Kael’s hand was still resting on Belinda’s hip when my voice cut through the room.
"Kael!" I snapped, sharper than I’d intended. The sound of my own tone made the air feel heavier. "Have you completely forgotten the pack’s rule?"
It was like time froze. Kael’s lips were still so close to hers that I could almost see the warmth between them. His shoulders stiffened, and his eyes flicked toward me with that familiar flicker of guilt.
Belinda slowly pulled back, confusion written all over her face. "That damn rule?!" she asked, her brows drawing together.
My gaze stayed locked on Kael, but my words were for both of them. "The rule that says no one gets intimate with another until a mate is rejected." My tone came out hard, sharper than I wanted, but I didn’t soften it. "You haven’t rejected Lisa yet, Kael. Belinda will still be our mate... still be our Luna... but you know it’s wrong to do this before then."
The words hung in the air like frost.
Belinda blinked at me, and I saw it, the shift in her expression, the way her mouth tightened, the light in her eyes dimming. That hurt expression hit me right in the chest.
"So..." her voice was quiet at first, but there was an edge under it, "you’re saying you’re avoiding me because of that?"
"It’s not..." Kael started, but she cut him off, her voice rising slightly.
"Because that’s what it feels like," she said. "Like you both are finding excuses to stay away from me."
My jaw clenched. The thing was... she wasn’t wrong. I hated how my silence made it sound like I was agreeing with her.
I exhaled slowly, trying to keep my voice even. "Belinda... I didn’t mean..."
"No," she said, shaking her head, her hair falling around her face. "Don’t bother. You’ve made it clear."
Her voice had changed; it wasn’t just hurt anymore. There was something sharper, almost like she was shielding herself.
"It’s just rules," she went on, her tone dipping into bitterness now. "And you’re Alphas, aren’t you? You can break them easily."
Kael shifted next to me, glancing between us, but I didn’t take my eyes off her. My gut told me if I looked away, I’d lose the chance to explain anything.
"And it’s not like those rules came from the Moon Goddess herself," she said, sarcasm threading her words. "It was your father who made those... those damn rules. So that pack members wouldn’t treat their female mates cruelly." She gave a short, humorless laugh. "And yet here I am, being treated like I’m... I don’t even know. Like I’m not wanted."
"That’s not true," I said quickly. My voice came out softer than I intended, almost pleading, but even I could hear the weakness in it.
Her eyes narrowed, glistening like she was holding back tears. "Isn’t it? Because every time I try to be close, there’s always some law, some rule, some excuse standing between us. Do you know how that feels? To constantly be reminded there’s someone else in the way?"
Kael opened his mouth. "Belinda, listen..."
But she turned away, her shoulders stiff.
I stepped forward instinctively, reaching out. "Bel..."
"Don’t," she said, her voice cracking now. "Just... don’t."
The single word was like a slap. I froze mid-step.
The hurt in her eyes cut deeper than I expected, like she’d ripped something open inside me. I wanted to tell her the truth, that it wasn’t about not wanting her, that it was about not making a mess of things we couldn’t fix, but the words just wouldn’t come. I could feel them burning at the back of my throat, but my chest was too tight to let them out.
"You know what the difference is between a rule and a choice?" she said quietly. "A choice means you could have done something different... but you didn’t."
I felt Kael’s gaze on me. That heavy, silent accusation. We’d done this. Or maybe I’d done this by speaking up now instead of later.
Kael stepped forward then, his voice lower, almost tentative. "Belinda, we’re not..."
"I get it," she cut in. "You’re not rejecting me, but you’re not claiming me either."
Her words made something twist painfully in my chest.
I ran a hand over my face, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on me. "It’s not that simple..."
"It is," she said, and her voice was firmer now, almost steady despite the shine in her eyes. "It’s exactly that simple. You want me, or you don’t. You choose me, or you don’t. And every time you hide behind those rules, you’re choosing not to."
I looked at Kael again, silently begging him to step in, to explain, to fix this. But his jaw was tight, his eyes dark, and I knew he didn’t have an answer either.
Belinda took a slow breath, then let it out like she was releasing the last bit of patience she had left. "I’m tired of waiting for you guys to decide if I matter."
The room felt too still. I could hear the faint ticking of the old clock in the corner, each second stretching into something heavier.
Kael took a step toward her. "Belinda..."
"No." She stepped back, away from both of us. "I need space. And I think you do too."
I felt my throat tighten. "That’s not what I want."
"Then what do you want, Rowan?" she asked, her eyes locking on mine. "Because from where I’m standing... You don’t even know."
The truth of her words hit harder than I wanted to admit. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
She shook her head once more, then turned and walked toward the door.
When the door closed behind her, Kael let out a breath I hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
"Nice going," he muttered, rubbing a hand over his jaw.
I shot him a look. "You think this is all on me? You kissed her, Kael."
He glared back. "Yeah, and you jumped in like you were the damn rule enforcer. You know how she feels about all this."
"And you know why those rules exist!" I snapped. "They’re there for a reason."
"Yeah," he said, his voice low now, "to protect mates from cruelty. Not to protect us from making a damn decision."
I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. Because somewhere deep down, I knew he was right.
The silence that followed was thick, full of things neither of us wanted to admit.