Chapter 46: The Price of a Wish

Inside the lavish suite, a quiet enveloped the room, the silence broken only by the soft rustling of curtains. Rieka stood by the window, watching the moon. Soon, the door to the bathroom creaked open. Alpha Ileus entered, his hair damp from the shower, droplets of water still clinging to his muscular frame. He had tied a loose robe around his waist, its dark fabric emphasizing his imposing presence. "Rieka," he called softly, his voice warm yet laced with concern. "Why are you standing there?" She didn't turn around, her eyes fixed on the moonlit horizon. 'The night is calming," she replied, her tone distant. Lleus stepped closer, his brows furrowing as he studied her. Something was troubling her—he could feel it. 'What's on your mind, wife? You're not one to brood like this." The silence stretched between them, like air being swollen. He reached out and set a hand on her shoulder, turning her gently to face him. Unshed tears glimmered in her eyes, and in that exact moment, it clutched on to something deep within his inner self. "Speak," he urged, softening further into his words. "Whatever it is, tell me." Rieka was taken aback; her gaze danced around and away from his. But then she took a deep breath and looked back into his eyes. "I have two wishes," she started off cautiously. Lleus cocked an eyebrow in surprise and wariness. "Two wishes?" "Yes." Again she hesitated. "But I must ask your permission to say them. He laughed low and easy with the intention of loosening the mood a little more. "Since when did you require permission to speak? Continue, Rieka. What are these wishes of yours?" The edges of her gown fiddled restlessly through her fingers while she spoke finally. "I want you to have breakfast and dinner with me daily. The room seemed to freeze for a moment, the simplicity of her request hanging in the air. Lleus blinked, a flicker of disbelief darting across his face; then it darkened, a sharp laugh bursting from him. "Breakfast and dinner?" he repeated, his tone incredulous. "Every day? Is this a joke? Rieka grimaced at the harshness of his voice but refused to back off. "No, it's not a joke, it's a wish, simple as that." "Simple?" His voice rose to a loud height as frustration boiled over. "Have you any idea what you ask of me? To fiddle with things on a table day in and day out-like I have no responsibilities, like I'm not the Alpha of this pack? "I'm not asking you to give up your duties," she said, her voice steady, though her heart quivered. "I'm asking for time. Time for us to be together, to build something real. Isn't that what a marriage is supposed to be?" Lleus snorted, pacing his room in anger. "You want me to give up my power, all my aspects that make me for. lunches? That's ridiculous." Rieka felt a tug and wrench of muscles across her chest; her assurance waned. "It is not the feasts, Lleus, but us. About finding a way this bond we share may be used to our advantage. "This bond?" He whirled to his feet, his eyes alight. "You believe this bond was forged out of idleness? It was founded upon power, upon alliances, upon force. And you wish to render me feeble for your foolish wishes?" "They're not trivial to me!" she snapped, her voice cracking. The sudden fire in her tone gave him pause but only for a moment. With a frustrated growl, he snatched his robe and stormed toward the door. "I don't have time for this," he muttered, his voice low but seething. "Lleus," she called, her voice shaking. "Don't walk away." He didn't stop. The door thudded shut behind him, and he left Rieka behind with the choking silence. --- Hours turned into eternity, but never did Lleus come. Rieka sat at her window, knees up to her chest, as the night grew deeper and darkened around her. Anger tugged at her heart, along with her heartbreak. Was she wrong to ask for something so simple? Was she overstepping her place as his wife? The doubts chewed at her, but beneath them, a stubborn resolve began to set in. 'No," she whispered to herself. 'I'm not wrong. A marriage isn't just power and alliances. It's companionship. Trust. He has to see that… eventually." She wiped her tears, which were about to fall, and got up from her place. She went to the bed, lay down, but sleep didn't come. --- In the mansion, Alpha Lleus paced through the dark corridors, his mind as turbulent as a stormy sea. He replayed their argument in his mind, the sound of her words louder than he cared to admit. A part of him understood her point, but another part-the Alpha in him-recoiled at the very thought of yielding a fraction of his authority. "She doesn't understand," he muttered to himself. "This isn't about love nor meals. It's about strength. Respect." Yet, all his reasoning could not hush that insistent voice whispering at the back of his mind: Wasn't he being too critical? Too aloof? Lleus came to a stop in front of the great window overlooking the estate. Moonlight bathed gardens below, serenely unaltered. His heart hurt in some way he didn't understand. He wanted to safeguard Rieka, take care of her, keep her from harm and make her happy. He was also very scared of losing himself in this process. --- Morning finally came softly through the curtains. Rieka woke up, her eyes still heavy after a night of thoughts. She looked at the empty half of the bed and sighed. Lleus had not come back. A knock on the door broke her into a start. "Enter," she called, her voice husky. A servant came in and bowed low. "My lady, the Alpha has instructed us to tell you that he is busy in the council chambers today. He bade you take your meals as you normally would." Rieka nodded and waved her hand, dismissing him. The door closed softly behind him, and she slumped back onto the bed, her head reeling. "I cannot let this break me," she whispered. If Lleus needed time to understand, then so be it. But she would not back down on her wishes.