The Triplet Alphas' Curse: Rejected by the Wolfless Luna.

DARK FAE REALM:

Aire’s stomach growled loudly. She ignored it for the sixth time, and coninued humming a special tune of hers.

Her stomach growled again.

Aire looked down at it. She runbed her stomach softly. "You are embarrassing me." She whispered gently.

Her stomach remained completely unapologetic.

Aire sighed and leaned her head against the bars.

She folded her arms across her chest to balance herself on the mud. The last time she remembered eating properly was when she saw Lysander in the garden.

Her stomach growled again.

Aire narrowed her eyes. She exhaled slowly, then her expression became thoughtful.

Her attention shifted toward the black vines wrapped around her wrists.

They remained still.

Aire hated them more than the cage. Every time she forgot they existed, they reminded he painfully by piercing into her flesh.

Aire stared at them.

The vines stared back.

At least that was what it felt like.

Her eyes narrowed, and she thought carefully.

"Vaelor." She murmured with a deep exhale. She straightened immediately, the thought settled in her.

Aire sat upright.

The vines shifted slightly, and an idea formed.

If they wanted her to learn dark magic, then perhaps she could use that.

Not because she wanted dark magic.

Absolutely not.

She still wanted nothing to do with dark faes. However, if learning their stupid magic removed the vines, and let her think of an escape route, then maybe it was worth pretending.

Aire sat up completely.

A dangerous amount of hope appeared I’m her chest, but she immediately crushed it. Hope had betrayed her enough already.

Still...

The idea remained.

Aire inhaled, then spoke to the vines. "I need to speak with Vaelor."

Silence greeted her. Nothing happened yet Aire nodded. She knew they heard her, and would surely report back to Vaelor

She waited.

Minutes passed, then footsteps appeared.

Aire immediately stood up from the mud.

A female dark fae approached the cage. She has flame-colored hair, a sharp jaw, and hard eyes.

The woman looked like she had never smiled once in her entire existence.

In one hand rested a long black whip.

The sight made Aire pause.

The woman unlocked the cage.

The door creaked open. Then she lifted the whip slightly. "One wrong move and I’ll disable you with this." Her voice was flat, professional, and threatening as she spoke.

"I have full authority from the realm."

The female waited, expecting fear and hesitation from Aire.

Instead, Aire snickered, then blinked. She laughed, and the dark fae frowned.

Aire shook her head. "Oh."

The woman narrowed her eyes.

Aire looked genuinely delighted. Her eyes sparkled as if she had seen a great sight before her. "You’re adorable." She teased.

The dark fae stared at her like she had lost her mind.

Aire smiled.

The woman’s expression became murderous.

Aire immediately continued. "No, truly."

The female dark fae looked one second away from testing the whip.

"You opened my cage and introduced yourself with a threat." Aire pressed a hand against her chest. "That’s honestly very cute."

The dark fae’s eye twitched. The female’s grip tightened around the whip.

Aire loved the sight of it. It gladdens her that she could also be able to control how people feel around her without always trying to fix it, or walk around a thin line to keep them in a good mood.

"You find this amusing?"

Aire nodded with a smile. "A little."

The dark fae looked offended. Personally and spiritually offended.

Aire nodded politely then. "Lead the way."

The woman stared at her hard, and Aire stared back with a pleased expression. She could as well get on their nerves until they don’t want her again, and send her back.

Several seconds passed before the female turned sharply, and commanded. "Move."

Aire smiled.

The female dark fae walked ahead without looking back.

Aire followed, and the whip remained visible in the woman’s hand. It seemed important to her.

Aire suspected she practiced threatening people in mirrors.

The dark fae realm stretched around them as they moved through the estate.

Aire folded her arms.

The female glanced back, and Aire smiled politely.

The female immediately looked forward again.

The journey remained silent after that.

Eventually they reached the higher floors, and Aire recognized the corridor immediately.

Her stomach dropped.

Vaelor.

The realization made her confidence shrink considerably. Moments ago she had been making fun of a guard. Now she was walking toward the single person in this realm who genuinely frightened her.

The female stopped before enormous double doors.

She knocked once and the doors opened by themselves.

The female stepped aside.

Aire stared at the opening.

The woman pointed inside. "Go."

Aire looked at her.

The whip lifted slightly.

Aire sighed. "You’re still need to do that?"

The female’s eye twitched violently.

Aire immediately walked inside before the woman tested the whip.

The doors closed behind her, and silence followed.

The room was enormous.

Aire’s eyes immediately found Vaelor.

He stood near the window.

One hand rested behind his back, and the other held a book. Sunlight filtered around him, and his glasses sat perfectly on his face.

Everything about him looked calm.

Aire immediately wished she had rehearsed this conversation.

Vaelor finished reading a page. He turned it, then finally acknowledged her existence.

"You’re alive."

Aire blinked. That wasn’t the greeting she expected. Still, she cleared her throat, and nodded. "I think so."

Vaelor nodded. He returned to the book.

Aire stared at him. "You’re not going to ask why I’m here?" She asked quietly.

Vaelor turned another page. "You walked in here, didn’t you?"

Aire swallowed. She intertwined her fingers, and mindlessly played with her thumbs for support. "I want a negotiation."

That finally got his attention. Not much, but it was enough.

His eyes lifted over the edge of the book.

Aire suddenly understood why people feared him. He felt like a predator.

"A negotiation." His voice came out low, and raspy.

Aire swallowed, then nodded. "Yes."

Vaelor closed the book.

Aire breath hitched at the sound of the book being closed. Her heartbeat quickened. She would have preferred him looking into his book, while she spoke.

He placed the book aside, then folded his hands behind his back. He let three beats pass between them. "Continue."

Aire inhaled. "You want me to learn dark magic."

She waited for him to say something. When he didn’t, she went on. "I don’t want to learn dark magic."

He still said nothing, or passed the slightest glance to her.

Aire narrowed her eyes. She felt as if she was talking to a wall, but she continued anyway. "But I’ll learn."

Vaelor remained silent.

Aire waited. She got nothing from him. And then, she frowned. "I said I’ll learn." She repeated herself.

"I heard you." He clarified calmly.

Aire tilted her head calmly. "You remove the vines."

He raised a brow, but said nothing. The vines tightened around her wrist, piercing into her flesh.

Aire gasped in pain.

Vaelor finally stared at her.

Aire tried again. "The vines." She paused in pain. "....I’ll learn."

Vaelor’s gaze tightened on her. He raised his hand to his face, and stared at his long slender fingers for some seconds.

As if he found his answers in them, he dropped his hand, and refused her. "No."

"I’ll cooperate." Aire negotiated, almost desperate.

"No."

Aire threw both hands into the air. She looked genuinely confused, and the vines dragged her hands back down.

Vaelor glanced at the vines. "As a general rule, negotiations require both parties gaining something."

Aire froze.

Her jaw dropped.

Vaelor adjusted his glasses with one finger. "You learning was already required." His voice remained calm, and rapsy. He took his time speaking.

Aire stared at him, and the realization hit her hard.

She wasn’t offering anything. She was simply offering compliance, and Vaelor already expected compliance.

The negotiation had failed before it started.

Aire swallowed, and tried again, refusing to back down just like that.

"What if I willingly cooperate?" She pushed. "I’m sure I’ll be a more useful weapon when I agree."

Aire’s eyes twitched when he said nothing, and just stared at her like she was beyond dumb and delusional.

She wanted to scream, instead she inhaled then exhaled.

Vaelor watched all of it patiently. As though observing a particularly emotional bird.

Aire stayed quiet for a few minutes, then spoke again. She stared into his eyes with defeat. "What do you want?"

Vaelor became still. That question caught him off guard. However, he didn’t let it show on his expression.

Aire immediately knew she had made a mistake.

Vaelor slowly looked toward the window.

Several moments passed again before he parted his lips to speak. "I’ll accept." He said.

Aire froze.

Wait.

What?

Her eyes widened. "What?"

He did not repeat himself, but hope warmed Aire’s chest. She had heard him the first time.

A warning tugged her chest, pushing the hope aside for a moment. Cautiously, she repeated the question she asked. "What do you want?"

Vaelor’s gaze remained on the world outside. His voice remained calm as he responded. "You’ll move into Lysander’s chambers."

Aire blinked, then blinked again. Surely she misunderstood him. Surely.

"...what?"

"You’ll live there."

Aire stared. The room tilted slightly. Absolutely not. Not remotely, and not even accidentally. Of every possible condition. How had he landed on that? And why?

"You want me to do what?" She dared ask.

"Live with Lysander." Vaelor repeated himself, but the warning under his voice couldn’t be mistaken. He wouldn’t love to be questioned again.

Aire laughed. Her laugh came out small, confused, and slightly horrified. She stopped laughing when she realized Vaelor wasn’t joking.

At all.

Her stomach dropped. "No." She rejected it.

Vaelor remained silent. He looked completely unbothered.

Aire took a step forward. She pointed toward herself. "You want me to live with him? In his chambers?" She dropped her hand. "Why?"

"I have a perfect memory and I can remember never asking why you want the vines removed."

Aire looked horrified. Deeply and existentially horrified. Her brain genuinely struggled to process it.

Of every place in the entire realm, Lysander’s chamber? What could they possibly be planning to do with her?

No matter how helpful Lysander could be, he remained a dark fae.

Vaelor adjusted his glasses. "You may refuse." He gave her an option

Aire immediately nodded. "I refuse," she spat out, and the realization hit her. She narrowed her eyes. "And the vines?"

Vaelor said nothing.

Aire’s stomach dropped. She inhaled sharply. "I would stay in the cage." She suggested, desperate. She needed to leave this realm.

She would stay in that stupid cage wholeheartedly.

Vaelor said nothing. He simply adjusted his glasses, turned back toward the window, and looked outside.

To him, the conversation was over. "You’re dismissed." He spoke softly

Aire’s jaw dropped.

Just like that?

That was it?

Vaelor remained facing the window.

Aire took a quiet step forward. "The deal..."

"The vines remain." Vaelor cut her off.

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