Astrid
I woke up with a happy feeling which was unfamiliar for me. I stretched lazily under the covers. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt happy and content.
Sliding out of bed, my feet touched the cool wooden floor. I walked over to the bathroom.
My thoughts drifted to the day ahead, a rare smile curling on my lips as I stepped into the bath. The water was warm, almost scalding, just the way I liked it. As I poured it over my skin, I closed my eyes, letting the heat seep into my muscles,
I took my time, indulging in the small luxury of a slow morning. The lavender-scented soap lathered easily in my hands, the fragrance soothing. I scrubbed my skin, watching the bubbles swirl down the drain, I ran the sponge over my body, scrubbing gently.
After rinsing off, I wrapped myself in a towel, the soft fabric absorbing the droplets of water clinging to my skin. I stood before the mirror, wiping away the condensation with a practiced hand. My chestnut hair hung damp and loose around my shoulders, the ends dripping onto my towel. I reached for the comb, carefully untangling each strand.
Once my hair was smooth and tangle-free, I twisted it up into a loose bun at the nape of my neck, securing it with a few pins. I studied my reflection for a moment—my green eyes still had the shadows of sleepless nights, but today, they seemed a little brighter, a little more alive. There was a hint of color in my cheeks that hadn't been there for a while.
Satisfied, I moved to the wardrobe, pulling out a simple but elegant dress. It was made of soft, flowing fabric in a deep shade of burgundy, a color that complemented my pale complexion. The dress cinched at the waist, flaring out slightly, the hem brushing just above my knees. I slipped it on, enjoying the way the fabric felt against my skin. The neckline dipped modestly, revealing just a hint of the delicate necklace that rested against my collarbone.
As I stood there, smoothing out the creases in the dress, a thought occurred to me. Anel. I hadn't seen her all morning, and that was unusual. Normally, she would have already walked in by now, offering to help me dress or bringing breakfast on a tray. I frowned slightly, wondering what could be keeping her.
I called out for her, my voice echoing slightly in the quiet room. "Anel?"
After a moment, there was a soft knock at the door, and Anel entered, but something was off—she was still wearing the old dress she had brought from our old pack, the one that had seen better days. The fabric was worn, the colors faded from too many washes. It was unlike her to linger in something so plain when she had the run of the pack store.
"Good morning, Anel," I greeted her with a smile, though my eyes couldn't help but flicker to the dress. "Why are you still wearing that old thing? You should go to the pack store and pick something new for yourself. Consider it an order."
Anel seemed startled by my suggestion, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her dress. "Oh, I didn't think—"
"Nonsense," I interrupted gently, shaking my head. "You've been so good to me, Anel. You deserve to treat yourself. Now go on, pick out something nice. I'll be fine here until you get back."
She hesitated, looking like she wanted to protest, but eventually, she nodded. "Alright, I'll go, milady. Thank you."
As she left, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was bothering her, but I brushed it off. She was probably just tired; we had all been through so much recently.
The morning drifted by quietly. I busied myself with small tasks, trying to keep my mind from wandering too far.
But when Anel returned, something in her demeanor had shifted. She walked into the room with a bundle of new clothes in her arms, her face carefully neutral. Yet there was a tension in her shoulders, a certain stiffness to her movements that immediately caught my attention.
"Anel, is everything alright?" I asked, watching as she laid the clothes out on the bed.
"Yes, everything's fine," she replied quickly, too quickly. She kept her eyes downcast, avoiding my gaze as she sorted through the garments. "I picked out a few things I thought you might like."
I could tell she was deflecting, her usual chatter reduced to curt sentences. Something was definitely wrong. I moved closer, placing a hand on her arm, feeling her flinch slightly at the contact.
"Anel," I said softly, "what's wrong? You've been acting strange since you came back. Please, tell me."
She froze, her fingers clutching the fabric of one of the dresses. For a moment, I thought she wouldn't say anything, but then she sighed, the sound heavy with reluctance.
"I overheard something," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "When I was at the pack store... I heard the maids talking."
My heart sank at her words. The tone of her voice, the way she seemed to be holding something back—it was enough to make my stomach twist with unease. "What did you hear?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Anel hesitated, biting her lower lip as she struggled to find the right words. "They were talking about you and Alpha Magnus. They... they said he's planning to sever the bond between you two."
The words hit me like a physical blow, knocking the breath from my lungs. Sever the bond? No, it couldn't be true. My mind raced, scrambling to process what Anel was telling me, but I was coming up empty. "Sever the bond?" I repeated, my voice trembling. "But that... that could kill me."
"I know," Anel whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "They said it like it was a certainty, like it was something that's already in motion. And... And they also mentioned that he might be having an affair."
I stumbled back, the room spinning around me. Severing the bond would destroy me; it would rip my soul apart, leaving me a shell of who I was. And an affair? The idea was incomprehensible, yet it stabbed at my heart, each word another twist of the knife.
"Are you sure?" My voice was barely audible, but the desperation in it was undeniable. "Are you sure you heard them right?"
Anel nodded, her expression pained. "I'm so sorry, Astrid. I didn't want to tell you, but I couldn't keep it from you. You deserve to know the truth."
I felt as if the ground had been pulled out from beneath me. Memories of the stableman's words came rushing back—the way he spoke of his descent into madness after losing his mate. I had felt his pain as if it were my own, and now the fear that I might share his fate was threatening to consume me.
"I don't understand," I whispered, more to myself than to Anel. "Why would he do this? Why now? And with someone else...?" My voice broke, tears formed in my eyes. The very thought of Magnus with someone else, of him betraying me, was like a dagger to the heart.
Anel reached out, pulling me into her arms. "I don't know, Astrid," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "But whatever happens, we'll face it together. You're not alone."
Her words broke something in me, and I collapsed against her, the tears I had been holding back spilling over. My body shook with the force of my sobs, the pain was overwhelming.
"I thought he cared about me even a little, "I cried, my voice muffled against Anel's shoulder. "I thought he was different. How could he do this to me? How could he just... throw me away?"
"I don't know," Anel whispered, her own tears mixing with mine. "But we'll figure it out, I promise."
I clung to her as if she were the only thing keeping me anchored to the earth, The thought of losing Magnus, of being severed from him, was too much to bear. And to think he could be with someone else.