The day after the bond revealed itself, everything felt different to Isolde. The quiet, normal rhythm of the packed household was suddenly disrupted by her swirling thoughts. She had expected something to change. After all, how could something so powerful and so magical pass unnoticed? She thought, but as the morning unfolded, Kaelen showed no sign of acknowledging it, which in itself felt like a betrayal.
Isolde tried to hold onto the excitement, the hope that maybe Kaelen just needed time. After all, this bond was something that had never been in his plans. But deep down, she knew her wish was fragile, and the fear of what might come next gnawed at her.
Kaelen was his usual self, leading the pack with authority, his face as unreadable as a stone. He didn't even look her way during breakfast, he wasn't dismissive in a way that made him seem cruel, but it was the absence of warmth, the lack of anything more than businesslike interaction, that hurt the most.
But what truly shook Isolde was when their paths crossed in the hall, and she tried to make eye contact with him. She hoped that something would show that he felt it too. She waited for a spark in his eyes, but instead, he passed by without a glance as if she didn't even exist.
The pain in her chest was sharp. She felt it more than she could put into words, had she misread everything? Had she imagined it all? Was she a fool for hoping that the bond could mean something between them? She questioned herself over again. She told herself maybe it happened too soon and he needed time to process it. Maybe he didn't understand yet or maybe he was conflicted.
She had no idea what he felt deep down, and part of her wanted to believe that it wasn't rejection, but her heart trembled with the fear that it was. The bond had come alive inside her; she felt it, and she had believed that Kaelen would feel it, too. But his cold indifference told her otherwise.
That night, Kaelen's actions made it worse. He grew distant and more commanding, treating her with an edge of cruelty that he hadn't before. Isolde had long learned to follow his orders, to keep her head down and mind her place. But now, his voice carried a sharper bite.
"Isolde, are you completely useless? Get the laundry sorted before supper. Don't make me repeat myself."
She nodded quickly, swallowing the lump in her throat. His words stung more than they ever had before. It wasn't that he hadn't spoken to her like this before, it was just the coldness behind it. There was no acknowledgement of her presence, no spark of recognition in his eyes. He barely even looked at her as he barked his commands and each word made her feel smaller.
As she hurried off to do what he'd asked, Isolde couldn't help but think of the bond. It had been so real to her. She had felt her pulse race when she realized what it meant, but with Kaelen's coldness, it felt as though she was the only one who had felt anything at all.
Was this what he thought of her? Was she just another servant in his eyes? Another tool to be used and discarded? The bond that could have connected them now seemed like a cruel joke. Days passed, and his behaviour didn't change.
Every time she hoped for a kind word or even a glance, she was met with the same indifference. It hurt more than she could put into words. She had always been invisible to him, but now, it was like she didn't even matter to him at all. His cruelty became sharper and more biting.
She began to question herself. Maybe she was imagining it all. Maybe she had been too naive, too hopeful. She had always been a maid and nothing more. Was it possible that Kaelen, despite the bond, could never see her for anything more?
But the more she thought about it, the more she couldn't let go of the idea that this wasn't about her. Maybe it was about him. Maybe the bond had overwhelmed him, and he didn't know how to handle it. After all, this wasn't something anyone could prepare for.
The days passed in a haze of confusion. She tried to carry out her duties, keep her head down, and avoid any interaction that might lead to more hurt. But it was impossible not to feel the distance between them. It felt like a wall had been built, one that she couldn't break through no matter how hard she tried.
Then, one day, the pressure of it all finally broke through her defences. She stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection.
The woman who looked back at her was not the one who had dreamt of Kaelen, who had hoped for his love, but someone broken and small. Someone whose heart was crushed by the weight of rejection she couldn't even understand.
She touched her fingers to her chest, where she could still feel the bond's pulse, it was stronger now than ever. It burned inside her like fire, but she couldn't make sense of it. How could something so beautiful bring so much pain? "Why?" she whispered to herself, her voice raw with emotion. "Why does he hate me?"
But she couldn't answer. All she knew was that the longer Kaelen pushed her away, the more it felt like a rejection of who she was. And that hurt far more than any physical blow he could have dealt.
Yet, despite the coldness and cruelty, there was a part of her that couldn't let go. She refused to believe that Kaelen could feel anything. He was an alpha after all, and alphas do not ignore bonds. There has to be a reason, one she couldn't understand yet.
Maybe he was struggling or confused or just needed time. She held onto that hope, clutching it like a lifeline, even when everything else felt like it was falling apart. So, she endured. She did her best to carry on, to keep her head down, and to pretend that everything was fine when it wasn't. And every time Kaelen walked past her, every time he gave her another cold order or dismissive glance, Isolde told herself it didn't matter, that one day, he would see and finally understand what they could be together.
Kaelen knew exactly what he was doing. He knew that Isolde cared for him, that she was deeply affected by his every word and action. And he used that as a weapon.
"Isolde," he called, his voice cold as he gestured toward a pile of linens that needed folding. "You're still standing there, staring off like a useless lump. Do I need to remind you of your place?" His tone was harsh. It wasn't the first time he had spoken to her like this, and each time, the words stung more than she cared to admit.
Isolde lowered her eyes, trying to hold back the flood of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. Her heart ached at the sight of him, but she had learned long ago that she wasn't allowed to show weakness. So she bit her lip and moved toward the linens, folding slowly and deliberately.
She didn't dare make a sound.
Kaelen smirked, his eyes cold as he watched her. He didn't miss how her hands trembled slightly as she worked, it gave him a strange sense of power, one that he couldn't help but enjoy. She was weak, not the kind of woman who could stand beside him as an equal. She was just a maid, nothing more.
The bond between them was nothing but an inconvenience. "Good," Kaelen said after a long moment of silence. "At least you're good for something. Now, hurry up. I've got other things to do."
Isolde felt the heat of his words sear through her, but she didn't react. Instead, she focused on the task at hand, folding the linen with practised hands. The sting in her chest was unbearable, but she swallowed it down, determined not to let him see how much his words hurt.
One day, as she was working in the garden, Kaelen came striding past her. His usual coldness was there, but today, there was something else that made her heart skip a beat. He glanced at her, not with the usual disdain, but with a spark of something else. It was brief, barely noticeable, but it was there.
Isolde's breath caught in her throat as their eyes met for just a fraction of a second. Her heart raced, and for a moment, she allowed herself to believe that maybe he felt something for her too. But just as quickly as the moment had come, it was gone. Kaelen turned his head away, his face once again impassive.
She tried to convince herself that she was reading too much into it. She was nothing to him, but her heart refused to listen. It held onto the smallest signs.
That night, as she lay in her small room, Isolde couldn't sleep. Her mind kept returning to that moment in the garden.
What had it meant? Was Kaelen starting to see her differently? Or had it been nothing more than a passing glance?
She wanted to believe in the bond, wanted to hold onto the hope that someday Kaelen would realize what they had. But every time she thought that maybe he would come around, he did something to remind her of her place.
The next day, Isolde stood before Kaelen, waiting for his orders. Her hands were trembling, but she hid it as best as she could.
Kaelen didn't look at her when he spoke. His voice was cold, dismissive. "I need you to clean the stables. The horses are filthy, and I don't want to see this place looking like a pigsty. Do it right, or I'll make sure you're punished for it."
Punished, the word hit her like a fist. She lowered her eyes and nodded, trying to ignore the way her heart dropped in her chest. She didn't have the energy to fight him anymore.
She didn't have the strength to argue. "Of course, my lord," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kaelen didn't even look at her as he turned away. He walked off without a second glance, his footsteps echoing in the silence that hung between them. Isolde swallowed hard, her eyes stinging with tears she couldn't let out.
As she made her way to the stables, she could not stop her mind from racing. How had it come to this? How had the bond turned into something so painful, so heartbreaking?
She wanted to scream, to tell him how she felt, but she couldn't. She was nothing more than a servant to him. She had to remind herself of that every time she hoped that Kaelen would come to see her differently.