Evaline:
The morning air was carrying a soft breeze, rustling the hedges and stirring the wildflowers that were dotting the secluded garden behind the dormitory buildings.
The early morning sunlight was filtering through the branches of the weeping willows, creating golden patches across the stone bench where I was sitting.
The particular garden was one of the Academy’s quieter places, one of the few that rarely saw any students, especially on a Saturday morning. Most were either asleep or in the dining hall, dragging themselves through the first day of the weekend.
But I wasn’t alone.
Rowan was sitting on my right with elbows resting on his knees and eyes fixed on the gravel path as if it held the answers to all of life’s questions. Kyros was on my left, leaning back against the bench’s curve with his arms crossed and brows deeply furrowed.
No one spoke for what felt like forever.
I knew why. My heart hadn’t stopped thudding since I made the confession. There was no way to pretend anymore. The truth was out.
There were two people who noticed things around me, about me, and those two wanted answers. While one of them got his answers the night before, I bestowed the same grace on the second one just moments ago after dragging him to this garden.
Kyros reaction was almost identical to Rowan’s from the night before. He was stunned. Silent. And eyes wide with disbelief.
And I didn’t blame either of them. I had practically dropped a bomb in their laps.
I shifted uncomfortably on the bench, tugging my sleeves down even though it wasn’t that cold. The breeze was gentle, the air pleasant, yet I felt stifled... like something heavy was pressing down on my chest.
I waited, hoping someone else would speak first.
Eventually, it was Kyros who broke the silence.
"So... you are telling me... both Oscar and Draven are your soulmates?" His voice cracked slightly, as if he still couldn’t believe the words coming out of his own mouth.
I gave a slow, small nod, keeping my eyes on the ground.
"Both," he repeated, blinking at me.
"Yes." I clasped my hands tightly in my lap. "It happened... I didn’t ask for it. I didn’t expect it. I just... knew. When I touched them, I felt it. They did too... so it wasn’t just in my head."
He let out a low whistle and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Damn, Eva..."
Rowan finally moved beside me, drawing in a breath like he had been holding it the entire time. "That’s... a lot."
"I know," I whispered.
No one spoke after that. The three of us just sat there, with the birds chirping overhead and the breeze rustling the leaves like nature’s version of background noise for a dramatic moment.
And then I stood.
"I should go. The driver will be here to pick me soon, and I still need to go back and grab my bag from the dorm."
Kyros didn’t say anything, but Rowan’s hand shot out, grabbing my wrist lightly. "Wait."
I paused and looked back at him. His expression had changed. He was no longer just stunned, but thoughtful. Serious.
"If you are mates with them," he started slowly, "do they... know about each other?"
That took me by complete surprise.
The answer was simple. And terrifying.
"No," I said after a pause. "They don’t."
Both Rowan and Kyros stared at me, wide-eyed again.
"You mean... neither of them knows that they are not your only mate?" Rowan asked, his voice slightly sharper from shock.
"I haven’t told them," I said, shame curling in my gut. "Not yet."
Kyros sat up straighter. "Eva... you can’t keep something like this from them. Especially not from Rogue Alphas. This could go south... fast."
"I know," I quickly agreed. "I know it’s wrong. I didn’t mean to keep it a secret for this long, but everything’s been happening so fast. And I didn’t know how they would react, or how to even bring it up. I mean... how do you even start that conversation? ’Hey, you are my mate. Also, so is your brother, by the way.’" I threw my hands up. "It’s not exactly dinner table talk!"
They didn’t laugh. Not even a smile.
Kyros sighed. "Girl... this is serious. Mate bonds aren’t something to joke about. If either one of them finds out from someone else... hell, if they sense something before you talk to them... it could trigger all kinds of issues. Not just with you, but between them. You are not just dealing with ordinary wolves."
"I know that," I sighed softly.
"And you haven’t talked to either of them?" Rowan asked again, like he couldn’t wrap his head around it.
"I haven’t had the chance. Not properly. And the truth is... I have been scared." I bit my lip, staring at the tips of my shoes. "What if they... reject me? What if they hate me for not telling them sooner? What if it breaks them?"
Kyros let out another deep sigh, running a hand through his hair. "You are their mate. It might not be pretty, and it definitely won’t be easy... but they deserve the truth. From you. Not through each other. Not through their instincts. From you."
I nodded. "I... I know. You are right."
There was another pause before Kyros leaned in, his voice softer this time. "If you are ready... Rowan and I can help you."
I blinked. "Help me?"
He nodded. "We can help you find an opportunity, or create one, to talk to them about this."
I looked over at Rowan, who gave a firm nod in agreement.
Something warm bloomed in my chest, a small spark in the middle of the storm of uncertainty I had been living in. For the first time in days, I felt the knot in my stomach loosen a little.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"We have got your back, Roomie," Rowan said as he stood up and gave my head a warm pat. "Always."
As we walked back to the dormitory building together, the garden faded behind us. The weight I had been carrying was feeling a little lighter. The truth was out, at least among the friends I trusted.