CHAPTER 81: CHAPTER 81: MY MATE

Selene’s POV ~

I followed him in silence, each step feeling heavier than the last.

The echo of our footsteps filled the corridor, the sound too loud in the hush that had settled after the madness of the hall. The laughter, the leering eyes, and Fenrik’s smug satisfaction were behind me now.

Aeron didn’t speak.

He walked like a shadow stretched too long, as if the silence bowed for him. And I—gods, I hated myself for how my legs moved, how I followed, like I didn’t have a choice. Like the cursed bond was already dragging me forward by the throat.

But I wasn’t helpless. I have not lost my mind completely to the mate bond.

My eyes darted to the side, searching for any path of escape. I’d escaped worse places. Fled more ruthless men. I could do it again.

I just needed the right moment.

I slowed my steps, just a little, measuring the distance, waiting for a turn...anywhere I could vanish into shadow.

And then...

"Don’t."

His voice sliced through the quietness between us. I stopped breathing for a second.

He didn’t turn and didn’t even raise his voice. Just that one word, dropped into the air like a guillotine. And somehow, it was enough.

"I told you," he said, voice like frost brushing bare skin, "running is futile."

I stood still, my pulse roaring in my ears. How does he know what’s going on in my mind when he hasn’t even looked back once? Does he have eyes in the back of his head?

And worst of all, his voice was enough for my heart to pour with delight.

My hands curled into fists as I forced my legs to move again. I hated this. Hated how my years of discipline meant nothing right now. Not against him or this cursed bond.

We finally stopped at a tall door made of obsidian, carved with ancient runes I couldn’t decipher, but it looked important.

Aeron pressed his palm against it, and the door was pushed open.

He stepped aside, not looking at me, but I could feel his gaze all the same.

"In."

I hesitated. Just for a moment. Then I walked through.

The room beyond was colder than I expected. Not in temperature, but in atmosphere. Empty and quiet. No furniture aside from two chairs and a table pushed to one side.

But it didn’t feel free. It felt like a cage.

The walls were tall, windows covered in thick, dark drapes that swallowed the light. Everything about the space was wrong. It was too calm. Like it was waiting for something to begin.

My mind raced. Why bring me here? What is this place? Why...

The door shut behind me with a soft, clean thud.

Aeron walked to the far side of the room and stood near the window, arms folded behind his back, as if I weren’t even there. As if he could wait forever.

I stayed by the door with a pounding heart. Every part of me screamed to move, to act, to do something to gain control.

But the silence swallowed me.

My thoughts twisted into knots. Was he toying with me? Did he know who I was? Had he seen through the enchantment somehow? The bracelet still glowed faintly on my wrist.

So why did he bring me here? What did he want?

The silence had stretched too long.

Every second that passed only twisted the coil of tension tighter in my chest until it felt like my own heartbeat was betraying me—loud, wild, and too fast.

Still, I kept my voice steady. "Why did you bring me here?"

My tone was formal and detached. Polite, even. Like I hadn’t just been handed over like some cursed offering. Like I wasn’t standing in front of the one Alpha I feared most.

"I have no use for you," I added calmly, even though every muscle in my body was braced to either run or attack. My hands were relaxed at my sides, but I could feel the faint tremor in my fingertips.

Aeron didn’t answer at first.

He simply turned from the window, moving with ease. He shrugged off his black coat, tossed it over the back of the chair, and then sat directly across from me.

His gaze locked onto mine, and the weight of it was like gravity pulling me under.

Then he said, in that deep, unshakable voice that made my spine stiffen, "You’re more than used to me."

I blinked, my expression neutral, but my eyebrow lifted before I could stop it. Useful? What kind of use could he possibly see in me?

Then the thought hit me. Is he going to use me? Like the others?

Like the Alphas who leeched power from witches, draining them like vessels until there was nothing left but bones and skin?

The very idea made my stomach turn. A wave of disgust washed over me, so sudden I nearly stepped back from it.

And yet... Aeron’s expression didn’t change. But something flickered in his eyes.

As if he knew what I was thinking.

"You don’t have to think that," he said, his voice low and firm. "I don’t participate in filthy games."

There was no defensiveness in his tone. Just a clear, almost cold certainty. He wasn’t trying to convince me. He was stating a fact.

Then came a pause. A pause that made my skin prickle with something I couldn’t quite name.

"I have an offer for you."

I didn’t speak, but my face tensed. Offers from Alphas were rarely offers at all. But he went on.

"Work for me," he said. "And I will give you your freedom."

That made me almost laugh.

A dry, bitter sound caught in the back of my throat, but I forced it down and tilted my head slightly with an unreadable expression.

"What gives you the right to offer me anything?"

My voice came out softer than I expected. But with edge...

"If I wanted to escape, I could. Do you think I’ve survived this long by being lucky? I’ve had the whole continent looking for me, and I’m still here."

His gaze deepened at my provocative words, but only a frown appeared on his face.

"They are not me." He said it simply without any arrogance or emphasis. Just like quiet truth.

And somehow, it hit harder than if he’d shouted. "No one escapes me," he added, his voice like a calm storm building under the surface. "Not until I say so."

He straightened and continued his unfinished words. "It is nothing that will go against your ethics. We’ll work as equals. I’ll give you space, safety, and resources. Just help me. And I’ll reward you."

A pause.

"And your freedom."

My lips parted, but no words came at first.

Because I hadn’t expected that.

What does he want from me? My mind reeled with possibilities—spying, magic, manipulation—but none of it made sense. Alphas didn’t ask for help. They took it from us, like it was their fucking right.

But he was asking. So I met his gaze again, keeping my voice cool but laced with suspicion.

"What kind of work?"

He didn’t hesitate.

"Help me track someone."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Who?"

His next word wasn’t loud. But it dropped like a stone into the room.

"My mate."