“What did you say?” Althea asked, wanting to make sure she’d heard him right. Did he really ask her that?
Gavriel’s gaze held hers as he repeated, “Do you want to learn the mindlink?”
Althea nodded, blinking in surprise. Then he smiled—warmly, genuinely—and her heart almost exploded at the sight. He had been smiling more often lately, and each time felt like the walls around him softened just for her.
He pulled her close into his arms. She still felt sticky from what they’d done, but she didn’t care. His warmth surrounded her, grounding her in a way nothing else could.
Then, he released a deep, steady sigh.
[Can you hear me?]
Althea froze. Her body went rigid the moment she heard Gavriel’s voice—not with her ears, but inside her head.
“I hear you,” she whispered, her voice small and awed.
He chuckled, and she could feel the vibration rumble through his chest where her head rested.
[Now, there’s no barrier between us,] his voice spoke again in her mind—smooth, commanding, yet intimate. [You can hear me, and I can hear your thoughts as well. Just talk to me in your mind. Think of me, and say what you want to say. As long as we’re both conscious, we’ll be able to communicate like this.]
“How about you try?” Gavriel urged, his tone low but gentle.
Althea swallowed hard and nodded, focusing on his face as she tried to form a thought.
[Thank you.]
There was a short pause before his amused voice echoed inside her head. [That’s all?]
Her eyes widened. [Oh, you heard me!]
Gavriel chuckled, the sound vibrating in his chest, and she could practically hear it even without him speaking aloud.
[This way, we can communicate with each other even if we’re miles apart,] he explained. [The bond between mates makes the link stronger than with ordinary pack members. With them, the mindlink fades once the distance becomes too great but with us, the connection remains.]
Althea couldn’t help smiling. Since the day she met Gavriel, this was the first time they’d spoken so freely, so easily—almost like ordinary lovers. The thought warmed her chest, filling her with quiet joy.
[I understand,] she replied softly through the link. [Thank you for letting me communicate with you through the mindlink, My King.]
Gavriel’s lips curved faintly as his response brushed her mind. [You don’t need to thank me, Althea. You’re mine. And I should have taught you this sooner... it’s just that I hesitated since this is a sacred connection and—]
He paused, and Althea bit her lower lip. She understood well what he wanted to say, so she quickly spoke. “I understand how hard it could be to give me even the smallest trust, Your Majesty.”
Trust was a very delicate thing between them, especially because she was Cain’s daughter, his greatest enemy. Then there was silence.
Gavriel’s eyes softened slightly, though his jaw remained tense. The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable—it was heavy, filled with unspoken thoughts that neither of them dared to voice aloud.
[You shouldn’t call me that when it’s just the two of us,] his voice brushed her mind again, quieter this time, almost hesitant.
Althea blinked, caught off guard. “Then... what should I call you?” she asked aloud, her tone careful, unsure if she was overstepping.
Gavriel’s gaze lingered on her face for a long moment before he finally answered. [Just Gavriel.]
She nodded softly, but she could feel her heart beating faster. For someone like him—ruthless, feared, unyielding—to say that, it meant something. He was lowering his guard, even if just a little.
“I’ll remember that... Gavriel,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly as she said his name.
His expression changed at the sound, something between surprise and longing flickered in his eyes, quickly hidden by his usual composure. Then he reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair from her cheek, his thumb lingering there.
[You seem to understand me too well sometimes,] he murmured in her mind, his tone deep, almost pained. [I wonder, though—if it wasn’t Rett who tried to meet you and get you, but your father Cain instead... would you still refuse to go and escape?]
That question made Althea’s body tense. “You didn’t come to your brother because you can read his thoughts, and you’ve long known he has malicious and devious intent toward you. But Cain’s matter should be different, right?”
Althea’s throat went dry. She looked at him, but Gavriel’s gaze was unreadable—steady, sharp, and dark as the depths of the abyss itself.
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. What could she possibly say to that? The weight of his question pressed against her chest, suffocating her.
“I...” she began, her voice trembling. “I love my father, and that will never change,” Althea said quietly. “All my life, it was only him—he was the only family I had, the only one who truly loved and cared for me. I know he’s done terrible things, but that doesn’t erase the fact that he was a good father to me.”
Her voice faltered near the end, and she turned her gaze away from Gavriel. His stare was too intense, too heavy, it made her feel like she was being stripped bare under it.
Gavriel’s jaw tightened, the warmth in his expression fading. “I’m not asking about your love for him,” he said, his tone low and firm. “I’m asking if you would go with him, if he appeared in front of you and asked you to run away with him, would you?”
The air between them grew still. His dark eyes locked onto hers, searching, demanding an answer. There was no anger in his voice, but the weight of his question pressed like a threat—a test she couldn’t afford to fail.
She turned to him, lips parting as she gathered the courage to answer but before she could speak, Gavriel’s hand gripped her jaw and his lips crashed onto hers. The kiss was deep, almost desperate, silencing her completely.
Her breath hitched as her thoughts scrambled, yet the question that burned inside her slipped through their bond instead.
[What would you want me to do?] Althea’s voice echoed softly through the mindlink, fragile yet steady.