The Wolf God's Unwanted Luna

Chapter 112: Ripples in the Water

Zaliver wasn’t anywhere in sight not in the main living room or the surrounding hallways. I figured he had a private home office tucked away somewhere deep in the house to handle his pack affairs.

Outside, I dropped my towel and sandals onto a lounge chair, slipped off the sheer cover-up, and tugged the band from my hair, letting my fingers comb through the tangled strands. I sighed in pure relief as I massaged my scalp; ponytails were cute until they turned into a literal, pounding headache.

The sudden thought of Zaliver seeing me out here in this bikini made me intensely self-conscious. My stomach twisted into nervous knots. Still, I pushed through the hesitation. I’d spent enough of my life trapped inside safe comfort zones; I wasn’t about to shrink back now. And besides... he was my mate. He was naturally drawn to me. That bond was a biological guarantee of attraction, wasn’t it?

I kept repeating that exact phrase to myself like a protective shield.

He’s my mate. He wants me. If he doesn’t like what he sees screw him. I’m beautiful.

The internal mantra helped. Sort of. Even though I knew deep down that if he ever did say something negative about my body, I’d probably be completely shattered.

I jumped into the pool without overthinking it, instantly regretting the sudden splash as cold water rushed over my skin. I came up sputtering and laughing to myself, goosebumps prickling along my arms. But soon enough, the initial chill faded and the gentle warmth of the overhead sun took over. It was the perfect day for a swim: bright, calm, and incredibly soothing.

I dipped under the crystal surface again, letting the heavy silence of the water drown out my racing thoughts for a few precious seconds. When I came back up, I leaned lazily against the tiled edge of the pool, letting my fingers skim the surface, watching the small ripples chase each other across the blue water.

Algebra’s earlier dramatic outburst echoed in my mind. He was right about one thing: Zaliver’s forced isolation had real consequences. Keeping him housebound was actively affecting others too. I hadn’t really thought about that side of things. Sure, he could physically leave the property whenever he wanted to. He was the almighty Lupus Deus, after all. But he didn’t... simply because I had asked him not to.

Was I just being petty? Was this whole thing just me trying to "teach him a lesson"? Did that make me look childish?

I sighed heavily and stared deeper into the clear water.

I was slowly pulling him out of whatever dark walls he’d hidden behind over the centuries, but maybe I was going about it the entirely wrong way. Maybe I should just... let him go when he needs to? He did chain me to a bed for an entire day which was wildly unacceptable but ever since then, he hadn’t left my side. Not really.

And honestly? It’s not like he’d stay away even if he did leave the house. Zaliver had a persistent habit of popping right back in whenever he felt like it, like some controlling, handsome shadow. Whether it was to "check in" or just remind me that he existed as if I could ever forget. The man was completely impossible to forget. Not even deep hypnosis could erase him from my mind.

I snorted quietly to myself, amused and annoyed at the exact same time.

So, if I wanted to keep messing with him to keep tugging at his massive alpha pride I’d need a completely different angle. One that hit just as hard, but maybe proved a little less... restrictive for both of us. Or maybe I should just let this whole petty revenge plan go entirely?

Nah.

But then again... we could always try talking. Like two normal, functional people. But that would require real promises and mutual understanding, and maybe that just wasn’t us yet. Maybe we were both better at physical action than vulnerable words. We weren’t exactly the "let’s-sit-and-share-our-innermost-feelings" type of couple.