The Alpha Felt The Bond Only When She Was Gone

He only thought of me at times like this. Alone. Deep in the night. When his wolf was restless.

Only then did he remember the draught I made for him.

I watched the exhaustion etched on his face, and a bitter taste filled my mouth.

When the healers told him his wolf would never awaken, he shattered. He was hopeless.

So I went behind everyone's back. I journeyed to the Forbidden Forest to find the Moon Witch.

I traded half of my life force for a single, desperate chance: a potion to nurture his dormant wolf.

It wasn't just a calming draught. It was the hope of a cure, bought with my own life. A chance for him to one day become the Alpha he was born to be.

I still remember the shock in his eyes the first time he drank it, the way he felt a flicker of raw power surge through his veins for the first time.

His wolf wasn't awake, but for a moment, it wasn't completely dead.

He held me so tight, his voice trembling in my ear. "Rhea, only you… only you would do this for me."

The aid knocked, entering with a cup of tea. "Alpha, you should rest."

"Is Rhea back yet?" Aiden asked, rubbing his temples. His voice was raw.

The aid paused. "Not yet, Alpha. Lieutenant Liam's unit is on its way back, but there was no mention of the General's location in the comms."

Aiden's bloodshot eyes snapped open. His tone was sharp with absolute certainty. "She'll be back. She can't stay away from me. Now go prepare for the ceremony and stop bothering me with her drama."

The aid stared, stunned, before silently backing out of the room.

I just hovered there, frozen.

He's right. I took blades for him. I killed for him. I sacrificed my own life force for him.

After all that, of course he believed I would never leave.

---

Later that night, Aiden tossed and turned in his bed.

Gianna slept peacefully beside him, her breathing soft.

But he couldn't find sleep.

Flashes of a woman's back kept appearing in his mind.

A pair of cold, determined eyes.

A blood-stained silver blade.

He got up, threw on a robe, and began to wander the headquarters. His feet carried him, aimless, until he found himself in the sub-basement.

The warrior's quarters.

Damp, cramped, and smelling of antiseptic.

He stopped in front of a door.

The nameplate read: Rhea. Lead Warrior.

He heard a faint noise from inside.

Aiden frowned.

Who would be in Rhea's room this late?

He pushed the door open.

A young omega was inside, gently folding clothes.

When she saw Aiden, she gasped and fell to the floor.

"A-Alpha..." she stammered.

Aiden's eyes scanned the spartan room.

A bed. A simple desk.

Nothing else.

No decorations, no personal items, not a single trace of warmth.

It looked less like a home and more like a barracks cell.

His gaze fell on the omega.

Aiden asked casually, "What are you doing in here so late?"