"Parts of it, yes."
"Join me," Krevan said, motioning to the other chair.His eyes tracked her every movement.Ancelin recognized the challenge in his invitation but took the seat anyway.What difference did proximity make when escape was impossible?She pushed food around her plate, fork scraping ceramic in the silence between them.Her wrist betrayed her with a small tremor.
"Your fear wounds me," Krevan murmured, his silver-green eyes lingering on her face with an intensity that sent heat rushing through her body.
Ancelin straightened her spine.Any rational person would be halfway across the planet by now."Fear?I'm sitting right beside a self-confessed killer, aren't I?"
"I can smell fear, you know?"he said, lips curving upward."Another skill of mine."
"Oh."The word escaped before she could stop it."Just tell me what happened."
Krevan chewed methodically, letting the silence stretch between them like a living thing.
"I'm choosing to trust you, Krevan," Ancelin said, her voice steadier than she felt.
Krevan's jaw worked as he considered his words."My mother came from Earth—just like you."His smile softened the silver in his eyes."She met Grusop there before traveling to Triaxe for university.Though she's sixty-six now, she barely looks thirty.The bond with my Triaxen father preserved her youth when she became his mate at twenty-two.They found genuine love."He paused, fork suspended."Grusop noticed this preservation effect.He wanted the same for Gillian, his only daughter and heir.Plus, our combined family fortunes..."He shrugged."He offered her as my wife, assuming that meant mate as well.Could you make coffee?"
"Of course."Ancelin slid from her chair, grateful for the distraction."Keep talking.I'm listening."
Krevan's voice followed her to the coffee maker."I married her because my grandfather commanded it.In our family, his word is law—beyond law.It's difficult for outsiders to comprehend."His expression darkened."He found me...challenging.We're too similar."
"How so?"
"We're both dominant forces—Alphas, if you will."
"But you chose healing instead of power," Ancelin said with a fragile smile.
"Exactly, but my grandfather felt disrespected by my actions.I was merely trying to avoid him and any potential conflict.He was furious that I didn't follow the family business path.As a Vallex male, certain responsibilities and expectations are placed upon me."
"So, you married Gillian out of duty?"
"Yes, my grandfather was adamant about merging our families for financial and power consolidation.This time, I complied.My plan was to simply coexist with her until I found my true mate.But living with Gillian was challenging.She was spoiled, selfish, and narcissistic.I wasn't fully aware of her worst traits when I agreed to marry her.I knew she wasn't my true mate, and the marriage would end if I ever found my mate.My grandfather wouldn't interfere with a true mating."
"You hated her even before the marriage?"Ancelin inquired.
"No."Krevan shook his head."I didn't like her, but I didn't know her well enough to hate her.She taught me to hate her.My grandfather hoped I’d develop positive feelings for her and find happiness in our marriage.She was beautiful, and he thought friendship might blossom at least.However, he didn't know Gillian."
Ancelin handed Krevan a steaming cup of coffee.
"Thank you," Krevan said, accepting the cup.
“Did you have a big wedding?”Ancelin pressed Krevan to continue.
“We had a huge, media-covered wedding.Much of Triaxe watched our families celebrate our union.It was broadcasted on Satview all over Triaxe and on Earth, too.We were celebrities.To me our wedding pictures are laughable.We hardly looked like a loving couple.We resembled the opposite.Our wedding night was not what either of us…had anticipated.We fought, and I left her in the hotel suite.We spent our honeymoon separately.”Krevan hesitated and asked, “Ancelin, can I try some of the pudding you made?”
Ancelin prepared Krevan a generous serving of pudding.“Here, I hope you like it.I’m listening to you, Krevan.Please tell me more.”Ancelin handed him his bowl of warm chocolate pudding.“You made this pudding special for me?”Krevan asked.
"Yes."Ancelin nodded.Krevan took a spoonful and tasted it."Gillian was consumed by appearances and status.She wasn't my destined one.The Creator has more mercy than that."His voice hardened."She refused to accept the reality of Triaxen mating.Her frustration grew daily—she craved the longevity, the power that comes with being a true mate.All that anger, wasted.The biological truth remained unchanged: we were incompatible at a fundamental level.Eventually, I couldn't bear even casual intimacy with her."
"She still believed you could choose to mate with her?"
"Her self-absorption was absolute.She couldn't fathom why I couldn't simply will it to happen."Krevan's attention shifted as he savored another spoonful of pudding."This is exceptional."His tongue swept across the spoon, catching every trace of chocolate.
Ancelin's pulse quickened.She pressed her thighs together beneath the counter, horrified at her body's betrayal.Here he was, calmly discussing his wife's demise, while her treacherous body responded to his every movement.The contradiction made her dizzy.
"Did you share anything together?"she managed, struggling for composure."Any happy moments at all?"
Krevan's teeth made a sharp, sibilant sound—a primal warning.He shook his head."We maintained appearances.Separate wings of the same house.And no—" his eyes met hers directly, "—not a single moment of happiness passed between us."
