"What happened next?"Ancelin asked softly.
Krevan studied his dish as if thinking hard before he answered.“Gillian always smelled of men and sex.I can smell when a woman is interested, aroused, or if she has been with another male recently.”Krevan eyed Ancelin and his eyes seemed to look directly into her soul.No doubt, he knew Ancelin was hot for him now.Ancelin’s face flooded with a blush at his knowing gaze.“All Gillian did was spend my money and enjoy herself in every way imaginable.She had absolutely no redeeming qualities.I immersed myself in my career and ignored her existence as best I could.”Krevan paused his narrative and looked intently at Ancelin.
She nodded to confirm she was still listening.“Can I have some more pudding?”Krevan asked and handed her his empty bowl.
“Sure, but don’t stop telling me your story.I’m listening.”Ancelin took his bowl to refill.
“We lived in my large house in Curtistan, Triaxe.Like I said, we lived together, but separate.We hardly ever saw each other.I worked at the hospital all the time and came home late every night or not at all.Are you going to have some pudding, too?”Krevan digressed once again as he took the bowl she offered to him.
“Yes.”Ancelin sat down next to him.“I’ll have some later.”
“I had been invited to speak at a medical conference on the other side of Triaxe.In Jordinstan, Triaxe, and Gillian knew I was going to be gone for several days.I was going to speak on a new procedure in surgery that I had developed and been successfully using in heart transplants.However, I forgot some of my notes at home, and as the story often goes, in these types of tales, I unexpectedly returned to get them.It was obvious I wasn’t expected,” Krevan stated with a chilling smile.
“So, you never made it to the medical conference?”
“No.”Krevan shook his head in grim dismay.The regret on his face was so evident that Ancelin’s stomach ached with misery for him.She wanted to embrace and comfort him but withheld the impulsive desire.“Thank you for the pudding.I really liked it.”Krevan finished his second serving.“What happened next?”Ancelin prompted him.She was anxious for the climax and conclusion of his tale.
"I came home to find Gillian in my bedroom with an Earth man...having sex with him.The guy was clearly terrified of me, and by the end of the night, he had wet himself and my carpet.That infuriated me," Krevan remarked with a cold laugh."The whole situation drove me crazy.Gillian was promiscuous, but why choose my bedroom for it?Their scent invaded my personal space.Why couldn't she use her own damn room?"Ancelin observed the simmering anger in Krevan's expression as he recounted the event."Despite my rage, I tried to ignore them.I went to my desk to look for my notes while they stared at me, shocked by my seeming indifference.It was a bizarre scene."Krevan laughed again, seemingly amused by the twisted memory."When I found my notes, I stood at the foot of the bed and ordered them both to leave my house within five minutes, or I'd call the police.I told Gillian I was filing for divorce after my conference.Her behavior was unacceptable for a Vallex, and I wouldn't tolerate it anymore.I wanted her out of my home.The charade had to end.I left the room to call the police, and Gillian followed me into the living room."
"She followed you, arguing?"Ancelin asked, incredulously.
"Yes, she was naked and yelling that I couldn't divorce her because it wasn't allowed by the agreement between our families.She insisted it was my duty to mate with her.She still didn't get that she wasn't and would never be your mate?She started hurling insults at me, calling me a 'Triaxen monster’ and other offensive names.While I attempted to contact the police, she continued to scream.My decision to ignore her only made her angrier.Soon, she began throwing small objects at me—anything she could find: books, paperweights, vases, candles, pictures.I managed to dodge everything she threw, which only fueled her fury, escalating her actions.She was completely enraged.If I had been an Earth human, she might have seriously injured or even killed me.Finally, she grabbed a large, heavy ceramic lamp and hurled it at my head with all her might.I blocked it with my arm, causing the lamp to shatter into large pieces.One piece hit her on the head, killing her instantly.Krevan watched Ancelin for her reaction.'I called the emergency services afterward.The police came and arrested me.”
“Was there a trial?'Ancelin asked."
“Yes.The whole thing dragged on for months.Fortunately, I was released on bail while it ran its course.But when the trial finally ended, I was convicted of a lesser charge than the one they’d originally slapped me with.I was floored—I kept telling myself it was a nightmare.I’d only defended myself.Then the judge, breaking every protocol, gave me two options: thirty-five years in a Triaxe penitentiary or five years on Hellgate Prison Planet.I opted for Hellgate.”
“They shipped you out immediately?”
“The very next day I boarded a transport.The moment I set foot on that infernal rock, the man I’d been died.”Krevan’s gaze locked onto Ancelin’s wide brown eyes.
“What do you mean—‘died’?”
“The man I was…ceased to exist,” Krevan said quietly.“I’ll have another coffee.”He rose and poured a fresh cup.“Listen: Triaxen humanoids are born predators, especially the males.After millennia of civilization, we’ve mastered hiding our true nature—softening our edges so that outsiders never glimpse what we really are.In truth, we’re nothing like human beings or other, weaker species.We barely resemble them.But on Hellgate, in a single day, every dormant Triaxen instinct in me erupted with fucking vengeance.I reverted to my primal self.To survive, I became a relentless killer—nothing mattered but self-preservation.That god-forsaken hellhole was packed with the criminally insane, the absolute worst.I slaughtered so many that the rest realized I was unlike anything they’d ever seen and left me the hell alone.I’ve never harmed anyone who didn’t threaten me first.”
Krevan paused and studied Ancelin as she stared at her hands.“Ancelin.”He reached for her and took her hand.“Believe me: even the most savage Triaxen male will protect his mate.You are my mate—you’re bonded to me and under my protection.You have nothing to fear.I know this sounds unreal, it’s hard to wrap your head around, but our bond is real.I never want you to be afraid of me.It breaks my heart.I don’t want you to leave me because of what happened or because of what I did.I’ve paid for Gillian’s death—I never intended to kill her.I was a doctor.I still saved lives.And as for Hellgate—it was the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest.I was simply protecting myself.”
"I—I need some space," Ancelin whispered, slipping her fingers from his grasp.The ceramic bowl clinked against the sink as she rinsed it methodically, focusing on the swirling water rather than meeting his metallic gaze."My work area...I need to think while I work."
"I understand," Krevan said, his voice unnaturally even."I'll be in the yard.When you're ready—if you're ready—just call."
The hallway to the office seemed longer than usual.A sudden displacement of air brushed her cheek, and before she reached the doorway, she found it already open.Inside, every light blazed, her jeweler's lamp positioned perfectly, her chair pulled out at precisely the right angle.Evidence of his inhuman speed surrounded her.Ancelin sank into the seat and reached for a chunk of raw amethyst, rolling it between her palms.
"Ancelin."His breath warmed her ear.
She didn't flinch this time."Yes?"
"I love you, Ancelin, no matter what happens.The choice is yours, and our future rests in your hands.I won’t pressure you to stay with me—it's entirely up to you," Krevan said before kissing her cheek and leaving.
Ancelin decided to focus on her work for a bit.She planned to make a late-night dinner for him once it got darker and call him to eat.However, she became so engrossed in her art that she lost track of time.She ended up creating two necklaces and a ring, completely absorbed in her crafting.When she finally looked up, she realized it was extremely late—far past the time for a late dinner.She turned off the lights and headed to the kitchen, but Krevan was nowhere to be seen.Ancelin set a pot of water to boil for tea and reheated some leftovers for Krevan.After preparing his meal, she placed it on the kitchen counter, covering it with a towel to keep it fresh, and then took a cup of tea to her room.
As she prepared for bed, she decided to take a bath, hoping the hot water would help her relax and clear her mind.While working on her jewelry, she had managed to keep her worries at bay, focusing solely on her creations.But now, her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.Ancelin settled into the tub, leaning back to unwind.Memories of Krevan brought her warmth, and she knew that his wife's death had been a tragic accident.She trusted and believed him.
In that instant, Ancelin finally grasped what Krevan meant by their bond-mate connection.His waves of anxiety and fear washed through her mind—he dreaded losing her and the joy he’d only just discovered.A being of such power was terrified of whatever choice she might make for their future together.A warm flutter rose in her chest as she remembered how he made her feel.She closed her eyes, conjured his face in her thoughts, and at that very moment, she determined her answer.
Knowing sleep would elude her, she reached for the medicine her doctor had prescribed.The pills promised a brief reprieve—an artificial calm to erase her worries and soothe her pain.She hated her reliance on them; ever since her parents’ deaths on Earth, she’d become too dependent on their numbing comfort.
Drawn to the window, she gazed out at the world frozen under bright moonlight.Frost-laced fields gleamed silver in the lunar glow.This wild, alien land held a stark beauty—both breathtaking and perilous.Then her sharp eyes caught movement: Krevan, standing by the chicken coop, watching her in silence.They held each other’s gaze for a long moment.That familiar warmth bloomed in her stomach, and she returned his gaze with a smile and a wave.Though she couldn’t discern his expression clearly, he lifted his hand in reply.She pressed her palm to her lips, placed a soft kiss there, and blew it toward him.As a child, she’d done the same for her father as he left each morning—now, Krevan mirrored that affectionate gesture, pretending to catch her kiss before blowing one back.
