The Royal Alpha

Chapter 11: My True Mate

"Still breathing, Sierra?" Alexandria asks, her voice dripping with mock concern as she falls into step beside me. "Or did watching your almost-mate parade his real one finally finish the job?"

I don't answer.

I've learned that silence unsettles her far more than retaliation ever could.

It has been three days since Aztec's birthday. Three days since he found his mate. Three days since the future I had quietly—foolishly—imagined for myself collapsed without warning.

Aztec doesn't look at me anymore.

Not once.

He doesn't acknowledge me in the corridors, doesn't pause near me during meals, doesn't even meet my eyes by accident. It's as though the moment Avery stepped into his life, I was erased entirely. I know, rationally, that mate bonds are consuming, that devotion comes swift and absolute—but did it truly require forgetting the girl who had stood beside him for years?

What hurts most is watching him care for Avery the way he once cared for me.

He makes sure she eats. Walks on the side closest to danger. Keeps his hand lightly at her back when they move through crowds. The gestures are instinctive, effortless—and devastating.

Alexandria notices where my gaze lingers and smiles wider.

"Guess all that dreaming didn't pay off," she continues. "Funny how fate works, isn't it?"

Before I can summon the energy to respond, Tatiana steps forward.

"Careful," she says quietly. Her tone is calm, but there's a warning threaded through it that makes even Alexandria hesitate. "Or I'll remind you where your place actually is."

Alexandria stiffens. One glance at Tatiana's eyes—cold, steady, promising consequences—and she backs away, muttering an apology that lacks conviction before disappearing into the crowd.

I watch her go, feeling strangely hollow.

"You don't have to defend me," I murmur. "She isn't entirely wrong."

Tatiana slips her arm around my shoulders and gently guides me away from the dining hall. "She is wrong. You trusted someone you loved. That doesn't make you weak—it makes you honest."

Her words settle slowly, like something heavy finding its place.

"I really believed he was my mate," I whisper. "I wasn't pretending."

"I know," she replies. "And belief doesn't vanish just because truth arrives late."

We walk in silence for a moment.

"You'll heal," Tatiana continues. "And when you do, you'll be stronger than you were before. Heartbreak doesn't destroy us—it reshapes us."

I manage a faint smile. "Do they offer lessons in emotional maturity here, or were you born like this?"

She snorts softly. "Hard-earned wisdom. My parents didn't have an easy bond."

Before I can ask what she means, Connor's voice interrupts us.

"Leaving already? Seems early to call it a night."

I stiffen.

"I'm tired," I say, stepping back. "I'd rather be alone."

Connor grins, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "Relax. We're not going to eat you."

Fenris stands beside him.

Silent. Still. Watching.

I haven't spoken to Fenris properly since the evaluation day. He hasn't approached me. Hasn't cornered me. If anything, he has kept his distance.