Chapter 16%
Rebecca’s POV
The moment I stepped into the Thane Pack’s grand hall, I could feel the weight of every pair of eyes. Warmth greeted me–the polit smiles, nods of welcome–but beneath them hid something else: pity. Quiet, almost invisible, but sharp enough to cut through the bravado of the room
I was marrying an alpha who was already gone.
Vegetative Broken.!!
They said his name with a kind of reverence I didn’t quite feel yet. Maximus Thane. Handsome, strong, a legacy etched into every line a his broad shoulders and the curve of his jaw. Even now, as I stood outside his chamber, I could see the truth in their whispers. He looked like he was just sleeping.8
When the door creaked open, the room inside was bathed in silver moonlight filtering through sheer curtains. Maximus lay on the bed peaceful as if in deep rest. His hair was a midnight wave against white silk sheets. His breath was steady. His face, untouched by time. held that same prideful strength he must have wielded once.
But his eyes… his eyes were closed.
Even as he lay still, his body ravaged by poison and his soul tangled in slumber, Alpha Maximus was a vision of strength and beauty. There was a quiet power about him that no sleep could dim–his frame broad and imposing beneath the sheets, the muscles of his ches rising and falling in slow, steady breaths. The scars across his torso whispered of battles fought and won, of pain endured with honor. His face, even in unconsciousness, looked sculpted by the gods–sharp cheekbones, a strong, angularjaw shadowed with just the faintest trace of stubble, and full lips that curved ever so slightly at the edges, like he was dreaming of something better. His long lashes rested softly against his skin, and his thick, dark brows gave him a regal, brooding expression, even in rest.
I swallowed hard, stepping closer. The wolf inside me stirred restlessly, a quiet howl echoing from some deep, forgotten place in my chest. I wiped the sweat from his brow with trembling hands. His skin was warm–too warm, and for reasons I couldn’t explain, my heart beat faster.£
Why?
I shook off the confusion and continued, gently washing his face and shoulders, doing everything I could to care for a man who was no longer truly there.
“Miss, a soft voice whispered behind me.
I turned, startled
It was one of the omegas–small, quiet, eyes flickering with something like concern. “You should rest. It’s late.”
“I want to stay with him,” I said quietly.
The omega shook her head gently. “It’s not safe, Not tonight. You need to leave this room before midnight. They will take you out if you
don’t
I blinked, not understanding.
“Please,” she said, voice low and urgent. “It’s for your own good. You can’t be here when the moon is high. The pack has rules.”
The words felt like chains, tightening around me. I nodded, still stunned, and let the omegas guide me out.8
The hall outside was dim, lit only by scattered lanterns. My footsteps echoed hollowly on the stone floors.
“Why?” I asked one of the omegas gently.
She glanced at me but didn’t answer.
I was left alone in my chambers, but sleep didn’t come. I lay on the bed, the scent of Maximus lingering on my skin like a ghost. The wolf in me stirred again–louder this time. A solitary howl rolled through the night, breaking the silence.
I didn’t know why, but it felt like a call–an aching cry that pulled at the edges of my soul.
I closed my eyes, listening to the sound fading into the darkness, and wondered if I was truly ready for the life I had married into.
1:14 AM
