Something That Would Never Be Mine

Rhiannon

I pressed my forehead against the cool glass of my window, and witnessed Alpha Sebastian and his retinue gather together in the courtyard below. He slipped into the back seat of his Maybach with the inscrutable confidence of a man whose mere existence alone warranted respect.

Even from here, I could feel the lingering effect he had left on me, a strange warmth that hadn’t faded since our encounter in the garden.

“I must be insane,” I murmured, running my fingers over the glass of the window. “This can’t be anything more than... a crush.”

But it felt like so much more. An uninvited longing, a pull that went beyond reason. The way his gaze had swept over me, protective yet intense, felt like a salve for a wound I hadn’t realized was festering inside me.

I could almost believe he was some sort of savior, but I knew better than to fall into those fairy-tale fantasies. Men like Sebastian didn’t waste time on women like me.

Yet here I was, crushed under the weight of watching him leave. His departure left a hollowness inside me that was almost laughable.

“What are you doing, Rhiannon?” I sighed, glancing away from the courtyard and running my hand through my hair. “You’ve barely spoken to him. He’s a powerful alpha, and you’re...”

I didn’t need to finish the thought. My reflection in the glass said enough, a shadow of who I’d once been, trapped and helpless. My body ached, a reminder of Talon’s “discipline” last night, his words cutting deeper than the bruises he’d left.

“I know you met him in the garden last night,” he had spat, his eyes cold as he gripped my arm with bruising force. “Do you think I don’t see the way you look at him? How dare you disgrace me like that?”

I had opened my mouth to protest, to say that it wasn’t like that. But his hand struck my face before I’d managed a single word. After that, I’d retreated into silence, the same silence that had become my refuge these past years. It was easier to survive Talon that way.

With a hollow ache in my chest, I pressed my hand against my cheek, feeling the faint bruise there. The sting was nothing compared to the raw ache in my heart.

In four days, I would be eighteen. Four days until Talon would “formally” make me his Luna, his mate, his… possession.

The word tasted bitter on my tongue. I would be his, in every sense that mattered to him. He had waited for this day, wielding it like a weapon over me, reminding me that escape was not an option.

“Not that I have any choice now,” I whispered to the empty room. He’d left me locked here, no food, no water. A prisoner in the truest sense, though I’d been one long before this moment.

The thought of my birthday brought an unfamiliar dread. I’d always looked forward to the day I’d get my wolf, the day I’d feel some hint of the strength that had been so cruelly stripped away from me. But now, that same day felt like a countdown to an execution.

A sharp knock on the door startled me, leaving my heart beating out of my chest, a mix of hope and trepidation in my gut. I tightly clutched my palms together, to stop them from shaking.

Maybe…but no, I knew better than to hope it was anyone other than one of Talon’s guards.

“Rhia,” came the low voice of Meryl, the only friend I’d managed to keep in this place. “It’s me. Talon is gone for the morning.”

My throat felt tight as relief washed over me. “Meryl…” I whispered, standing on shaky legs as I approached the door. “Please, can you get me some water?”

“Of course, I snuck some bread, too. I’ll bring it in just a minute.”

I sagged against the door, feeling my emotions threaten to c***k. “Thank you. I…thank you.”

There was a pause. “I heard about what happened last night,” she said softly. “I’m so sorry, Rhiannon. You didn’t deserve that.”

Tears stung the corners of my eyes, but I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m fine,” I replied, forcing strength into my voice. “I’ve been through worse.”

We both knew it was a lie, but Meryl didn’t press. Instead, she murmured, “Alpha Sebastian seemed… different. Maybe he’ll be back for you, like he said.”

“No,” I said, a faint laugh escaping despite myself. “It’s just a foolish crush. I don’t think someone like him even thinks of me that way.”

“But he seemed like he cared,” Meryl insisted gently. “Not everyone would promise to see you again. Maybe you’ll get out of here.”

I pressed my forehead to the wall and closed my eyes tightly. “Maybe…” I whispered, though I hardly dared to hope. If he did not return, if this was not just another hollow promise. I didn't know if I would be able to survive the disappointment.

Minutes later, Meryl slipped a slice of bread and a small cup of water under the door. I could have wept for the taste of it. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, I took small sips, savoring each one as if it might be my last.

I spent the hours after that in quiet reflection, my mind turning over every part of my encounter with Sebastian. How his touch had been so different, gentle, not punishing,steady, not possessive.

He’d spoken to me like a person, not an object, and for a brief moment, I had felt safe. It was ridiculous, of course. Sebastian owed me nothing. But if I closed my eyes, I could almost believe he’d seen something in me worth saving.

In that solitary silence, I allowed myself to imagine a life outside these walls. Perhaps one day, I could walk freely, with my own voice and my own choices. It was a fantasy that brought equal parts joy and sorrow because the likelihood of it felt so remote.

The thought of escape crossed my mind, but then I thought of Talon, of his endless cruelty, his possessiveness. I was bound to him by more than chains. No one in this pack would help me, Talon’s reach extended through every corner. But… what if Sebastian did return? What if he could be the key to my freedom?

The sun dipped lower in the sky as the hours passed. I stood by the window, watching the quiet that had settled over the courtyard. They’d all returned to their routines, the excitement of Sebastian’s visit now just a memory.

Maybe he’s forgotten me already.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips, though it sounded more like a sob. “Why would he care about me?” I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself. “I’m nothing to him. A broken girl, hidden away by a pack that barely remembers she exists.”

A deep ache settled in my chest, raw and unrelenting. I was a fool to think that anyone could care, especially someone like him. I didn’t deserve the hope I clung to, the hope that one day things might change.

In four days, my fate would be sealed. I would be Luna, made to stand by Talon's side as he paraded me like a prize he won. I shuddered at the idea, but was powerless to prevent it. I was his, no matter how much I wished otherwise.

“Rhia,” came Meryl’s voice from the door once more. “Are you alright?”

I forced my voice into something close to steadiness. “I’ll survive, Meryl.”

“You’re stronger than he thinks,” she whispered, as if the words might make it true. “One day, you’ll find your way out of this.”

I pressed my hand to the door, hoping that her words would be enough, that I could somehow believe her. “Thank you, Meryl. Truly.”

She left, her footsteps fading down the hallway, and I was once again alone. Shadows crept across the floor, silence pressed against me. I rested my back against the cold wall, my mind went back to Sebastian, to the comfort of his touch on my hand.

“Maybe someday…” I murmured, a tear rolling down my chin.

But someday felt as far away as the stars. And for now, all I had was this hollow room, this empty life, and a heart full of longing for something that would never be mine.