burning sting of betrayal all over again. This is the man who was supposed to be my partner and now he stands before me, suggesting we build a falsehood.

  “You would rather live a lie?” I say, the bitterness rising in my throat. “For the sake of your position, for the herd? What happens when the lie becomes too much? When someone sees through it?”

  Alistair's face remains unreadable, his eyes cold.

  “The herd won’t question us,” he says firmly. “And even if they do, we can convince them. They trust us. Matriarch and Sentinel. And you’ll see, it’ll be fine. It’s not unheard of for Matriarchs to have more than one partner if you really prefer to keep another buck, it’s been done before.”

  But not in recent years. Not like this.

  I stand still, my heart pounding in my chest. I want to scream at him, to throw him out of my home, to tell him I don’t need him. But there’s a gnawing emptiness in my gut, the fear that if I do, there will be no one to replace him.

  Finally, I speak, my voice low but unwavering. "I will make my decision at the end of the Rut."

  Alistair looks at me for a long moment, his expression hard but with a flicker of something, frustration, maybe, hidden beneath it. He mutters something under his breath, but it’s almost too soft for me to catch.

  “You're stubborn,” he says with a small shake of his head, but his tone is tinged with respect, whether I like it or not.

  He turns away, his steps sure and purposeful as he heads toward the door.

  “I won’t press you further, Xochi,” he calls over his shoulder, his voice colder now. “But remember, the offer still stands. If you change your mind, I’ll be here.”

  My heart gives a jolt at the sound of my name, something few people used these days. I don’t respond, can’t respond, as I watch him leave, the door closing softly behind him.

  For a long moment, I stand there, my hands trembling, my thoughts scattered. I feel the crushing weight of the decision ahead of me pressing down on me from all sides. But there’s no time to falter.

  The herd needs me.

  And I will have to lead them with Alistair by my side.

  No matter the cost.