The Eclipse (MXM)

CHAPTER 16: DECLARATIONS 🌖

I followed Tsuki back into the familiar mansion, and he led me through corridors on the first floor that I hadn't seen before. The space was large, extravagantly decorated, and eerily quiet, considering the Beta guards were also inside. I could smell them, but I couldn't see them, which made me constantly check behind me as we walked. Being here now, with my heightened senses, was so different from last time. I could hear slight movements throughout the entire house, and Tsuki's pheromones were so strong I had to cover my nose to follow him comfortably.

Being alone with an Alpha had my instincts on edge, but in unexpected ways. I felt aroused, and I didn't like the involuntary feeling. Modesty had been ingrained in me as a child, especially considering my lineage and caste. But being dormant, this was something I'd never had to deal with—ever. There's not a single time I can remember ever getting turned on by another wolf, least of all an Alpha.

"I'm not sure if you're doing it on purpose or not, but can you calm your pheromones down? It's becoming a bit much," I said, stopping in my tracks to put some distance between us.

He turned and seemed to size me up before our eyes met. "Does my scent bother you?" he asked, moving closer, making the scent even stronger. "You seemed fine with Juno's."

"Juno isn't an Alpha, nor is he my mate," I said, stepping back, only for him to follow until I was backed against a wall.

"Am I your mate? I thought I was just a misunderstanding," he said with a glare, contempt clear in his tone. "There is no union. Isn't that what you said without any regard for how I'd feel?" His eyes began to glow.

I was taken aback by his directness. It was unusual to see an Alpha put aside their pride and reveal vulnerability like this.

"Tsuki, I—" I sighed heavily, closing my eyes to calm my nerves, fighting the inner Omega clawing at my loins. "I'm sorry for what I said. I know I hurt you, and that wasn't my intention. I spoke in the heat of the moment because of my sister. For that, I apologize. It's just that, I—"

"You're afraid of me," he said, finishing my sentence with a sad expression. His pheromones began to fade, giving me instant relief from the unwanted growing lust.

"It's not personal. It's all Alphas, not just you. I don't know what your life has been like, but you don't know mine either. To me, you're no different from a stranger, and all of this"—I motioned around us—"feels like a finely decorated prison. A cage, regardless of our bond."

"I wouldn't—"

"I know you wouldn't hurt me. I've felt that much through our bond, and I've seen it," I said, cutting him off with a gentle smile, thinking of the little red rabbit. "But I want to set expectations, for you and your mother. I've been in a cage before, trapped against my will at the mercy of those who thought I'd just lie down and take their oppression with a smile. I know exactly what a cage looks and feels like. You may not be the warden, and you might even be a prisoner in a different cage," I said darkly, earning a shocked look from him, "but I'd sooner chew off my own leg, like a wild wolf, before I become comfortably trapped in whatever shackle your mother plans to craft using you. I'm not opposed to getting to know you, but my fear and mistrust of Alphas won't disappear. Not even for you."

He looked at me for a long time, both of us standing in tense silence. He clenched his jaw tightly before coming closer to palm the side of my face. I flinched at first, and he hesitated before slowly touching me again. His touch was warm and gentle, his eyes full of longing.

"You're right. I don't know what you've been through, but I swear I would die before letting you go through any more undeserved pain or turmoil. I made that promise when I was eleven, and you were eight. I apologize for not keeping it until now, but I intend to keep it. By any means," he said, his eyes glowing red.