INTERACTIONS AND CONFLICTS

Isolde knelt near the herb patch, her fingers quickly plucking the last basil leaves for the evening meal. The quiet was calming, with only the sound of the wind rustling the trees and the occasional chirp of birds returning to their nests.

She was almost done when she felt a shift in the air, a tension like a storm was coming. She didn’t need to look up to know he was near. His presence was unmistakable.

Kaelen had entered the garden, his boots crunching against the gravel path. Immediately, the air felt heavier around her. She froze, her heart racing in her chest, her hands pausing mid-motion. It was like the world had stopped for a moment, waiting for what would come next.

“Isolde,” he said, his voice low and commanding.

She froze, then quickly stood up, clutching the herbs in her hands. She didn’t dare meet his eyes, staring at the ground as she stood. The last thing she wanted was for him to see how her heart raced just by being near him.

Kaelen looked over the garden before turning his attention to the other women nearby. The few who were working the crops or cleaning up looked uncomfortable under his gaze, but none of them said anything.

“Look at all of you,” Kaelen said with a sigh, his tone sharp and dismissive. “Busy, but none of you know how to do anything properly.”

Isolde’s stomach tightened. She had heard him speak like this before, but it never failed to make her feel small. His words were like a whip, making the women shrink under his gaze.

“None of you are good for anything but this,” he continued coldly. “I need warriors, not people who can’t even tend a simple garden properly.”

Isolde’s heart clenched. She had heard him insult the women before, but hearing it now, so openly, felt different. She tried to swallow the disappointment rising in her chest. She had always admired him, but now... this was too much.

Kaelen’s words echoed in her mind, each one making her feel smaller. She couldn’t ignore how they made her feel, even if she wanted to. The admiration she had for him, the dreams she once had of being by his side, now felt tainted. Was this how he truly saw the people around him? As nothing more than tools to use and throw away?

She wanted to argue, to say something to defend them, but her voice was stuck. She couldn’t speak, not in front of him. Not when he had so much power, so much more than anything she could ever have.

Isolde’s gaze flickered briefly to Kaelen’s face. His eyes were hard, his expression distant. There was no kindness there, no softness. He was the Alpha after all, untouchable and unyielding, always in control. The women around her kept their heads down, afraid to look at him, but Isolde couldn’t help wondering if there was more to him than the cruelty he showed.

Her grip on the basil tightened, her fingers were trembling. Was this who Kaelen really was? Or was the weight of his position making him act this way?

Her mind raced, trying to make sense of everything. She wanted to be close to him, to be someone she could rely on. But now... it felt impossible. The gap between them felt wider than ever.

She bent down to pick up her basket, hoping the simple task would calm her thoughts. But as she stood back up, her hand brushed against a stone, and she lost her grip. The basket slipped from her fingers and crashed to the ground, scattering herbs everywhere.

Her face flushed with embarrassment. Of all the times to make a fool of herself, it had to be now. She cursed under her breath as she quickly tried to gather the herbs, her hands shaking with frustration.

Kaelen turned his head, his eyes briefly landing on her. For a moment, the intensity of his gaze made her heart skip a beat. She couldn’t tell if he noticed her embarrassment or if he even cared. He didn’t say anything, but his silence felt like judgment.

Isolde hurried to collect the herbs and put them back into the basket, avoiding his eyes. She could feel him watching her, the weight of his gaze making her skin feel hot. The tension between them was unbearable, and she hated how small she felt.

But just as she thought she could slip back into the background, Kaelen spoke again.

“You can’t even pick up after yourself properly,” he said, his voice cold and dismissive.

The words stung like they always did. He didn’t care about the struggle she was having or the fact that she was trying her best. His harsh tone hurt more than she wanted to admit.

She wanted to look away, to retreat into herself, but something stopped her. For a brief moment, Kaelen’s look softened. Not in anger, but in something else, something she couldn’t understand. Was it... regret?

Her breath caught in her throat, and she quickly looked down, unsure if she had imagined it. He had always been so hard to read, a mystery she’d tried to understand for so long.

Was he this harsh because he had to be? Was it the weight of his responsibilities that made him unapproachable? Or was there something more?

Isolde’s thoughts swirled, torn between the sting of his words and the tiny hope that maybe, just maybe, there was something deeper behind them.

But the moment was gone as quickly as it came. Kaelen turned on his heel, his boots grinding against the gravel as he walked away, leaving Isolde standing there with her heart aching.

She stood there for a long time after he left, her body still tense from his harsh words. She couldn’t help but wonder why he had to be so cruel. Did he see them- her and the other women as nothing? As tools to be used and discarded when they no longer mattered?

But more than that, she couldn’t stop thinking about the brief look in his eyes. The one that hinted at something more. A crack in the armour he so carefully wore.

She bit her lip, trying to push the thoughts away. She knew she should hate him for the way he spoke to her, for the way he treated the others, but instead, all she felt was confusion.

Was Kaelen more than just the harsh, untouchable Alpha? Or was she just fooling herself, holding on to a dream that would never come true?