A knock came on Aveloria’s door just as she was about to settle into bed. She had just finished her night bath not long ago. She walked to the door and unlocked it.

When she opened it, Galen stood there. He smiled at her. But the smile soon faded when he noticed her worried expression.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Aveloria nodded. "Yes, I’m fine," she said.

"Are you sure, Lori?" He asked.

"Yes." She stepped aside so he could walk into the room.

Galen entered without hesitation, closing the door behind him. He didn’t move far from it at first, still watching her as if he was trying to decide whether to believe her answer.

Aveloria turned away and walked toward the middle of the room. "Have you heard from Lucien?" She asked.

Galen shook his head. "No. I haven’t heard from him yet." He crossed his arms briefly, then let them fall to his sides. "And no message has come from the men who went to search for Marek."

Aveloria wrapped her arms around herself. "I can’t reach Lucien through our bond since he left. It’s like..." She hesitated, searching for the right words. "It’s as if he has intentionally shut me out. Completely."

Galen stepped closer to her. He reached out and gently rubbed her arms. "Lucien is fine. You shouldn’t worry too much." He said.

Aveloria looked up at him. "How can you be so sure?" she asked.

For a moment, Galen didn’t answer. He held her gaze, then sighed quietly. "Lucien is a rogue. He can survive anywhere. And if something was truly wrong, I believe you would feel it."

Aveloria wanted to believe him. She tried to hold on to his words to let them settle on her chest, but they didn’t stay. The unease remained. She tried to convince herself that nothing was wrong. But the dream she had the night before had kept her awake for a long time. She had lain in bed staring at the ceiling, her mind replaying the images over and over.

"I have told myself the same thing over and over again, but I don’t feel at ease."

Galen’s expression shifted. "Is there a reason you are worried? Something specific?"

Aveloria took a breath. Her hands came together in front of her, fingers tightening slightly. "I had a dream."

Galen waited.

"It didn’t feel like a normal dream. It felt so real. Not in a strange way. Just...clear. Too clear."

Galen guided her gently toward the edge of the bed. "You should sit," he said.

Aveloria sat on the bed. Galen settled beside her.

"What did you see?" He asked.

Aveloria swallowed. "I saw Lucien in a cave. It was dark, but I could see him...everything. He wasn’t alone. There were two others with him, but I couldn’t recognize their faces." She paused, trying to form the right words.

Galen stayed quiet. Listening.

She continued. "They were fighting something. A creature...I couldn’t make out how it looked, but it didn’t look normal. It felt...dangerous." Her voice broke on the last word. She stopped and steadied her breathing.

Galen placed a hand over hers. "Listen, Lori—"

"I saw Lucien’s death." She blurted.

Her shoulders shuddered as the images from the dream stayed sharp in her mind.

Galen shifted closer. He turned her to face him fully and wrapped his arms around her.

"It was just a dream. Nothing more." He said firmly.

She shook her head. "It didn’t feel like one."

"That doesn’t make it real either. You’ve been stressed lately. Lucien left. Marek is missing. The execution. It makes sense your mind would create something like that."

Aveloria didn’t say anything. She just snuggled closer to his chest. She held him tightly like he was going to disappear.

"Lucien is not going to die, not like that. He’s strong. You know that," he said.

She closed her eyes. "I do."

"If Lucien blocked the bond, it only means he’s trying to protect you from something."

That made her relax a bit. She hasn’t thought of it that way.

Galen continued reassuring her in his usual steady tone. And slowly the tension in her chest eased just enough for her to speak again.

"I heard about Serene finding her mate," Galen said after a moment, shifting the topic.

Aveloria pulled away from him. "Yes. Astrid."

Galen tsked. "The Moon Goddess has a way of spinning the mating wheel."

Aveloria let out a quiet sigh. She said, "I keep thinking about what would have happened if that boy had died. Serene might never have found her mate, or she would have had to wait for a second chance mate."

"Which doesn’t happen often," Galen mumbled.

"Very rare," Aveloria agreed. "I met Astrid earlier today."

Galen arched his brows. "And?"

"The poor boy couldn’t even look at me. He kept saying he doesn’t deserve her."

Galen leaned back slightly. "He is scared."

"He’s more than scared. He is still consumed by guilt over what happened to his people."

"That kind of thing doesn’t leave easily."

"And I’m worried about them. Both of them." She paused for a few seconds before continuing. "They are both young. Serene is so innocent. Always happy. She doesn’t understand the world fully yet. And Astrid? He is just a farm boy who doesn’t even know how to use a sword properly."

She shook her head. "I wonder how they will both work out. Or how they would protect each other. And if his guilt doesn’t ease, I hope it doesn’t snuff out Serene’s happiness in the end."

"What does Serene think about him?" Galen asked.

Aveloria sighed again. A deeper sigh this time. Galen noticed how her shoulders stiffened again.

"Serene is unhappy. She is upset he denied it. But she wants to accept their bond. She doesn’t care about how he sees himself. She wants him." Aveloria responded.

Galen knew the thoughts were clearly weighing on her mind. He reached over and held her hand. "You are carrying too much."

She didn’t say anything.

Galen stood up suddenly. "You need to let go of this tension."

Aveloria was confused as she watched him walk over to the closet. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Trying to help." His eyes scanned through her clothes. He picked out a simple outfit and turned back to face her. "When was the last time you let your wolf run freely?"

Aveloria tried to think. "I don’t remember."

"Exactly."

Aveloria looked at the clothes in his hand. Then she looked at him. "Galen, it’s late."

"No objection. You need it. Your body is tense, your mind won’t stop worrying, and staying in this room won’t help."

Aveloria hesitated. "Galen—"

"It won’t be on the king’s land. There’s a place I have been using. It’s quiet, and no one goes there." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

After a moment, she nodded. "Alright."

Galen handed her the clothes. She stood up from the bed. She took off her night robe and put on the outfit he had chosen.

"Good." Galen gave a small approving nod. "Let’s go." He moved toward the door and opened it.

She walked out into the hallway. Galen closed the door behind him.