"Enough."

Xanden’s voice cut through the tension.

Nate didn’t look at him.

His gaze remained locked on Aire like she was the only thing that mattered in that moment.

He felt a strong zeal to break her.

"I wasn’t speaking to you," Nate said flatly.

"You are now," Xanden replied, stepping fully in front of Aire. It was a deliberate move, a warning.

Nate’s eyes flickered then, finally shifting to his brother. Something dangerous passed between them.

"Move," Nate said.

Xanden didn’t. "No." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

For a second, it felt like the forest leaned in. Everything paused, waiting for what would happen next.

Nate let out a soft, humorless chuckle. "You’re serious."

"I am."

He took another step forward, and now they were close.

"You’re defending her?" Nate asked, his voice dropping, and incredulous, but not surprised. "We came to hunt so we’d have a good day. Not to see her here, brainwashing you."

Xanden held his gaze. "I’m stopping you from being rash. She did absolutely nothing at the moment." He replied to Nate’s first half words and ignored the rest.

Nate expression snapped. His wolf pushed closer to the surface, his eyes burning deeper red.

"And what exactly are you stopping?" Nate asked. "The truth?"

Xanden’s jaw tightened. "You don’t get to drag her parents into this."

"Why not?" Nate shot back instantly. "It’s the only reason she’s standing here in the first place."

Xanden blinked, trying to seperate his Alpha self from his brother self. If he could remember correctly, nothing warranted this. Nate was simply being an ass again.

Aire moved. Her movement was so small that neither o f them noticed at first. She took a single step back. Then another.

By the time Xanden turned, she was already creating distance.

Her face had changed. She looked empty.

"Aire—"

"I’ll head back to the castle." Her voice was steady, and numb.

It cut cleaner than any shout could have.

Xanden frowned, stepping toward her. "I’ll take you—"

"No." The word came quickly. A bit harsh.

She didn’t look at Nate. He wasn’t worth a reaction, so she didn’t acknowledge him. Perhaps, she’d leave the castle.

"I came with a horse," she added, her tone distant. "I’ll be fine."

Xanden hesitated. His chest twisted. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like the way she looked past him instead of at him. He didn’t like the silence she was wrapping around herself.

She just showed him a new side of herself this morning, and he wouldn’t want her going back into her shell.

"Aire—"

Aire walked past him, cutting him off. She walked past Nate and for a brief second, her shoulder brushed Nate’s arm.

She simply walked away without reacting, flinching, or pausing.

However, Nate paused. His body stilled completely. His eyes flickered just once, like something unexpected had struck him.

Then, she was gone.

The sound of her boots faded against the forest floor and then, silence rested between both brothers.

Xanden turned slowly back to Nate.

His expression had hardened completely now. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked.

Nate didn’t answer. He was still staring in the direction she had gone. His jaw was tight.

"Did you hear me?" Xanden pressed.

That seemed to snap him out of it.

Nate scoffed lightly, dragging his gaze away. "Don’t start," he muttered.

"Start?" Xanden stepped closer. "You just—"

"I said don’t."

Nate exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair before turning away. "She’ll be fine," he said dismissively.

Xanden watched him for a long second. "You went too far," he said finally.

Nate didn’t respond.

Xanden’s frown deepened, but he didn’t push it. Instead, he glanced once more toward the path Aire had taken. Without another word, he followed her.

...

The horse moved faster than she remembered telling it to.

Or maybe, she just wasn’t thinking.

The wind cut against her face as the forest blurred past.

Her grip on the reins tightened.

Her chest felt... strange. She felt numb, and her mind replayed it anyway.

"...just like your Mother did..."

Her jaw clenched. Her fingers curled tighter.

She blinked, to stop her tears from falling.

By the time the castle gates came into view, her expression had already settled.

The guards bowed as she approached. She didn’t slow, nor acknowledge them. The horse came to a halt in the court yard, and the was when she realised everyone now knows of her little abominable act.

A servant rushed forward to take the reins. "My lady."

"Thank you." She said softly.

She slid off the horse smoothly, adjusted her jacket, and walked inside.

She got infuriated the more she walked into the castle. By the time she got to her wing and her room, she was infuriated and tired.

She entered her room, planning to lie the heart ache away.

However, to her horror, Madam sat on her bed, staring directly at the door.

She didn’t need to guess that Madam had been waiting for her.

Aire looked at the foot of her bed, and she could see varieties of meals in a tray. She returned her gaze back to Madam, and too off her hat.

Madam didn’t speak immediately.

That alone was enough to make Aire pause by the door a second longer than she intended.

The room suddenly felt... smaller.

Aire straightened slightly, slipping off her gloves one finger at a time. "You’ve been waiting," she said, keeping her tone even.

Madam’s gaze didn’t soften.

It dragged slowly from Aire’s face, down to the slight disarray of her clothes, the dust on her boots, and the tension still clinging to her shoulders.

Aire forced herself to move, placing her hat aside like everything was normal. Like she wasn’t still hearing his voice in her head.

Madam finally spoke. "You went hunting."

It wasn’t a question.

Aire nodded once. "Yes."

Madam’s lips pressed together, and for a second, something flickered in her eyes. Disapproval, maybe.

However, she said nothing about it.

Instead, she gestured slightly toward the tray of food.

"You didn’t eat this morning."

Aire glanced at it briefly. She hadn’t even noticed the emptiness in her stomach until now.

"I wasn’t hungry."

"That was not your decision to make. You used your title on me. You can’t just say you don’t want it anymore." She said firmly.

Aire’s fingers tightened slightly at her sides. She could swear she heard the disappointment in Madam’s voice.

Madam leaned back just a little, folding her hands neatly in her lap.

Then, she let out a breath. Her lips parted. "Alpha Elijah is looking for you."

Aire stilled immediately. She froze completely. For a moment, she thought she had heard wrong.

"What?"

Madam held her gaze this time. "He is waiting for you," she said, each word precise, "in his courtroom."

Aire’s stomach dropped.

The room didn’t feel small anymore. It felt like it was closing in. Her mind raced. Had someone said something?

Was it about the hunt?

The bond?

Nate?

Her father?

Her breath caught slightly, and before she could stop herself, she asked. "What does he want from me?"

The words came out softer than she intended.

And for a split second, she didn’t sound like herself. She wasn’t prepared, and she wanted to be told exactly what to expect.

Madam noticed. Her expression didn’t soften, but her posture shifted, just slightly. "He does not summon without reason," Madam replied.

She didn’t sound comforting to Aire, but at the same time she didn’t sound cold. Just honest.

Aire swallowed. Her fingers curled lightly into the fabric of her sleeve.

"Did he say why?"

"No."

That was worse.

Much worse. Silence fell again, but this time it wasn’t sharp. It was heavy with expectation.

Madam stood then, smoothing out the front of her dress with practiced precision.

"You will not keep him waiting."

Aire nodded quickly. "Yes."

She turned, almost immediately. If she delayed even a second longer, she might not go at all. Unfortunately, she can’t do that.

Just as her hand touched the door, Madam’s voice stopped her.

"Aire, stand properly when you face him." she cleared her throat. "Do not look like you’ve already been defeated."

Aire’s throat tightened.

Slowly, Aire straightened, adjusted her posture, and lifted her chin just slightly.

"Yes, Madam." She agreed, then she stepped out.