chapter 29
The moment Ferial stepped into the northern residence the Alpha heir had been staying in, she realized just how far she was from the life she understood.
The northern edge of the district was barely a breath from the border wall—close enough that she could feel the cold air seeping through the cracks of the old structure.
It wasn’t a luxury manor like the Capital wolves lived in, but still far better than anything humans were given. Two floors, clean walls, working electricity, reinforced windows, and the faint scent of wolf lingering in every corner.
He led her in without speaking, jaw tight, shoulders tense. Patrols flanked the outside, their shadows moving past the frosted windows.
Inside, he dropped the hard edge.
He exhaled, shutting the door with a soft click, and suddenly his voice gentled—so quietly she almost didn’t recognize it.
“Wait in my room. I just need to wash off the dust. I won’t be long.”
Ferial froze. His tone was… normal. Almost friendly. Soft in a way that made her thoughts crash into each other. She blinked at him, confused. “Your… room?”
“Yes,” he said, almost smiling. “Down the hall. First door on the left. Don’t worry—nothing in there will bite you.”
Her mouth parted in shock.
He laughed.
Actually laughed.
A low, warm sound that made her brain short-circuit.
She stared at him like he had grown a second head.
He smirked slightly. “Ferial… you look like I told you the moon fell.”
“You’re being…” She swallowed. “Nice.”
He raised a brow, then stepped backward toward the bathroom door. “Don’t get used to it.” But there was a teasing edge there, softening the words. “I’m still furious.”
“About what?” she whispered, breath catching.
He paused. “Everything.”
Then he disappeared into the bathroom, and a moment later she heard the shower turn on.
The sound echoed strangely through the quiet house.
She stood in the hallway for a long moment before forcing herself into his room. She expected darkness, chaos, claw marks—something feral. Something that matched his temper and the way he had stormed into the factory like a wildfire.
Instead, she stepped into a room that felt surprisingly… human.
Grey bedding. A desk with papers neatly stacked. A half-open window letting in cold air. A single lamp glowing softly. And on the dresser—
Her breath caught.
Pictures.
Real printed photographs in frames, something she had only seen in wealthier human houses or wolf estates.
She stepped closer, her fingers trembling as she traced the edge of the nearest frame.
He stood beside his father—tall, proud, a closed-mouth smile that still somehow lit his eyes. Beside them stood a woman, elegant and fierce, her black hair braided sharply, her hand resting on the heir’s shoulder. His mother, Ferial assumed.
Another photo showed younger versions of him and girls—laughing, wrestling in the grass, hair wild from the wind. Sisters, maybe?. There were so many. One picture even showed him carrying two of them at once, all smiling broadly.
Ferial blinked hard.
He looked… normal in these pictures. Happy. Soft. Like someone who had lived a life far from hers, untouched by factory smoke and curfews and hunger.
Someone who shouldn’t have been tied to her fate at all.
A lump formed in her throat.
She stared at a final picture—him standing alone in front of the Northern Gate, wearing ceremonial armor, the wolf crest shining on his chest. His expression there… was different.
Older. Harder. Lonely.
She didn’t know how long she looked, only that when the shower shut off, she jumped.
Her pulse raced in her neck as she backed away from the dresser. She wasn’t supposed to be snooping, but he had left her in here. Did that mean it was allowed?
Footsteps padded closer.
Then the door opened.
Ferial’s breath vanished.
The Alpha heir stepped inside wearing a dark hoodie and loose grey track pants, damp hair pushed back, drops of water still clinging to the edge of his jaw. He looked… younger. Less royal. Less lethal.
He grinned.
Actually grinned.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
She stared, stunned. “You’re… dressed like a human.”
He snorted. “Clothes don’t make me human.”
“But—” She waved helplessly at him. “You’re wearing a hoodie.”
“And you’re staring at me like it’s a sin,” he teased, stepping further inside. “Should I go find a suit and armor?”
“No! I just—” She shook her head. “I didn’t expect you to be… like this.”
“Relaxed?” he guessed.
“Yes,” she whispered.
He walked toward her, motions slow, careful—like he was deliberately softening himself so she wouldn’t bolt. When he reached her, he gestured toward the bed.
“Sit with me for a bit. We have a lot to talk about.”
She hesitated but eventually sat on the edge of the bed. He sat a careful distance away—close enough to feel his warmth, far enough to show restraint.
He extended a hand slightly, like introducing himself for the first time.
“My name is Dante Rhylen Halecrest. Son of Alpha Supreme Lucian Halecrest and Luna Maria Halecrest. I’m the only boy out of six children. Five sisters. All terrifying.”
She blinked at him in disbelief. “You’re… actually introducing yourself?”
“You deserve to know who I am,” Dante said, voice softer now. “Properly. Without shouting. Without guards. Without fear.”
Her heart thudded painfully.
She whispered, “Dante.”
His eyes warmed instantly at the sound of his name in her voice.
“Say it again,” he murmured.
She flushed. “Dante.”
His pupils dilated, but he forced himself to look away, clearing his throat. “Good. Now you know who I am. Your turn.”
She stiffened. “I… don’t have titles or anything.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want titles. I want you.”
Her breath stuttered. “Ferial. Ferial Samsodien.”
He nodded slowly. “Ferial. It suits you.”
A beat passed. Then another.
"It's not like you didn't know my name," she whispered.
"We are introducing ourselves remember."
"True."
He leaned back, resting his hands loosely on his knees. “Ask me anything.”
She stared at him. “Anything?”
“I told you—clarity. No more secrets.”
Her voice trembled. “The riots… are they because of me?”
“Indirectly,” he admitted. “Humans feel the shift in power. They sense a change. They sense wolves on edge. Some think it’s the right time to rise up. Others are scared. Fear grows fast in these districts.”
“And… being mates?” she whispered. “What does it mean for us?”
His jaw tightened, but he forced himself to meet her gaze. “It means I feel everything you feel. It means when that boy—Abdie—kissed you, my vision went white with pain.”
She gasped softly. “You… felt it?”
“It felt like someone stabbed me,” he said honestly. “I wanted to rip him apart. Not because I’m jealous—though I am—but because every instinct in me is wired to protect what’s mine.”
She looked at her hands, conflicted. “Abdie didn’t mean harm.”
“I know,” Dante said quietly. “And if he had meant harm, I would already be covered in his blood.”
She flinched.
He cursed under his breath, leaning forward. “I’m not trying to scare you. I’m trying to tell you how real this is. How strong it is. How much it’s destroying us both when we deny it.”
“Do you hate that I’m human?” she whispered.
He froze.
His voice dropped to a rough whisper. “I hate that you’re fragile. I hate that this world will crush you if I’m not careful. I hate that every high ranking wolf in the Capital will question your worth. I hate that you were born human because humans suffer if not taught otherwise.”
She swallowed hard.
“But hate you?” He shook his head, expression raw. “Ferial… from the moment the bond sparked, I haven’t been able to breathe without feeling you in my chest.”
Her heartbeat stuttered.
“And what if I don’t want this?” she whispered.
His eyes closed for a moment—pain flickering across his face.
“Then I will find a way to protect you from it,” he said. “Even if it breaks me.”
Silence swallowed the room.
"I think I do want you though. I want to be something to someone, even if it means being stronger."
Outside, wolves barked orders. Humans shouted in the distance. The border sirens wailed faintly.
But inside—
It was just them.
Two people caught in a fate neither had chosen.
Dante leaned forward slightly, searching her face. “Ferial… talk to me. Tell me what’s in your head.”
And for the first time since everything began, she didn’t feel like she was standing in front of an Alpha.
She felt like she was standing in front of a boy—
who was just as scared as she was.