the banished luna was your alpha queen

Retro.Rerun

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Transcript

00:00:00I gave up my prestigious scholarship in Zurich for my werewolf alpha boyfriend.

00:00:03I was carrying his child.

00:00:05Planning to surprise him.

00:00:07But in public, he gave the token I'd designed for the future pack leader to his mistress's son.

00:00:11When I stepped forward to confront him.

00:00:13He used an alpha's command to throw me to the ground.

00:00:16Causing me to miscarry.

00:00:18He didn't even glance at me.

00:00:20Before ordering his guards to dump me in the river to die.

00:00:22He had no idea.

00:00:24I was saved by the most powerful alpha in Europe.

00:00:27Three months later, I returned.

00:00:29This time, I wasn't here to build his walls.

00:00:31I was here to tear down his entire kingdom.

00:00:34I gave up my prestigious scholarship in Zurich for my werewolf alpha boyfriend.

00:00:37I was carrying his child, planning to surprise him.

00:00:40But in public, he gave the token I'd designed for the future pack leader to his mistress's son.

00:00:45When I stepped forward to confront him.

00:00:47He used an alpha's command to throw me to the ground.

00:00:50Causing me to miscarry.

00:00:51He didn't even glance at me.

00:00:53Before ordering his guards to dump me in the river to die.

00:00:56He had no idea.

00:00:58I was saved by the most powerful alpha in Europe.

00:01:00Three months later, I returned.

00:01:02This time, I wasn't here to build his walls.

00:01:05I was here to tear down his entire kingdom.

00:01:07For four years, I've been the architect for my fated mate, Alpha Emilio.

00:01:11I gave up a scholarship to Zurich to build his legacy, waiting for him to make me his luna.

00:01:16Tonight, I'm holding a positive pregnancy test.

00:01:18Our heir will finally seal our bond.

00:01:21But in the great hall, Emilio stands on the stage with his mistress, Hayden, and her son.

00:01:25Tonight, we celebrate the future of the obsidian pack.

00:01:29He pulls out a silver bracelet.

00:01:30The one I designed for my luna ceremony.

00:01:33He fastens it around the wrist of his mistress's son.

00:01:35The boy points at me and screams.

00:01:37Go away!

00:01:39Give back my dad.

00:01:40The word dad shatters my world.

00:01:42I step forward, my voice troubling.

00:01:45Emilio, I'm pregnant.

00:01:47That bracelet is mine.

00:01:48Hayden screams that I'm a liar, trying to trap him.

00:01:51Emilio's eyes turn to ice.

00:01:53He unleashes the full force of his Alpha command.

00:01:56Sit down, Ilana.

00:01:57His voice is a physical blow, throwing me off the stage.

00:02:00I crash onto the stone floor.

00:02:02A searing pain fares through me.

00:02:05Blood spread across the stone.

00:02:06Our unborn pup is gone.

00:02:08Through my tears, I see Emilio shielding his mistress from the sight of my pain.

00:02:12Get her out of here.

00:02:14Dump her in the woods.

00:02:15If she dies, she dies.

00:02:17He thought he was throwing away a broken tool.

00:02:19He thought I would die alone in the dark.

00:02:21But I washed up on the shores of the Silver Alps.

00:02:24Their Alpha, the most powerful wolf in Europe, found me.

00:02:27He's admired my work, and me, from afar for years.

00:02:31Now, three months later, I'm going back.

00:02:33Not to build Emilio's walls, but to tear his entire world down.

00:02:37I wake up in the healer's ward, my Wuma Hollow void.

00:02:40My mate, Alpha Emilio, killed our unborn pup with his command.

00:02:43He walks in, smelling not of a grieving father, but of his mistress.

00:02:47It was an accident.

00:02:48You shouldn't have rushed the dais.

00:02:51I lost our baby, Emilio.

00:02:52He pats my hand, his touch making my skin crawl.

00:02:55It's for the best.

00:02:57It wasn't the right time for an heir.

00:02:59I confront him about the anniversary bracelet I saw on his mistress's son.

00:03:03It's just jewelry.

00:03:04I'll buy you a better one.

00:03:06He checks his watch, already bored with my grief.

00:03:09Rest up.

00:03:10I need those watchtower blueprints by Friday.

00:03:13Then he leaves me alone with the silence.

00:03:15My best friend Isla rushes in, sobbing.

00:03:17That bastard.

00:03:18I tried to stop them.

00:03:20But I don't feel sadness anymore.

00:03:21I feel a terrifying clarity.

00:03:23He said it wasn't time for an heir.

00:03:25But that boy, Leo, calls him dad.

00:03:27Isla's silence is all the confirmation I need.

00:03:30There are rumors.

00:03:31That Leo is his son.

00:03:33Just then, a thought leaks through our broken mate Bond.

00:03:35It's his mistress, Hayden, purring in his mind.

00:03:38She's finally out of the way.

00:03:39You promised me the Luna Suite.

00:03:41My eyes land on a wooden wolf on the bedside table, a gift I carved for him.

00:03:45He's already thrown me away, dumping my personal effects like trash.

00:03:48I sit up, ignoring the sharp pain in my gut.

00:03:51Allah.

00:03:52I'm leaving the pack.

00:03:53You can't.

00:03:54He won't let his best architect go.

00:03:56I snatch the wooden wolf and throw it into the trash bin.

00:03:58He broke the sacred bond.

00:04:00My wolf no longer serves him.

00:04:02I am not his tool.

00:04:03I stand on shaking legs, my resolve like iron.

00:04:06Help me pack.

00:04:07I'm gone before the moon rises.

00:04:09My mate Emilio sent a dress to my hospital room for the mandatory pack gala.

00:04:12It was a dull gray slip, designed to make me invisible.

00:04:15I was just a tool to build a kingdom for her.

00:04:18I entered the ballroom, held together by painkillers and pure spite.

00:04:21In the center of it all was Hayden, wearing blood red and holding court like she was already Luna.

00:04:26She saw me and sauntered over, a malicious smile on her face.

00:04:29She leaned in close, smelling of Emilio's scent.

00:04:32Elena.

00:04:33You look tired.

00:04:34Shouldn't you be resting after your...

00:04:36Accident?

00:04:37It wasn't an accident.

00:04:38Our entire relationship, my entire life, was a lie.

00:04:41You know, Emilio and I go way back.

00:04:43College.

00:04:45Sophomore year.

00:04:46My blood ran cold.

00:04:47I met him junior year.

00:04:49Exactly.

00:04:50He found me first.

00:04:51You were just the shield, sweetie.

00:04:53I was the heart.

00:04:54He chose love over instinct.

00:04:55He chose me.

00:04:57And Leo is five.

00:04:58You do the math.

00:04:59Five years.

00:05:00We had only been together for four.

00:05:03Suddenly, a little boy ran across the dance floor.

00:05:05Mommy.

00:05:06Daddy.

00:05:08He ran straight to Emilio, who scooped him up, publicly claiming him as his heir.

00:05:12The entire room went silent.

00:05:14Emilio's eyes met mine, and I saw panic.

00:05:17Ilana, wait.

00:05:18I turned my back on him and walked away.

00:05:20But as I stepped outside, Hayden's voice stopped me.

00:05:23At the doors, I stopped and made a vow.

00:05:25I'm done building his walls.

00:05:27It's time to tear them down.

00:05:28Daddy said you have to stay in the basement until you learn to be nice.

00:05:31The basement.

00:05:33The pack prison.

00:05:34You can't leave.

00:05:35Leo, tell the nasty woman what Daddy said.

00:05:38Guards.

00:05:39Two massive wolves blocked my path.

00:05:41I was trapped.

00:05:43The pack's guardians loom over me, their fur silver in the moonlight.

00:05:46Mark.

00:05:47Please.

00:05:48I know them.

00:05:49Mark and Sarah.

00:05:50I designed the home they share.

00:05:52Seize her.

00:05:53She was trying to run.

00:05:54But they don't move.

00:05:55They obey their Alpha's command, not their friend.

00:05:58Liar.

00:05:59You poisoned him against me.

00:06:00My mate Emilio's mistress, Hayden, immediately plays the victim for him.

00:06:04She threatened our son.

00:06:06Said she'd hurt him just like she hurt her own baby.

00:06:08I beg Emilio to see the truth, to remember the woman he mated.

00:06:11But he just looks at me with dead, empty eyes.

00:06:14You're hysterical, Ilana.

00:06:16You need to cool off.

00:06:18Cool off?

00:06:19Just yesterday, he stood by and let our child die.

00:06:22Pain exploded as warm, sticky bloodstreams down my face.

00:06:25His son, Leo, suddenly grabs a jagged rock from the garden path.

00:06:29Stop.

00:06:30He doesn't hesitate.

00:06:32He throws it right at my head.

00:06:34My inner wolf snaps.

00:06:35I lunge, not at the boy, but at my mate.

00:06:38His Alpha command slams me face first into the sharp gravel.

00:06:41Take her to the border.

00:06:43Dump her.

00:06:44I feel a sickening, warm dash.

00:06:46My healing womb has torn open again.

00:06:49He's not even sending me to the cells.

00:06:51He wants me to die as a rogue, so the council won't investigate.

00:06:54He crouches down beside me, his voice a cold, cruel whisper.

00:06:58You were a good architect, Ilana.

00:07:00But you were never a Luna.

00:07:02A Luna knows her place.

00:07:04Sorry, Ilana.

00:07:05And then they throw me over the edge.

00:07:07The guardians drag me through the mud to a cliff overlooking a raging river.

00:07:11I hit the freezing water, the impact shattering my bones.

00:07:14As I sink into the darkness, I find the golden bond connecting my soul to his.

00:07:18With my last ounce of strength, I imagine a pair of rested shears.

00:07:21I sever the tie.

00:07:22The pain is blinding, worse than the fall, but then.

00:07:26I am free.

00:07:27I wake up in a strange cabin.

00:07:29A man in a ranger uniform stands over me.

00:07:32Easy now.

00:07:33You've been out for two days.

00:07:35His daughter, Mara, tells me the worst of it.

00:07:38You lost a lot of blood.

00:07:39The miscarriage.

00:07:40It took a toll.

00:07:41My hand flies to my flat, empty stomach.

00:07:44My baby is gone.

00:07:45My mate.

00:07:47Emilio.

00:07:48Does he know I'm alive?

00:07:49I can only laugh.

00:07:50He's holding a memorial service for me tomorrow.

00:07:53He thinks you're dead.

00:07:54He announced your tragic accident yesterday.

00:07:57Then, Mara points to a pile of designer boxes in the corner.

00:08:00Gamma Marcus left these.

00:08:02Guilt money.

00:08:03Inside one is a diamond necklace, glittering like a cold shackle.

00:08:06Trash.

00:08:07Burn it all.

00:08:07A new power rings in my voice.

00:08:09Mara obeys without question.

00:08:11She throws the necklace into the fire.

00:08:13I don't want his money.

00:08:15I want the truth exposed.

00:08:16Suddenly, Silas stiffens, grabbing a shotgun from the wall.

00:08:20Rogues.

00:08:21Four of them.

00:08:22They're tracking you.

00:08:24Hayden.

00:08:25She sent them to finish the job.

00:08:26I force myself to my feet, paying forgotten.

00:08:29My architect's mind analyzes the cabin, seeing every weakness, every angle.

00:08:33You can barely stand.

00:08:35Silas.

00:08:36Give me ten minutes.

00:08:37I can turn this cabin into a death trap.

00:08:39I built the obsidian packs defenses.

00:08:41Power surges through me, raw and ancient.

00:08:44Dad.

00:08:45Look.

00:08:45Her eyes.

00:08:46They've just turned white.

00:08:47Silas stares, seeing the alpha I've become.

00:08:50He nods.

00:08:52Hayden wanted me dead?

00:08:53She's about to learn you never hunt an architect in her own house.

00:08:55We're trapped inside a remote cabin as hired assassins surround the building.

00:08:59They're close.

00:09:00I can smell the rot of rogues on the wind.

00:09:02They aren't just beasts.

00:09:04They are hitmen.

00:09:05But I have a plan.

00:09:07I set a deadly trap, tying a fishing line across the door and smashing oil on the floorboards.

00:09:12Mara.

00:09:13When I yell, you cut the rope on that heavy iron chandelier.

00:09:15Open up.

00:09:16We know the bitch is in there.

00:09:18Don't make this harder.

00:09:20The wooden door explodes inward in a violent shower of splinters.

00:09:23A massive brown wolf lunges through the opening, its jaws snapping wildly.

00:09:27Its front paws hit my tripwire, and it skids helplessly forward on the slick oil.

00:09:31Now, a heavy iron chandelier drops like a guillotine, crushing the wolf's spine with a sickening crunch.

00:09:36One down.

00:09:37Silas fires his shotgun, wounding a second wolf who retreats howling into the night.

00:09:41But the third one, a huge black wolf with a scarred muzzle, is far smarter.

00:09:45He leaps over his fallen comrade with terrifying agility, landing right in front of me.

00:09:49With a sickening crack of bones reforming, he shifts into a naked, scarred man.

00:09:54Clever girl.

00:09:55But Hayden paid extra for your head.

00:09:57Hayden.

00:09:58The name hits me harder than a fist.

00:10:00The she-wolf who stole my mate and my life.

00:10:03Why?

00:10:03I'm already vanished.

00:10:05I'm dead to the pack.

00:10:06She wants to make sure the rightful Luna's bloodline ends.

00:10:09Permanently.

00:10:10His words don't break me.

00:10:11They ignite a volcano of pure rage deep inside my soul.

00:10:14A cold, silver power floods my veins, and my inner wolf doesn't just growl.

00:10:19She roars.

00:10:20I grab the heavy iron fire cofer from the heart.

00:10:23It feels as light as a feather in my hand.

00:10:25I swing with impossible strength, caving in his skull with a single, brutal strike.

00:10:29The last wounded rogue sees its chance and lunges directly for a terrified Mara.

00:10:33No.

00:10:34A voice rips from my throat, ancient and powerful, shaking the very logs of the cabin.

00:10:38Submit.

00:10:39The wolf freezes mid-air, then collapses to the floor, whimpering in absolute terror.

00:10:43Ilana, your eyes, they're blowing pure silver.

00:10:46The power vanishes and I fall to my knees.

00:10:48But I'm not afraid.

00:10:50The white wolf is awake.

00:10:52I stand over the mangled body of the rogue leader.

00:10:54My knuckles are slick with his blood.

00:10:56Around me, my pack warriors chant my name.

00:10:59Alpha.

00:11:00Alpha.

00:11:01Alpha.

00:11:02I wipe the blood from my mouth.

00:11:05Suddenly, Hayden throws her arms around my neck.

00:11:07You were amazing, Emilio.

00:11:09She kisses me hard, right here on the battlefield.

00:11:12I kiss her back.

00:11:13It's not for passion.

00:11:15It's the role I have to play.

00:11:16I chose her.

00:11:18The mother of the boy I call my son.

00:11:20As I pull away, my eyes drift past her.

00:11:23I look to the northern wall.

00:11:24It held.

00:11:25The rogues never stood a chance.

00:11:27The traps, the kill zone, it was a perfect design.

00:11:30Her perfect design.

00:11:32Ilana's.

00:11:33A sharp pain hits my chest, worse than any blow from the fight.

00:11:37I shut the feeling down.

00:11:39She's gone.

00:11:40I told the pack it was a tragic accident.

00:11:42It's the lie I tell myself so I can sleep at night.

00:11:45She tugs my arm, completely oblivious.

00:11:48Come on.

00:11:49Leo is waiting.

00:11:50We need to celebrate.

00:11:51I force a smile from my pack.

00:11:53Yes.

00:11:54A victory for the pack.

00:11:56But as their tears wash over me, I know the truth.

00:11:59This victory isn't mine.

00:12:00It belongs to the woman I let die.

00:12:03My cuts and bruises are healing with terrifying speed.

00:12:05But the real wounds, the ones inside, refuse to fade.

00:12:09I sit on the porch of a mountain cabin, clutching a crumpled envelope.

00:12:12It's stained with river water for my escape.

00:12:14But the embossed letters are still perfectly clear.

00:12:18Zurich Academy of Architecture and Design.

00:12:20A full scholarship, sponsored by the Silver Alps Pack.

00:12:23Three years ago, I threw this away.

00:12:25I chose him.

00:12:27I chose a dream built on quicksand.

00:12:29I chose Emilio.

00:12:31Heavy boots step onto the porch.

00:12:32It's Silas, the ranger who found me.

00:12:35You should go, Ilana.

00:12:36He hands me a mug of steaming tea.

00:12:38You can't stay here.

00:12:40Not with that bloodline of yours waking up.

00:12:43He's right.

00:12:44A strange new power is stirring inside me, and I can't control it.

00:12:47You need real teachers.

00:12:49The kind of protection my shotgun can't provide.

00:12:52My thumb traces the seal on the envelope.

00:12:54The Silver Alps.

00:12:55They're the oldest pack in Europe.

00:12:57Traditional.

00:12:58Powerful.

00:12:59Mara, his fiery companion, hops onto the railing, her eyes sharp.

00:13:03His name hits me like a physical blow.

00:13:05And they are far, far away from Emilio.

00:13:07The man who broke my heart.

00:13:09The mate who left me for dead.

00:13:11I stare down at the letter.

00:13:13This isn't just an old dream I abandoned.

00:13:15It's my only path to survival.

00:13:17And the first step on my road to revenge.

00:13:19My ex-mate, Emilio, is celebrating his victory.

00:13:23He's basking in their adoration.

00:13:25I can feel the pack's excitement through the last, dying threads of our bond.

00:13:28He's with her.

00:13:30But I'm here, in borrowed clothes, mourning the child he never wanted.

00:13:33I stand and grip the wooden railing, my knuckles wiped.

00:13:36You're right.

00:13:37I need to go.

00:13:39My friend Silas crosses his arms, his face set like stone.

00:13:42And they threw me out like garbage.

00:13:44I have a contact.

00:13:46A pilot.

00:13:47He owes me a favor and can get you out tonight.

00:13:50I stare out at the obsidian packs border, shrouded in mist.

00:13:53I bled for that land.

00:13:55I built their homes, their defenses.

00:13:57I turn back to my friends, the tremor in my voice gone.

00:14:00I'm not running away.

00:14:02Their eyes widen in surprise.

00:14:04I'm advancing to a new position.

00:14:06I look at Silas and Mara, the only ones who stood by me.

00:14:10For saving my life.

00:14:12Just don't waste it.

00:14:13He turns away, but not before I see the emotion in his eyes.

00:14:16I grab my empty drafting bag, heavy with the weight of my future.

00:14:20I do not look back.

00:14:21I walk toward the track waiting to take me to the airstrip.

00:14:25Goodbye, Emilio.

00:14:26With one final push, I send my last words down the severed bond.

00:14:30The final thread snaps, and he is gone from my mind forever.

00:14:33Enjoy your kingdom.

00:14:34I hope the walls hold.

00:14:36I'm on a date with Hayden.

00:14:38I booked the entire restaurant terrace, just for us.

00:14:41Candles, a private violinist, a perfect romantic night.

00:14:44But it all feels like a lie.

00:14:46Hayden is laughing, talking about her son, Leo.

00:14:49I force a smile, but my face feels like stone.

00:14:52He wants a pony.

00:14:53I told him, daddy is the alpha, maybe he can get you a dragon.

00:14:57She calls me his daddy, as if everything is already decided.

00:15:00A dragon might be hard to find.

00:15:02She waves her hand, completely dismissing my words.

00:15:05My gut twists into a knot.

00:15:07So, about our luna ceremony.

00:15:09I think we should redecorate the main hall.

00:15:11That drab gray stone is so depressing.

00:15:13I want gold and velvet drapes.

00:15:15She wants to cover the heart of my packhouse.

00:15:17The ancient stone my ancestors laid.

00:15:19The stone that she loved.

00:15:21A cold fury begins to rise in me.

00:15:23Her perfect smile finally falters.

00:15:26Her eyes splash with annoyance.

00:15:28That stone is structural granite.

00:15:30Covering it will weaken the entire building.

00:15:32Boring.

00:15:33You sound just like her.

00:15:35The world stops.

00:15:36The violinist's music fades into nothing.

00:15:39All I hear is the blood pounding in my ears.

00:15:41She dared to bring her up.

00:15:43Her eyes widen in genuine fear.

00:15:45I lean across the table, my voice a low growl I barely recognize.

00:15:49Don't.

00:15:50For the first time tonight, she understands.

00:15:52She has just crossed a line she can never uncross.

00:15:55Well, it's true.

00:15:56She was always so practical.

00:15:58So dull.

00:15:59She is talking about Alana.

00:16:01My lost mate.

00:16:03Hayden swirls the red wine in her glass.

00:16:04Her words a deliberate attack.

00:16:06You need color, Emilio.

00:16:08You need life.

00:16:09That's what I bring.

00:16:10He messes her.

00:16:11Yes.

00:16:12You make me happy.

00:16:14She stands, her silk dress shimmering as she walks around the table towards me.

00:16:18She ignores the empty chair waiting for her and sits directly on my lap.

00:16:21Her arms wrap tightly around my neck, pressing her body hard against mine.

00:16:25I make you happy, don't I?

00:16:27I smell her perfume.

00:16:28A heavy cloud of vanilla and rose.

00:16:31It is sweet, but it feels wrong.

00:16:33It is not the scent of home.

00:16:34The lie tastes like bitter poison on my tongue.

00:16:37My wolf stirs deep inside me, pacing restlessly in the darkness of my soul.

00:16:41He misses the clean smell of rain.

00:16:43He misses the scent of ink and old parchment.

00:16:45Good.

00:16:46Because I ordered the gold drapes anyway.

00:16:48She smiles, triumphant, and captures my lips in a kiss.

00:16:51I force myself to kiss her back, trying to feel something.

00:16:55Anything at all.

00:16:56I try to ignite the spark that is supposed to be there between mates.

00:16:59But there is no fire.

00:17:01There is no passion.

00:17:02There is only the cold, empty friction of skin on skin.

00:17:05It was pure architectural brilliance.

00:17:08It was her genius.

00:17:09I look over her shoulder at the moon, a lonely orb in the black void.

00:17:13Its pale light pulls me back to a memory from earlier today.

00:17:16I was walking past the nursery.

00:17:18The one Alana designed.

00:17:19Then the cold, hard truth slams into me all over again.

00:17:22She is dead.

00:17:24Sunlight streamed through the windows she placed, illuminating the entire room without using electricity.

00:17:29My hand instinctively reached for my phone to text her, to tell her how clever it was.

00:17:33I force the thought away.

00:17:35Hayden is here.

00:17:36Leo is here.

00:17:37This is the life I chose to survive.

00:17:39I take a long sip of my wine, but the expensive vintage tastes like nothing but ash.

00:17:44I've come to the Silver Alps pack, to a castle carved from Living Rock.

00:17:48I'm not here for the view.

00:17:49I'm here to have my mating bond destroyed.

00:17:52Deep beneath the castle, I lie on a cold stone table.

00:17:54An ancient elder named Martha stands over me.

00:17:57Are you sure about this, child?

00:17:59The air is heavy with the scent of sage and ozone.

00:18:01I stare at the stone ceiling.

00:18:03The bond is a gift from the goddess.

00:18:05To sever it by force.

00:18:06It will feel like a duh, I already died.

00:18:09This is just cutting the string that keeps the corpse tethered.

00:18:11I need the phantom feeling of my mate, Emilio, out of my head.

00:18:14I need the silence.

00:18:16Martha sees my resolve and gives a slow nod.

00:18:19Very well.

00:18:19She begins to chant in a low, guttural language.

00:18:22She crushes herbs into a bowl, making a dark paste.

00:18:25With her fingers, she paints symbols on my forehead and over my heart.

00:18:29The paste tingles, cold against my skin.

00:18:32Close your eyes.

00:18:33Find the thread.

00:18:34I do as she says.

00:18:35In the darkness of my mind, a single thread of light appears.

00:18:38It's a golden cord, but it's tarnished and frayed.

00:18:41It stretches out into an endless void.

00:18:43A spike of pure, undiluted panic.

00:18:46At the other end, I can feel him.

00:18:48Emilio.

00:18:49He's sleeping, his spirit restless.

00:18:51But as I focus on the bond, I feel a sudden jolt from his end.

00:18:55He can feel what I'm about to do.

00:18:57I lie on a cold, hard table.

00:18:59A woman named Martha stands over me, a silver dagger in her hand.

00:19:02She presses its tip against my chest.

00:19:05The metal burns like ice, a chilling pain that promises worse to come.

00:19:09Deep inside my soul, I focus on the spectral cord.

00:19:11The bond that has chained me to him for four long years.

00:19:14With my mind, I grip it, willing it to break.

00:19:17I reject you.

00:19:19I pull with every last shred of my will.

00:19:21Now, her voice is a sharp command.

00:19:23As I pull, she presses the dagger down.

00:19:26A soundless snap echoes through my entire beam.

00:19:29The cord is broken.

00:19:30White hot agony explodes from my chest.

00:19:33It feels like a barbed hook is being ripped out of my heart.

00:19:35I scream, my body arching violently off the table, my spine bowing to its breaking point.

00:19:40My vision shatters into a million fragments of blinding light.

00:19:43I can't breathe.

00:19:45It feels like a dull blade is carving me out from the inside.

00:19:48Just as the darkness closes in.

00:19:50The tension vanishes.

00:19:51I collapse back onto the table, limp and powerless.

00:19:54I gasp for air, my clothes completely soaked in sweat.

00:19:58For the first time in years, there is silence.

00:20:00The heavy weight that crushed my soul is gone.

00:20:03The constant noise in my head is gone.

00:20:05My thoughts are finally my own.

00:20:07My heart is finally my own.

00:20:09Tears stream down my face, but they are not tears of pain.

00:20:12They are tears of cure, exquisite relief.

00:20:14I am finally free.

00:20:16I wake up screaming.

00:20:18A phantom spear feels like it's tearing through my chest.

00:20:21Emilio.

00:20:22Hayden scrambles up in the sheets, his eyes wide with fear.

00:20:25What is it?

00:20:26Are we under attack?

00:20:27I can't answer him.

00:20:28I can barely breathe.

00:20:30But this is more than just physical pain.

00:20:32I clutch my chest, gasping for air.

00:20:35My heart hammers a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

00:20:37A cold dread washes over me.

00:20:40Something vital is gone.

00:20:41I close my eyes, desperate, pushing past the agony.

00:20:45I reach out with my mind, through the bond that connects our souls.

00:20:48I search for the one person who anchors me.

00:20:50Ilana.

00:20:51I call her name in my thoughts.

00:20:53Nothing.

00:20:54I push harder, screaming for her in the space between our minds.

00:20:58I'm met with a terrifying, absolute void.

00:21:00It's not the quiet of distance.

00:21:02It's not the silence of sleep.

00:21:04It's an emptiness.

00:21:06A hole.

00:21:07The place where her soul was tied to mine is now a gaping wound.

00:21:10The connection we shared.

00:21:12The faded bond.

00:21:13It's gone.

00:21:14Completely and utterly severed.

00:21:16A cold wave of certainty crashes over me.

00:21:19A bond only breaks for one reason.

00:21:21Ilana is dead.

00:21:23A sudden, sharp emptiness rips through me.

00:21:25It feels like a part of my soul has been torn away.

00:21:28The connection, the constant pull that always led me to her.

00:21:31It's gone.

00:21:32My vision blurs.

00:21:34My voice trembles.

00:21:35My girlfriend, Hayden, grabs my arm, her eyes wide.

00:21:39Emilio, what is it?

00:21:40You're scaring me.

00:21:41She's gone.

00:21:42I can barely force out the name.

00:21:45Ilana.

00:21:46The bond, it is completely shattered.

00:21:48Who's gone?

00:21:49I watch Hayden's face change.

00:21:51For a split second, a flicker of pure triumph crosses her features.

00:21:55Then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanishes.

00:21:57A mask of sweet concern slides back into place.

00:22:00Oh, baby.

00:22:01She climbs back into bed, wrapping her arms around my chest.

00:22:05She kisses my chest, but her lips feel like ice.

00:22:08It's finally over.

00:22:09The goddess has let her go.

00:22:10She's at peace now.

00:22:11Now, our real life can begin.

00:22:13No more ghosts.

00:22:15I stare at the ceiling, her words ringing false in my ears.

00:22:18She calls Ilana a ghost.

00:22:19She says this is peace.

00:22:21But this feeling isn't peace.

00:22:23It's agony.

00:22:25It's like I'm bleeding out from a wound I can't see.

00:22:27If Ilana is finally at peace,

00:22:29then why do I feel like my world has just ended?

00:22:31I stand on the pack house balcony, overlooking the entire pack.

00:22:35Banners of black and gold hang from the walls.

00:22:37Beside me, Hayden wears a literal diamond tiara.

00:22:40She insisted on this grand ceremony.

00:22:42The pack needs to see us strong.

00:22:44The elder's voice booms over the speakers.

00:22:46I present to you, your new Luna, Hayden.

00:22:49Crowd claps.

00:22:50But the sound is wrong.

00:22:52It's merely polite.

00:22:53Dutiful.

00:22:54When my father introduced my mother, the pack howled.

00:22:57The sound shook the very stones of this terrace.

00:23:00This is just the sound of people clapping because they have to.

00:23:03She isn't clapping.

00:23:04A voice shouts from the back of the crowd.

00:23:07Kiss her.

00:23:08I turn to Hayden, my new mate.

00:23:10She leans in, eyes closed, expecting the kiss that will seal our ceremony.

00:23:14I press my lips to hers.

00:23:16The crowd cheers politely.

00:23:17But I feel nothing.

00:23:19It's like kissing a cold stone statue.

00:23:21As I pull away, my mind drifts to another night.

00:23:24The night I became Alpha.

00:23:26Ilana was there, standing in the shadows, holding my notes.

00:23:29You were born for this, Emilio.

00:23:31I've got your back.

00:23:32She never wanted the spotlight.

00:23:34She just wanted me to succeed.

00:23:36Hayden is not Ilana.

00:23:38Hayden wanted the title.

00:23:39She wanted the power.

00:23:41Did she ever even want me?

00:23:43I instinctively reach down the bond, a habit I can't break.

00:23:46I'm looking for Ilana's presence to ground me.

00:23:48But there is only a cold, echoing void where she used to be.

00:23:51My gaze drifts to the forest line.

00:23:54For a second, I see a flash of white fur in the trees.

00:23:57A massive white wolf, watching us.

00:23:59I blink, and it's gone.

00:24:01What is it?

00:24:02What are you looking at?

00:24:03Nothing.

00:24:04Just, ghosts.

00:24:06I turn back to my pack and raise my hand in a wave.

00:24:08I have one.

00:24:10I have the title, the heir, and the girl I thought I wanted.

00:24:13But standing here, surrounded by hundreds of my people, I have never been more alone.

00:24:17I am the alpha, and my pack is going bankrupt.

00:24:20I'm staring at budget reports covered in red ink.

00:24:23The war with the rogues has cost us almost everything.

00:24:25In my exhaustion, I shut the papers aside.

00:24:28My hand knocks over a pile of forgotten files, and they scatter across the floor.

00:24:32As I bend to pick them up, my fingers touch a rolled up blueprint.

00:24:35With a deep breath, I crack it open.

00:24:38It's sealed with a wax stamp I haven't seen in years.

00:24:49It's a design for a new nursery wing.

00:25:22Burn it, it's poison.

00:25:35My blood runs cold at her words, a chill that has nothing to do with the night air.

00:25:39She, she said that?

00:25:41Yes.

00:25:42She was jealous of us, Emilio.

00:25:44She knew we were meant to be together, so she tried to guilt trip you into keeping her around.

00:25:48Yes.

00:25:48She was jealous of us, Emilio.

00:25:51She knew we were meant to be together, so she tried to guilt trip you into keeping her around.

00:25:54She was evil.

00:25:56She hated Leo.

00:25:57I caught her glaring at him so many times.

00:25:59She presses on with her attack, twisting every memory I have of Alana.

00:26:02I close my eyes, trying to picture it.

00:26:05Quiet, self-effacing Alana glaring at a child.

00:26:08The image doesn't fit, but Hayden sounds so sure, and a painful truth remains, Alana did reject me.

00:26:13She severed our bond.

00:26:15Hayden's voice suddenly softens, a complete shift in tone as she strokes my cheek with her nails.

00:26:20She's gone now.

00:26:21She abandoned the path.

00:26:22She abandoned you.

00:26:23I'm here.

00:26:24I'm the one who stayed.

00:26:26I surrender to her touch, desperate for the comfort, desperate to silence the doubt gnawing at my insides.

00:26:31You're right.

00:26:32She left us.

00:26:33She kisses my forehead, a possessive gesture that seals her victory with a well-crafted lie.

00:26:38But later that night, when Hayden is asleep, I find myself walking through the silent packhouse.

00:26:42My feet take me to the east wing, to the small room Alana used to occupy.

00:26:46The door is unlocked.

00:26:48I step inside to find it completely empty, stripped bare on Hayden's orders.

00:26:52There is nothing left of her.

00:26:53No clothes, no drafting table, no lingering scent of ink and rain.

00:26:57I stand in the center of a cold, sterile box, my wolf howling in the darkness of my mind.

00:27:02It is a sound of pure, unadulterated loss that echoes in the void where my heart used to be.

00:27:06I have the title of Alpha.

00:27:08I have the Luna.

00:27:09I have the air.

00:27:10So why do I stand here shaking in the dark, feeling like a man who just realized head sold his

00:27:14soul for fool's gold?

00:27:16So why do I stand here shaking in the dark, feeling like a man who just realized head sold his

00:27:20soul for fool's gold?

00:27:21I stand on the frozen training grounds of the Silver Alps pack.

00:27:24The elder taps her cane sharply on the ground.

00:27:27Sweat drips down my back, even in the freezing cold.

00:27:30She wants me to control the power of the white wolf.

00:27:33Focus child.

00:27:34But it feels like fire boiling in my veins.

00:27:36And it is angry.

00:27:38I'm trying.

00:27:39For years, my bond with my ex-mate Emilio suppressed it.

00:27:42He kept it dormant, suffocated.

00:27:44Don't try.

00:27:46B.

00:27:46But now that I've severed that bond, my power is waking up.

00:27:49I close my eyes and reach inside myself.

00:27:51I push past all the fear he forced on me.

00:27:54My inner wolf is there.

00:27:56She isn't the scrawny, submissive wolf I was forced to be.

00:27:59She is massive.

00:28:00A queen.

00:28:01Her fur is the color of snow, and her eyes burn.

00:28:04Her voice vibrates through my entire body.

00:28:06Let us out.

00:28:08I finally stop fighting.

00:28:10I surrender to her.

00:28:11It feels like a release.

00:28:13Shifting is supposed to hurt.

00:28:15Bones breaking, muscles tearing.

00:28:17At this time, it feels different.

00:28:19A dam inside me finally breaking.

00:28:21A snap.

00:28:22A crunch.

00:28:24A flood of blinding heat.

00:28:25I throw my head back and scream.

00:28:27But the sound that tears from my throat is not a human cry.

00:28:30It's a roar.

00:28:31I land on all fours.

00:28:33The ground itself trembles beneath my new weight.

00:28:35I look down at my paws.

00:28:37I open my eyes, and the world is sharper, brighter, painted in high definition.

00:28:41They are colossal, easily twice the size of a normal wolf's.

00:28:45Elder Martha takes a stumbling step back.

00:28:47My fur is thick and lustrous, blowing in the dim morning light.

00:28:51By the goddess.

00:28:52The architect who stayed in the shadows, drawing plants for a future that wasn't mine.

00:28:56For years, I was the weak beta female.

00:28:58The girl who was never good enough for Alpha Emilio.

00:29:01She bows her head to me in reverence.

00:29:03That that girl is gone.

00:29:05Here, on this mountain, I am a force of nature.

00:29:07I push off the ground, my muscles coiling and releasing with explosive power.

00:29:11I tear through the snow, faster than thought, faster than I have ever moved in my life.

00:29:16I run until my lungs burn, until I reach the highest peak overlooking the valley.

00:29:20I look down at the world below.

00:29:22I think of the dream house I designed for Emilio.

00:29:24I think of the nights I waited, only to smell another woman's perfume on his shirt.

00:29:28A pain of sadness hits me, but it's distant, like a bad dream.

00:29:31I rear up on my hind legs.

00:29:33And I howl.

00:29:35It is not a howl of mourning.

00:29:36My voice is so powerful, it shatters the silence.

00:29:39It is a declaration.

00:29:41I am Alana Thomas.

00:29:43I am the white wolf.

00:29:44And I am no longer yours.

00:29:46The sound echoes off the mountains.

00:29:47And on a distant peak, my health triggers a massive avalanche.

00:29:51For three months, I'd known peace at the Silver Alps pack.

00:29:54Tonight was the festival of the first frost.

00:29:57Surrounded by my new family, I finally let myself feel safe.

00:30:00But that feeling was alive.

00:30:02Without warning, the sky ripped open.

00:30:04Wolves scattered, screaming, and laughing as they ran for cover.

00:30:07A freezing deluge hammered down, killing the bonfire instantly.

00:30:11I sprinted for the nearest building, the pack library.

00:30:14I pushed inside, shaking icy water from my hair.

00:30:17The room was silent, warm.

00:30:19Then a scent slammed into me.

00:30:21It wasn't just old books and leather.

00:30:23It was rain on dry earth.

00:30:25Cedar.

00:30:26Ozone.

00:30:27A scent my very soul recognized.

00:30:29My wolf screamed one word inside my head.

00:30:31Nate.

00:30:32I had severed my bond.

00:30:34I was damaged goods.

00:30:35No.

00:30:36It was impossible.

00:30:38The goddess would not give me a second chance.

00:30:40You're derping on the Persian rug.

00:30:42A man stood by the fire, holding a book.

00:30:45The voice was deep, like distant thunder.

00:30:47My heart hammered against my ribs as I looked up.

00:30:50He was taller than any man I'd ever seen.

00:30:52His hair wasn't white with age.

00:30:54It was the color of liquid silver.

00:30:56And our eyes locked.

00:30:58They were the color of a violent storm.

00:31:00A jolt shoots up my spine.

00:31:02My knees buckle from the force of it.

00:31:04Across the room, the handsome stranger drops his butt.

00:31:07My wolf purrs inside my head, a possessor, certain sound.

00:31:10Mine.

00:31:11He is ours.

00:31:13He doesn't move.

00:31:14He just stares at me, his eyes burning with intensity.

00:31:17He breathes my name like a prayer.

00:31:20Ilana.

00:31:21Panic grips my chest.

00:31:22He knows my name.

00:31:24Is he a spy?

00:31:25An enemy sent to finish me?

00:31:27Who are you?

00:31:28He immediately raises his hands and surrender.

00:31:30I'm sorry.

00:31:32I'm Ansel.

00:31:33Ansel Acosta.

00:31:34My breath hitches.

00:31:36Ansel Acosta.

00:31:37The alpha of the Silver Alps.

00:31:39He is the most powerful wolf in all of Europe.

00:31:42But he isn't looking at my body, or the scars that cover it.

00:31:45I know your work.

00:31:46The structural reinforcements you designed for the obsidian borders?

00:31:50Genius.

00:31:51He's not talking about my looks.

00:31:53He's talking about my mind.

00:31:55You.

00:31:56You like my designs?

00:31:57I think they are brilliant.

00:31:59Just like the architect.

00:32:01The magnetic pull between us becomes a physical force.

00:32:04He takes another step closer and extends his hand.

00:32:06Would you like to dry off?

00:32:08Maybe have some dinner?

00:32:10My fear screams at me to run.

00:32:12But for the first time, my heart whispers for me to stay.

00:32:15I reach out and take his hand.

00:32:17Literal, visible sparks of blue and gold light dance across our skin.

00:32:20And then it happens.

00:32:22His gray eyes darken, the pupils swallowing everything.

00:32:25Goddess.

00:32:26I haven't slept.

00:32:28Every time I close my eyes, I see her face.

00:32:31Elana.

00:32:32My wolf paces inside my ribs, a caged beast howling for its mate.

00:32:36Asterisk mate.

00:32:37She is ours, asterisk.

00:32:39I've known of her for years.

00:32:41The brilliant architect behind the obsidian pack's defenses.

00:32:44But now I know why the news of her arrival filled me with a rage that tasted like iron.

00:32:48She is my second chance mate.

00:32:50And that fool, Emilio, rejected her.

00:32:53He threw her away like she was nothing.

00:32:55I stare down at the dossier my gamma prepared.

00:32:57It's a detailed report of her life there.

00:33:00The years of neglect.

00:33:01The constant emotional abuse.

00:33:03My claws extend without thinking, shredding the top page.

00:33:06I slam my fist down on the solid mahogany desk.

00:33:09The wood cracks and splinters under the force.

00:33:12I will burn his pack to the ground.

00:33:14The words hang in a silent room.

00:33:16But I can't.

00:33:17Not yet.

00:33:19Elana is fragile.

00:33:20Her foundation has been shattered.

00:33:22She needs to feel safe before she can be truly mine.

00:33:25If I push too hard, if I plane her too fast, she will run from me.

00:33:29I look at the clock on the wall.

00:33:316 AM.

00:33:32Elder Martha mentioned she walks by the lake at sunrise.

00:33:35I force my claws to retract and smooth my shirt cuffs.

00:33:38It's time to arrange a little coincidence.

00:33:40I'm taking a quiet walk by the lake, trying to clear my head after everything that has happened.

00:33:45Elana?

00:33:46Is that you?

00:33:47I stop and turn around.

00:33:49It's Alpha Ansel, walking down the path toward me.

00:33:52His silver hair shines in the morning light, and he's wearing a heavy wool coat.

00:33:56He is handsome, but that's not what I see.

00:33:58I see a man who looks completely and utterly guilty.

00:34:01I immediately cross my arms over my chest, my guard going up.

00:34:04He stops in his tracks, looking totally caught.

00:34:07Alpha Ansel.

00:34:09Do you always take walks at the exact time your guest does?

00:34:11Dark blush creeps up his neck, betraying his calm expression.

00:34:15Aye, well, the lake is beautiful this time of day.

00:34:18His excuse is so bad that a real laugh bubbles up from my chest.

00:34:21You are a terrible liar, Alpha.

00:34:23He sighs, his shoulders slumping as he drops the pick out.

00:34:26He gives me a sheepish smile.

00:34:28I just wanted to make sure you were okay.

00:34:30After last night.

00:34:31I glance at him, my interest sparked despite myself.

00:34:35I'm fine.

00:34:35I turn and resume my walk, but he falls into a step beside me.

00:34:39Anne.

00:34:40He keeps a careful, respectful distance, not probing me or pushing himself on me.

00:34:44I was thinking, the library, it's old.

00:34:46The ventilation is poor.

00:34:48The shelving defies logic.

00:34:50Anne.

00:34:51I was hoping you might consult on a renovation.

00:34:54Or a new wing.

00:34:55Whatever you think is best.

00:34:57He stops walking and turns to face me directly, his gray eyes pleading with me.

00:35:01I don't need a builder, Ilana.

00:35:03I have an army of laborers.

00:35:05I need your vision.

00:35:06I want you to build something here.

00:35:09Something that lasts.

00:35:10My breath catches.

00:35:12This isn't charity.

00:35:13He's not offering me a handout because he feels sorry for me.

00:35:16He is offering me a purpose.

00:35:18He is offering me a place in his world, a place I can earn with my own skills.

00:35:22A small, genuine smile finally touches my lips.

00:35:25You're trying to woo me with architecture.

00:35:27His voice drops, becoming low and rough with hope.

00:35:30Is it working?

00:35:31Maybe a little.

00:35:32I look at the calm water of the lake, then back into his stormy gray eyes.

00:35:35He takes a step closer.

00:35:37The air fills with a scent of cedar and fresh rain.

00:35:40I know you're hurting.

00:35:41I know what you've been through.

00:35:43I'm not him, Ilana.

00:35:45I don't want to own you.

00:35:46I want to know you.

00:35:48He slowly reaches out, his fingers gently tucking a stray strand of my hair behind my ear.

00:35:53His skin grazes mine, and a powerful jolt of electricity shoots straight through my core.

00:35:57My inner wolf is howling, screaming at me that this is right, that I should trust him.

00:36:01Give me a chance.

00:36:02Let me show you what a mate is supposed to be.

00:36:05Okay.

00:36:06Show me.

00:36:06I look into his eyes and see no demands, no pressure.

00:36:09I only see an open hand, patiently waiting for mine, the ocean roars.

00:36:13Each wave crashes against the shore, a hammer inside my skull.

00:36:17Isn't this amazing, baby?

00:36:18My girlfriend, Hayden, runs down the beach in a bikini that costs a fortune.

00:36:22I brought her to this luxury resort because she wouldn't stop complaining.

00:36:26She said my packhouse was too gloomy.

00:36:28But that's a lie.

00:36:29The real reason I'm here is a promise I made to someone else.

00:36:32A promise I made to Ilana.

00:36:34Years ago, she told me about her dream to see this place.

00:36:37I want to see the horizon, Emilio.

00:36:39Where the water meets the sky.

00:36:41I told her I would take her one day.

00:36:43I never did.

00:36:44Now, I'm here with Hayden.

00:36:46And Ilana is gone.

00:36:48Come take a picture of me.

00:36:49She poses against a rock, arching her back.

00:36:51I pull out my phone, but my thumb betrays me.

00:36:54It scrolls back to a photo I couldn't bring myself to delete.

00:36:57Her smile was real.

00:36:59It's Ilana in the college library, surrounded by books.

00:37:02I look up from my phone.

00:37:04She's laughing at something I said, a pencil smudge on her cheek.

00:37:07Make sure you get the lighting right.

00:37:09She's pouting, adjusting her cleavage for the perfect angle.

00:37:11I snap her picture.

00:37:13And utterly plastic.

00:37:15The photo is technically perfect.

00:37:17A wave of nausea rolls over me, colder than the ocean itself.

00:37:20I leave Hayden on the beach and walk back to our rental villa.

00:37:23Inside, I unpack my bag.

00:37:25At the very bottom is an old photo album.

00:37:28I sit on the bed and open it.

00:37:30It's pictures of me and Ilana.

00:37:32In every photo, she looks at me like I am the sun.

00:37:35And in every photo, I look calm.

00:37:37Anchored.

00:37:38Happy.

00:37:39I look around the luxurious room.

00:37:41Hayden's designer clothes are thrown everywhere.

00:37:44Her jewelry is a mess on the nightstand.

00:37:46There is no substance here.

00:37:48Only noise.

00:37:49Suddenly, the door opens.

00:37:51Emilio?

00:37:52Why did you just leave me there?

00:37:54She flops onto the bed, her eyes landing on the album.

00:37:57Ah.

00:37:57Why do you have that dusty old thing?

00:37:59Their memories, Hayden.

00:38:01She snatches the album from my hands.

00:38:03She hurls the album across the room.

00:38:05It's the past.

00:38:06You're obsessed with her.

00:38:07She's gone, Emilio.

00:38:09Why can't you just focus on me?

00:38:10It smashes against the wall, and a single photo slides out.

00:38:14It's Ilana, standing in the rain, smiling.

00:38:16The air in the room grows heavy as my alpha aura flares.

00:38:20Don't touch my things.

00:38:21Hayden flinches back, her face pale with fear.

00:38:24I.

00:38:24I just wanted to be happy.

00:38:26I don't know what happy is anymore.

00:38:28I walk out onto the balcony and stare at the setting sun.

00:38:31I grip the railing, the metal groaning under my fingers.

00:38:34I didn't just miss her.

00:38:36I missed who I was with her.

00:38:37I chose the wrong mate.

00:38:39And now, I will pay for that mistake for the rest of my life.

00:38:42One moment, I am safe in the library with Ansel, the powerful alpha of the Silver Alps pack.

00:38:47His hand covers mine on the large oak table, a warm and comforting presence that speaks of safety.

00:38:52But suddenly, he stiffens, his entire body going rigid with a sudden and intense alarm.

00:38:57His head snaps toward the large library window, his nostrils flaring as he senses something wrong in the air.

00:39:02Intruders.

00:39:03We have a perimeter breach.

00:39:05Before I can even process his dangerous words, a deafening boom shakes the entire castle to its very foundations.

00:39:11Before I can even process his dangerous words, a deafening boom shakes the entire castle to its very foundations.

00:39:17A heavy, reinforced oak doors to the library explode inward with a violent, splintering crack.

00:39:22Shards of dark would rain down across the expensive Persian rug like deadly shrapnel from a bomb.

00:39:26I shoot to my feet in shock, my chair scraping loudly against the floor as my heart pounds in my

00:39:30chest.

00:39:31Standing in the ruined, smoking doorway is my fated mate, the man who rejected and abandoned me, Alpha Emilio.

00:39:37Standing in the ruined, smoking doorway is my fated mate, the man who rejected and abandoned me, Alpha Emilio.

00:39:42He is not alone.

00:39:44He is flanked by four of his grim-faced personal guardians, all dressed in black tactical gear.

00:39:49But Emilio himself looks completely wrong, like a twisted ghost of the Alpha I once knew and loved.

00:39:53His eyes are wild and bloodshot, deeply bruised with a desperate exhaustion that seems to consume him.

00:39:58Found you.

00:39:59His two words send a chill of pure ice shooting down my spine, freezing the blood in my veins.

00:40:04In a blur of sheer speed and motion, Ansel is on his feet and standing in front of me, shielding

00:40:08me with his body.

00:40:09He becomes a solid wall of muscle and protective rage, a living barrier between me and my painful past.

00:40:14He becomes a solid wall of muscle and protective rage, a living barrier between me and my painful past.

00:40:20A low, vibrating growl emanates from deep in his chest, a sound so powerful it shakes the very air in

00:40:24the room.

00:40:25A low, vibrating growl emanates from deep in his chest, a sound so powerful it shakes the very air in

00:40:30the room.

00:40:31You are trespassing on Silver Alps territory, Alpha Thomas.

00:40:34Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip your throat out right now.

00:40:37You are trespassing on Silver Alps territory, Alpha Thomas.

00:40:41Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip your throat out right now.

00:40:44Emilio completely ignores the powerful Alpha who is threatening to kill him.

00:40:48His broken, desperate eyes are locked only on me, looking right over Ansel's broad shoulder as if he isn't even

00:40:52there.

00:41:01He uses his Alpha command, a supernatural power meant to force absolute and unquestioning obedience from a lesser wolf.

00:41:13I feel the crushing pressure of it slam into me, a heavy, invisible hand trying to crush my will and

00:41:17my spirit.

00:41:18It tries to force my legs to move, to make me crawl back to his feet like a pathetic, obedient

00:41:22dog.

00:41:23In the past, this terrible power would have flattened me, leaving me with no choice but to obey his every

00:41:27whim.

00:41:28But I am no longer that weak, wolfless girl he so easily cast aside for another.

00:41:33My white wolf, an ancient and massive spirit of immense power, rises up inside of me.

00:41:37She snaps her powerful spiritual jaws around the invisible pressure of his command, and it shatters into a million pieces

00:41:42like fragile glass.

00:41:47I stand my ground, my spine straight as steel, and I do not move a single inch.

00:41:54My ex-mate Emilio glares at me, his face twisted with rage.

00:41:58I step out from behind my protector, Ansel.

00:42:01I said, come here.

00:42:02You are a member of the Obsidian Pack, and I am your Alpha.

00:42:05No.

00:42:06I am not a member of your pack.

00:42:08You can't leave.

00:42:09You belong to me.

00:42:11We are fated.

00:42:12A sharp, cold laugh escapes my lips.

00:42:15Fated?

00:42:15You rejected our bond every single day for years.

00:42:18You rejected it when you touched her.

00:42:20You rejected it when you let her mock me.

00:42:22You rejected it when you chose her son over our unborn pup.

00:42:24Ansel lets out a dark, terrifying laugh.

00:42:27His new mate, Hayden, steps forward, wrapped in a ridiculous fur coat.

00:42:31Oh, stop being so dramatic, Alana.

00:42:33We heard you were being held prisoner.

00:42:35The only prison Alana has ever known was the one you built for her.

00:42:39Emilio's face turns purple.

00:42:40He roars.

00:42:42She is my mate.

00:42:43She is coming home.

00:42:45He lunges for me, his claws extended.

00:42:47But Ansel moves like lightning.

00:42:49He doesn't even shift.

00:42:51He catches Emilio's wrist in midair.

00:42:53A sickening crunch echoes through the room as the bone snaps.

00:42:56Emilio howls, dropping to his knees in agony.

00:42:59Touch her again, and I will end your bloodline.

00:43:01I walk towards the pathetic man I once worshipped.

00:43:04He looks up, hope sparking in his delusional eyes.

00:43:07Alana, please.

00:43:08I can fix it.

00:43:10I can.

00:43:11I cut him off, my voice ringing with the power of the white wolf.

00:43:14I, Alana Thomas, reject you, Emilio Thomas, of the obsidian pack, as my mate.

00:43:20The air in the room snaps.

00:43:21A golden thread of light appears between our chests.

00:43:24It vibrates, whines, and then shatters.

00:43:27Emilio screams, clutching his heart as the pain of the severed bond rips through him.

00:43:31But for me?

00:43:31I feel a weight lift from my shoulders.

00:43:34The last chain is finally broken.

00:43:36Get them out of here, Ansel.

00:43:38They smell like garbage.

00:43:40I watch the obsidian packs SUVs retreat down the mountain.

00:43:43They're finally gone.

00:43:44My hands are trembling, the adrenaline from the fight finally crashing.

00:43:48Are you alright?

00:43:50Ansel stands a few feet away.

00:43:51He's giving me space, respecting boundaries I never had to voice.

00:43:55I turn to face him.

00:43:57He looks like a warrior god, his eyes still dark with alpha fury.

00:44:00I did it.

00:44:01The reality finally settles in.

00:44:03I'm free.

00:44:04It's really over.

00:44:05It is.

00:44:06You're safe.

00:44:08I wrap my arms around myself, trying to hold it all together.

00:44:11Why did you do that for me?

00:44:13Why risk so much?

00:44:14He could have declared war.

00:44:15He steps closer, his shadow falling over me.

00:44:18Let him.

00:44:19His voice is a lethal promise.

00:44:21I would burn the world to ash before I let him take you back.

00:44:24My breath catches in my throat.

00:44:26Ansel.

00:44:27But he isn't done.

00:44:28He looks me straight in the eye.

00:44:30I love you, Ilana.

00:44:32I stumble backward, my shoulders hitting the cold window pane.

00:44:35The three words hit me harder than any punch.

00:44:37My mind scrambles for an excuse, for any other reason.

00:44:41You.

00:44:41You can't.

00:44:42We barely know each other.

00:44:44This is just the second chance bond.

00:44:45It's biology, not...

00:44:47Ansel's gray eyes burn into mine, filled with an intensity that steals my breath.

00:44:51It is not just biology.

00:44:53Do you think I just met you that day in the library?

00:44:55My mind goes completely blank.

00:44:57The world seems to tilt on its axis.

00:45:00A cold dread washes over me, mixed with disbelief.

00:45:03What?

00:45:03He runs a hand through his striking silver hair, a vulnerable look crossing his face.

00:45:07I have known who you were for three years.

00:45:09I saw your architectural designs for the Obsidian Bridge project.

00:45:13I was captivated.

00:45:14He tells me he needed to know the mind behind such brilliant work.

00:45:18You.

00:45:19You stopped me.

00:45:20He takes a deliberate step closer, and his powerful voice drops to a whisper.

00:45:23I watched you, Ilana.

00:45:25From a distance.

00:45:27I saw you crying in the woods when he forgot your birthday.

00:45:30His expression softens instantly, his gaze gentle but firm.

00:45:33I protected you.

00:45:34He tells me that twice, rogue wolves tried to cross the border near where I was working.

00:45:39His scouts intercepted them before they could ever reach me.

00:45:42Tears begin to prickle at the corners of my eyes.

00:45:44I couldn't interfere with another alpha's mate, the laws forbade it, but I couldn't let you die.

00:45:48While my fated mate Emilio had ignored my very existence, this stranger, this powerful alpha,

00:45:53had been guarding me from the shadows.

00:45:55Why?

00:45:56He finally closes the last bit of distance between us.

00:45:59He reaches out, and his thumb brushes away a tear rolling down my cheek.

00:46:02Because my wolf knew.

00:46:04He knew you were ours.

00:46:06We just had to wait for you to be free.

00:46:08He rests his forehead against mine, and the electric spark of our bond hums against our skin.

00:46:12I know you are scared.

00:46:14I know he broke you.

00:46:15I am asking for a chance.

00:46:17Not to own you.

00:46:19Just to stand beside you.

00:46:21I look into his stormy eyes, and I see nothing but the truth.

00:46:24I'm broken, I'm self.

00:46:25I have sharp edges.

00:46:27It's a love so deep it terrifies me, but for the first time, I don't want to run.

00:46:30His response is immediate, simple, and it shatters every wall I've ever built.

00:46:35Then I will bleed.

00:46:36I don't care.

00:46:38The stone around my heart finally cracks open, and I surrender to the gravity of him.

00:46:42Okay.

00:46:43Okay.

00:46:43My new life in the Silver Alps pack is a dream.

00:46:46I spend my days sketching in the library with my new mate, Ansel.

00:46:49There is no fear here, no walking on eggshells around a volatile alpha.

00:46:53He works on pack business, but every time I look up, his eyes are already on me.

00:46:57But a shadow from my past with Emilio still lingers.

00:47:00A question I have to ask.

00:47:02I set down my pencil.

00:47:04Ansel, you said you watched me back then.

00:47:06How much did you see?

00:47:07Yes, my love.

00:47:09He doesn't look up from his laptop, but his hand slides across the table to take mine.

00:47:13He immediately stops typing.

00:47:15His gaze lifts to mine, his expression suddenly guarded.

00:47:18Ilana.

00:47:19Did you know about the baby?

00:47:21Did you know I was pregnant when?

00:47:23When it happened?

00:47:24The question hangs in the air, heavy, and cold.

00:47:26He snaps his laptop shut with a loud crack.

00:47:29He stands, circles the table, and sinks to his knees beside my chair.

00:47:33He looks up at me, his face twisted in agony.

00:47:36I knew.

00:47:37His voice is thick with a pain that matches my own.

00:47:40When the report came in, that you had fallen, that there was so much blood.

00:47:43His grip on my hand tightens until it almost hurts.

00:47:46I wanted to kill him.

00:47:47That very night, I gathered my warriors.

00:47:50I was ready to breach the treaty.

00:47:52I was ready to invade his territory and tear him apart for failing you.

00:47:55I stare at him, my heart pounding in my chest.

00:47:58He was ready to start a war.

00:48:00For me.

00:48:01For our baby.

00:48:02I can barely find my voice.

00:48:05Why didn't you?

00:48:06Antle looks at me, his eyes filled with a painful honesty.

00:48:09I was going to burn this world down for you.

00:48:11He tells me only one person could have stopped his war path.

00:48:14Elder Martha stopped me.

00:48:16She told me you were alive.

00:48:18She said if I invaded, I would start a war.

00:48:21Thousands would die.

00:48:22And you would hate me for it.

00:48:24His jaw tightens, the memory still raw.

00:48:26He was forced to wait.

00:48:28To trust.

00:48:29He takes my hand, pressing his face into my palm.

00:48:32He kisses the center of it like a holy vow.

00:48:35His confession shatters my defenses.

00:48:37It was the hardest thing I have ever done.

00:48:39Waiting while you were in pain.

00:48:41My ex-mate, Emilio, never even noticed my pain.

00:48:44He was always the one who caused it.

00:48:46But Ansel, this alpha was ready to start a war just because I was hurt.

00:48:50The paranoia inside me vanishes, replaced by a sudden warmth.

00:48:54I managed a weak, trembling smile.

00:48:56You really are a stalker.

00:48:58My voice is barely a whisper.

00:49:00Ansel?

00:49:01Thank you, for waiting.

00:49:03He looks up, a small, genuine smile finally breaking through his pain.

00:49:07Only for you.

00:49:08He stands and pulls me into his arms.

00:49:10He smells like cedar and safety, a fortress around me.

00:49:13I would wait a thousand years.

00:49:15But I am very glad I don't have to anymore.

00:49:18I rest my head on his chest, listening to his powerful heartbeat.

00:49:21It beats for me.

00:49:23He holds me tight, his voice a low rumble against my ear.

00:49:26And for the first time, I finally believe it.

00:49:29I wake before dawn.

00:49:30The space beside me in bed is cold and empty.

00:49:33Alana is gone.

00:49:35Panic hits me like a physical blow.

00:49:37My heart hammers against my ribs.

00:49:39The old fear returns.

00:49:41The fear that this was all just a dream.

00:49:43I throw the covers off and pull on my sweatpants.

00:49:45I race out of the bedroom and into the hall.

00:49:48Alana?

00:49:49My voice cracks with fear.

00:49:51I'm here.

00:49:52Her voice.

00:49:53It drifts in from the balcony.

00:49:55Relief washes over me so fast my knees feel weak.

00:49:58I walk out into the freezing morning air.

00:50:00The sun is just rising over the mountain peaks.

00:50:02It paints the snow violet and gold.

00:50:04And there she is.

00:50:06She stands by the railing.

00:50:08She's wearing nothing but one of my oversized shirts.

00:50:11Her legs are bare in the biting cold.

00:50:13Then I see what she's holding.

00:50:15A bouquet of flowers.

00:50:16My breath catches in my throat.

00:50:18They are white moonflowers.

00:50:20They only grow on the highest, most treacherous peaks in our territory.

00:50:23They are a legend.

00:50:25A symbol of eternal, unbreakable devotion.

00:50:27She turns to face me.

00:50:29Her cheeks are red from the cold, but her eyes are shining.

00:50:32She holds the impossible flowers out to me, a silent offering that means everything.

00:50:36A figure emerges from the morning mist.

00:50:39It's Ilana.

00:50:40I went for a walk.

00:50:41She's holding a bouquet of wildflowers, their petals still wet with dew.

00:50:45I just stare at the flowers, my mind struggling to catch up.

00:50:48A small smile plays on her lips.

00:50:50Ilana, these grow on the north ridge.

00:50:52That's a two-hour climb.

00:50:54I have a very fast will.

00:50:56She steps closer, and the smile vanishes.

00:50:58Her expression turns deadly serious.

00:51:00You told me you loved me.

00:51:02You told me you waited for me.

00:51:04You gave me everything, Ansel.

00:51:05She takes a sharp breath, her words forming clouds in the cold air.

00:51:09And I've just been taking it.

00:51:10I've been healing.

00:51:11Her eyes lock onto mine, filled with a fire I haven't seen before.

00:51:15But I don't want to just heal anymore.

00:51:17I want to live.

00:51:18She shoves the flowers against my chest with sudden force.

00:51:21I love you, Ansel.

00:51:22I am done looking back.

00:51:24Every word is a hammer blow, shattering the walls I've built around my heart.

00:51:27My vision blurs.

00:51:29I want to be your mate.

00:51:30Your real mate.

00:51:31Not because of Bon, but because you're the best man I have ever known.

00:51:35I, the alpha known across the territories for my iron composure, feel the unfamiliar sting

00:51:39of tears.

00:51:40You stole my line.

00:51:41I grab her, crushing her and the flowers in a desperate hug.

00:51:45I was supposed to do the grand gesture.

00:51:47She laughs, the sound vibrating right through my chest.

00:51:50Love doesn't have rules, Ansel.

00:51:52Whoever feels it first, says it.

00:51:54I bury my face in her neck, inhaling the scent that is only hers.

00:51:57I felt it first.

00:51:59Years ago.

00:52:00Then you should have been faster.

00:52:02I pull back, needing to see her face, needing to be sure.

00:52:05It means I'm yours.

00:52:07Completely.

00:52:08Does this mean...

00:52:09Her eyes are clear and certain, a promise of a future I almost gave up on.

00:52:12Three months have passed.

00:52:13He took me to the southern coast, insisting I needed to thaw out in the sun.

00:52:17Three months since I escaped the pack that tried to murder me.

00:52:20Ansel brought me here, to the Silver Alps, to heal.

00:52:23But the warmth felt wrong.

00:52:25I found myself missing the ice.

00:52:27Now, we are back, and the world is buried in a blanket of white.

00:52:31Snow has been falling for three days straight, silencing everything.

00:52:34The frigid air hits my face like a slap.

00:52:36I step out of the car, my boots crunching in the fresh powder.

00:52:39But I don't shiver.

00:52:41I smile.

00:52:42Ansel watches me from the trunk as he unloads our bags.

00:52:45You're weird.

00:52:46Most wolves hate the deep freeze.

00:52:48He's right.

00:52:50The old me would have hated this.

00:52:51But the old me is gone, buried by betrayal and pain.

00:52:54This cold feels like a part of me now.

00:52:57I tell my head back, catching a single snowflake on my tongue.

00:53:00It's clean.

00:53:01He thinks I'm talking about the snow.

00:53:03He doesn't understand that I'm talking about my life.

00:53:06It covers everything.

00:53:07It makes the world look new, a blank slate.

00:53:10A chance to start over where the past can't find us.

00:53:13For a single, perfect moment, I let myself believe it.

00:53:16I believe we can finally be safe here.

00:53:18But the silence of the snow isn't peace.

00:53:20Because covering the past doesn't make it disappear.

00:53:23It's just the calm before the inevitable storm.

00:53:26And my enemies haven't forgotten me.

00:53:28They are closer than we think.

00:53:30I stare at my own reflection, captured in the dark, cold glass of the car window.

00:53:34The woman looking back isn't the girl I used to be, not even a faint memory of her.

00:53:38Gone is the scared, skinny girl who fled the obsidian pack with nothing but the clothes on her back.

00:53:43That girl's eyes were always on the ground, her shoulders perpetually slumped in defeat and fear.

00:53:47But this woman is different.

00:53:49Her gaze is level and fierce, burning with the untamed power of a white wolf.

00:53:53She is strong, her body honed by training and proper food, not wasted away by neglect.

00:53:57She is a survivor.

00:53:59And for the first time in a lifetime of pain, I can see genuine happiness reflected in her eyes.

00:54:04Suddenly, a pair of strong, familiar arms wrapped securely around my waist, pulling me from my thoughts.

00:54:09I lean back into Ansel's solid embrace, the steady beat of his heart grounding me in this perfect present.

00:54:14Ready to go inside?

00:54:15Elder Martha is making that venison stew you love so much.

00:54:19His voice is a comforting rumble against my ear, a sound that means safety, a sound that means home.

00:54:23But my gaze drifts past his shoulder, drawn unwillingly toward the bleak, snow-covered southern horizon.

00:54:28Out there, shrouded in winter storms, lies the territory of the obsidian pack.

00:54:32My former prison.

00:54:34Ansel senses the shift in me immediately, his arms tightening just a fraction.

00:54:38He knows me so well.

00:54:40You're thinking about them again, aren't you?

00:54:42About the news.

00:54:44I can only get a slow, heavy nod.

00:54:46The whispers travel fast on the winter winds, even out here.

00:54:49I heard Emilio's great investments in the human world have all turned to ash.

00:54:53But it's so much worse than just failed business deals.

00:54:55The entire pack structure is crumbling from within.

00:54:58Their old alliances have shattered, leaving them isolated and vulnerable.

00:55:02Their hunting grounds are barren and overhunted.

00:55:04The once feared Alpha Emilio, who ruled with an iron fist and a cruel heart, is now seen as a

00:55:09weak, incompetent failure.

00:55:11Pack morale has completely disintegrated.

00:55:13They are weak, they are divided, and worst of all, they are starving.

00:55:17For a single, bleeding moment, a tiny, traitorous part of me feels a sharp twinge of pity.

00:55:21It's a distant, hollow feeling, like reading about a forgotten tragedy in some dusty, ancient history book.

00:55:27But then I remember the cold, dismissive sneer on Emilio's face and the constant, gnawing hunger they forced upon me.

00:55:32I remember the feeling of utter hopelessness, of being trapped with no way out.

00:55:36The pity vanishes, replaced by cold, hard ice.

00:55:39They made their own choices.

00:55:41They built their own cage.

00:55:42Let them rot in it.

00:55:44I finally, decisively, turn my back on the south, on all the ghosts that still live there in the shadows.

00:55:49Let's go home, Ansel.

00:55:51I'm hungry.

00:55:52I walk into the warm, golden light of the castle with my mate, leaving the entire miserable past to be

00:55:57buried forever by the falling snow.

00:55:59While my old pack house choked on toxicity, I was preparing for a new beginning.

00:56:03My ex-mate Emilio's new Luna, Hayden, lies on a couch, scrolling on her phone.

00:56:07I need a new dress for the winter solstice gala.

00:56:10Emilio's hands tremble as he tells her they're broke.

00:56:12We can't afford it, Hayden.

00:56:14Our trade agreements are frozen.

00:56:16It's the word I never used.

00:56:18So fix it.

00:56:19You're the alpha.

00:56:20Stop being so useless.

00:56:22That one word, useless, shatters his composure.

00:56:24You're nothing like Ilana.

00:56:26He hurls his crystal glass against the wall, and it explodes.

00:56:30She was useful.

00:56:31She was kind.

00:56:32You're just.

00:56:34You.

00:56:35How dare you.

00:56:36I am your Luna.

00:56:37Are you?

00:56:38Because the pack hates you.

00:56:40The elders hate you.

00:56:41Even I'm starting to hate you.

00:56:43She screams and storms away, leaving him alone in the wreckage of his own making.

00:56:47But his regret means nothing to me now.

00:56:49My new mate, Ansel, stands beside me, adjusting his tie.

00:56:53I adjust the strap of my silver silk gown, which fits me like a second skin.

00:56:57It's the regional alpha summit.

00:56:59If we don't go, it looks like we're hiding.

00:57:01He turns to me, his eyes filled with genuine admiration.

00:57:05Besides, you look breathtaking.

00:57:06You deserve to be seen.

00:57:08We walk into the massive hotel ballroom in Zurich, and the entire room falls silent.

00:57:13Every alpha and luna in Europe turns to stare.

00:57:15They know me by many names.

00:57:17The White Wolf.

00:57:18The Rejected Mate.

00:57:20I feel the whispers ripple through the crowd as Ansel's hand rests firmly on my back.

00:57:24But tonight, I hold my head high as the new luna of the Silver Alps path.

00:57:28Suddenly, a voice cuts through the air, derping with poison.

00:57:31Well, well.

00:57:32Look who decided to show up.

00:57:34I turn, my eyes narrowing, ready for whoever dared to challenge me.

00:57:38A woman steps in front of us.

00:57:40I know her instantly.

00:57:41It's Clara, one of Hayden's most loyal followers.

00:57:44You have some nerve showing your face here, Alana.

00:57:47The music stops.

00:57:48Every eye in the room turns to us.

00:57:51After what you did to poor Emilio.

00:57:52You're a traitor.

00:57:53Ansel tenses beside me.

00:57:55A low growl rumbles in his chest.

00:57:57I place a hand on his arm, holding him back.

00:58:00I didn't abandon the pack, Clara.

00:58:02I was replaced.

00:58:03By the mistress who is bankrupting all of you.

00:58:05Gasps ripple through the crowd.

00:58:06That's a lie.

00:58:08Hayden told us you were just jealous.

00:58:09Jealous because you were too weak to give Emilio a strong air.

00:58:12Her words are a dagger.

00:58:13My hand flies to my stomach.

00:58:15That's why the goddess took your pup.

00:58:17It was a punishment.

00:58:18The room goes dead silent.

00:58:20Then, Ansel moves.

00:58:22He's a blur, a predator unleashed.

00:58:24In an instant, he's in Clara's face.

00:58:26His eyes glow with pure black rage.

00:58:29Say that again.

00:58:30Speak of her child again, and I will tear your tongue from your head.

00:58:33Clara trembles, the scent of her fear filling the air.

00:58:37Ansel.

00:58:37She's not worth it.

00:58:39I walk up to the terrified woman.

00:58:40Tell Hayden her time is up.

00:58:42The truth is coming.

00:58:43We turn and walk out, leaving the stunned crowd behind.

00:58:46But as we reach the doors, I see her.

00:58:49Hayden.

00:58:50Walking from the shadows, a smirk on her face.

00:58:52She mouths a single word to me, soon.

00:58:54I meet her gaze.

00:58:56Bring it on.

00:58:57The air in the ballroom is thick with judgment.

00:59:00Whispers follow me as I move through the crowd.

00:59:02This isn't a party.

00:59:04It's a social execution.

00:59:06Ansel, I'm leaving.

00:59:07I can't do this.

00:59:08But before we can take a step, the doors slam open.

00:59:11It's Hayden.

00:59:13So, the traitor returns.

00:59:14She wears a dress the color of fresh blood, and her eyes lock directly onto me.

00:59:18The crowd parts as she stalks toward us.

00:59:20You have some nerve, Alana.

00:59:22Showing your face here after what you did.

00:59:24And what did I do, Hayden?

00:59:25Besides leaving a man who didn't want me.

00:59:27You abandoned your alpha?

00:59:28You left Emilio when the pack was vulnerable.

00:59:31Tears instantly well in her eyes.

00:59:32It's a perfect performance.

00:59:34And now we know why.

00:59:36You've been conspiring with him.

00:59:37She points a trembling finger at Ansel, who stands beside me.

00:59:40A collective gasp rips through the room.

00:59:43You're selling obsidian pack secrets.

00:59:45You're a rogue sympathizer.

00:59:46That is a lie.

00:59:47That accusation is not just an insult.

00:59:49It's a death sentence.

00:59:51They call me heartless.

00:59:53Traitor.

00:59:54Is it?

00:59:55Emilio is sick with worry because of your betrayal.

00:59:57And you're here, parading in silk while we suffer.

01:00:00The crab murmurs against me, their faces twisting with anger.

01:00:03These are the people I grew up with, and now they look at me like I'm a monster.

01:00:06I look at their faces, then I look back at Hayden's fake tears.

01:00:10You are pathetic.

01:00:11The entire room goes dead silent.

01:00:13A sharp, jagged laugh escapes my lips.

01:00:16Do you really think these tears work on me anymore?

01:00:18I know you, Hayden.

01:00:19You only cry when a voice boos from the entrance.

01:00:22It's my ex-mate, Emilio.

01:00:24He sees his new lover, Hayden, crying on the floor.

01:00:27His eyes lock onto me, filled with instant rage.

01:00:30What did you do to her?

01:00:32He storms forward, getting in my face.

01:00:34I told you to stay away.

01:00:36Haven't you caused enough damage?

01:00:38He grabs my arm, his grip bruising my skin.

01:00:41I didn't do anything, Emilio.

01:00:43She's putting on a show.

01:00:44I rip my arm from his disgusting touch.

01:00:47Apologize.

01:00:48Now.

01:00:49His face twists in fury.

01:00:51He raises his hand to strike me.

01:00:53You destroyed us.

01:00:54You chose a pretty face over your mate.

01:00:56You are weak, but before it can land, the air in the room turns to ice.

01:01:00My new mate, Alpha Ancel, takes a single step forward.

01:01:03A wave of immense power rolls off him, forcing every wolf in the room to their knees.

01:01:08Emilio freezes, his hand still hovering in the air.

01:01:10Touch her, and you lose everything.

01:01:13This is pack business, Acosta.

01:01:15Stay out of it.

01:01:17Ancel's gaze sweeps across the terrified faces in the room.

01:01:19It became my business when you put your hands on my future Luna.

01:01:23Listen closely.

01:01:24Anyone who stands with this man, your business with the Silver Alps pack is finished.

01:01:28Panic erupts.

01:01:29The Silver Alps pack controls all the trade routes and contracts.

01:01:33Ancel turns his ice cold eyes back to Emilio.

01:01:35He pauses, letting the words sink in.

01:01:38Every contract.

01:01:39Every shipment.

01:01:41Every loan.

01:01:42You wanted to blame Ilana for your failure?

01:01:45Now you can see what real failure looks like.

01:01:47My team is freezing all assets linked to the Obsidian pack.

01:01:50As of this moment.

01:01:52You can't.

01:01:53It's already done.

01:01:55Ancel wraps a protective arm around my waist and pulls me to his side.

01:01:58I don't look back.

01:02:00We walk out of the room, leaving my ex-mate completely and utterly ruined.

01:02:04My company is bleeding out.

01:02:06The red numbers on my screen are a digital bloodbath.

01:02:08Three days after the gala, our rivals are strangling our supply lines.

01:02:12We are losing millions by the hour.

01:02:15Suddenly, the door to my office slams open.

01:02:17It's my mate, Hayden, wrapped in a new fur coat.

01:02:19My card was declined.

01:02:21She throws her platinum credit card onto my desk.

01:02:24At the jewelers.

01:02:25In front of everyone.

01:02:27It was humiliating.

01:02:28We're ruined, Hayden.

01:02:29The pack is going bankrupt.

01:02:31And you're buying jewelry?

01:02:33I look at her, at the expense of coat, and feel nothing.

01:02:36I cling to one last hope that she'll understand, that she still loves me.

01:02:40I need to look the part of Aluna.

01:02:42Whatever.

01:02:43Just fix it.

01:02:44She storms out, leaving me alone in the wreckage of my life.

01:02:47But my wolf is pacing, agitated.

01:02:49Something is deeply wrong.

01:02:51I find the front door unlocked.

01:02:53I drive to the townhouse I pay for, where she's visiting her best friend, Sarah.

01:02:57I hear Hayden's voice drift from the living room, casual and cruel.

01:03:00My blood runs cold.

01:03:02My hand freezes on the door.

01:03:04He's such a loser.

01:03:05Honestly, Sarah.

01:03:06Once the money dries up, I'm gone.

01:03:08He's boring in bed anyway.

01:03:10I'll just find another alpha.

01:03:11Rage burns through me, hot as acid.

01:03:13I throw the door open.

01:03:15I see them on the couch.

01:03:17On the table between them are lines of white powder and my most expensive champagne.

01:03:21Hayden's eyes go wide with pure terror.

01:03:23Emilio.

01:03:24It's.

01:03:25It's not what it looks like.

01:03:26I wake up in the hospital wing, the smell of antiseptic burning my nose.

01:03:30My Gamma, my most trusted warrior, stands over me.

01:03:33His face is a mask of grim concern.

01:03:36Alpha.

01:03:37You had a panic attack.

01:03:38Your body shut down from exhaustion.

01:03:40My head pounds, but I only have one question.

01:03:43Where is she?

01:03:44Where is Hayden?

01:03:46She's outside.

01:03:47At the gates.

01:03:49She's trying to get in.

01:03:50A cold fire ignites in my gut.

01:03:52My phone.

01:03:54Now.

01:03:55He hands it over, and the screen explodes with notifications.

01:03:58Someone live-streamed everything.

01:04:00The confrontation.

01:04:01The cheating.

01:04:03The drugs.

01:04:04I watch the video of Hayden mocking me for the entire world to see.

01:04:07Then, I make the mistake of reading the comments.

01:04:10The obsidian alpha is a cuckold.

01:04:12No wonder the white wolf left him.

01:04:14He's pathetic.

01:04:15The pain in my chest vanishes, replaced by pure, cold ice.

01:04:19I sit up, my voice steady and devoid of all emotion.

01:04:22Freeze her accounts.

01:04:24All of them.

01:04:25The house, the car, the unlimited allowance.

01:04:28Cut it all.

01:04:29Done, alpha.

01:04:30He doesn't hesitate for a second.

01:04:33Revoke her access to the pack house.

01:04:35If she tries to enter, the guardians will remove her.

01:04:37By force.

01:04:39Yes, alpha.

01:04:41I get out of bed and walk to the massive window overlooking the entrance.

01:04:44Hayden is there, screaming at my guardians, her face twisted and ugly.

01:04:48I watch in silence as they push her back from the gates.

01:04:50She stumbles, falling hard into the wet mud, ruining her expensive coat.

01:04:54She looks up, her eyes finding my window, her face a mask of pure rage.

01:04:58And I feel nothing for her.

01:05:00But that's a lie.

01:05:02I feel regret.

01:05:03Not for her.

01:05:04My empire is burning, my reputation is in ashes, and the one person who helped me build

01:05:08it all is gone because of my own stupidity.

01:05:11I ruined everything.

01:05:12My ex-husband, Emilio, sits in a holding cell.

01:05:16Emilio lets out a dry, cracking laugh.

01:05:18He was detained for gross negligence after his entire company collapsed.

01:05:22Across from him, behind cold iron bars, is his mistress, Hayden.

01:05:26Her makeup is smeared in dark streaks down her face.

01:05:29This is your fault.

01:05:30If you hadn't been so weak, we would be fine.

01:05:32My fault?

01:05:34I gave you the world.

01:05:35You sold it for a line of coke.

01:05:37She was worth ten of you.

01:05:39You gave me nothing.

01:05:40You gave me Alana's leftovers.

01:05:42She grips the bars, her voice rising through a shriek.

01:05:45Do you think I didn't know?

01:05:46Every time you looked at me, you were comparing us.

01:05:49Then why did you cheat on her?

01:05:50Why did you break her heart?

01:05:52She leans closer, her words dripping with venom.

01:05:54Because you're selfish.

01:05:56You didn't love her.

01:05:57You loved that she made your life easy.

01:05:59The truth hits him.

01:06:00Emilio sinks to the concrete floor, burying his head in his hands.

01:06:04He used me.

01:06:05He drank me dry and then tossed me aside.

01:06:08Days later, his lawyers begged me for a five-minute meeting.

01:06:11My protector, Ansel, sits beside me in the car.

01:06:14You don't have to do this, Alana.

01:06:16We are parked outside a neutral cafe.

01:06:18But I look at my reflection, my face calm and strong.

01:06:21I do.

01:06:22I need him to see me one last time.

01:06:24Not as his victim, but as the woman who survived him.

01:06:27I step out of the car and see him at a table.

01:06:29He looks completely ruined.

01:06:31His hair is graying, his shoulders are slumped, his expensive clothes hang loosely on his frame.

01:06:36Then, his eyes lock onto mine.

01:06:38He stands so fast his chair scrapes loudly against the pavement.

01:06:41Alana.

01:06:42My ex-mate, Emilio, stands on the sidewalk, waiting for me.

01:06:46Alana, you look beautiful.

01:06:48I walk toward him, my white wolf power cold aura around me.

01:06:51I know.

01:06:52He flinches at my tone.

01:06:54Please.

01:06:55I messed up.

01:06:56Hayden was a mistake.

01:06:58I can make you the real Luna.

01:07:00Tears stream down his face.

01:07:02He collapses to his knees on the pavement, in front of everyone.

01:07:05I love you.

01:07:06Please come back to me.

01:07:08I look down at the man who once broke me.

01:07:10Stand up, Emilio.

01:07:12You're embarrassing yourself.

01:07:13A flicker of hope appears in his desperate eyes.

01:07:15Does that mean...

01:07:17No.

01:07:18I lean in, letting him see the absolute zero in my gaze.

01:07:21You're not crying for me.

01:07:22You're crying because you lost your reputation.

01:07:24You're crying because you're alone and weak.

01:07:26He reaches for my coat, but I step away.

01:07:28That's not true.

01:07:30I realized you were the one.

01:07:32You realize it too late.

01:07:33It doesn't matter anyway.

01:07:34I don't love you.

01:07:36I don't even hate you.

01:07:37I feel nothing at all.

01:07:38I turn my back on him and walk away.

01:07:40Ilana.

01:07:41Please.

01:07:42I get into a waiting car.

01:07:44My true mate, Ansel, takes my hand and kisses it gently.

01:07:48Drive.

01:07:48I take a deep breath.

01:07:50It's finally over.

01:07:51As we pull away, I see Emilio in the side mirror.

01:07:54He is a small, broken figure, still kneeling on the ground.

01:07:57We speed away from the obsidian territory, my former prison disappearing in the rearview mirror.

01:08:01With every mile, the knot of fear that has lived in my chest for years finally loosens.

01:08:05I break the liberating silence between us.

01:08:08I'm talking about Emilio, my former alpha, my tormentor.

01:08:11He was pathetic.

01:08:13He was a man reaping what he sowed.

01:08:15Ansel grips the leather steering wheel, his knuckles turning bone white.

01:08:18I study his sharp, unforgiving profile as all the pieces suddenly click into place.

01:08:22You did it, didn't you?

01:08:24The investors, the supply lines.

01:08:26You orchestrated their entire downfall.

01:08:28He doesn't deny it.

01:08:29He doesn't even blink.

01:08:31I did.

01:08:32Why?

01:08:33He turns to face me, his gray eyes darkening like a storm front rolling in.

01:08:37Because they hurt you.

01:08:38They were obstacles to your peace, Ilana.

01:08:41So I removed them.

01:08:42He dismantled an entire PAX economy just to avenge me.

01:08:46The cold, calculated ruthlessness of it should be terrifying.

01:08:49But I feel no fear.

01:08:50Only a profound, overwhelming sense of being cherished.

01:08:54And Hayden?

01:08:54What about my wicked stepsister?

01:08:56A dark, vicious satisfaction curls the corner of his lip.

01:08:59The drug charges will stick.

01:09:01I made sure the evidence was comprehensive.

01:09:04She won't be a problem for a very long time.

01:09:06As for Emilio.

01:09:08The council is voting to strip his alpha title tomorrow.

01:09:11He will be an omega in his own pack.

01:09:13Or a rogue.

01:09:14The powerful alpha who tormented me will be brought lower than dirt.

01:09:17He reaches across the console, his large, warm hand enveloping mine completely.

01:09:22Are you angry?

01:09:23I look from our joined hands to his intense, waiting eyes.

01:09:26No.

01:09:27I'm relieved.

01:09:28We finally arrive back at the Silver Alps territory as snow begins to fall, dusting the world in white.

01:09:33Ansel kills the engine, and in the sudden quiet, the ruthless alpha mask slips away.

01:09:38He turns to me, his expression suddenly soft, vulnerable, needy.

01:09:42I missed you today.

01:09:43The moment I'm back, Ansel pulls me into his arms.

01:09:46His face buries in the crepe of my neck.

01:09:48You were gone too long.

01:09:50He inhales deeply, his voice a low growl.

01:09:53You smell like him.

01:09:54Like sadness and old rain.

01:09:56I need to fix that.

01:09:58He rubs his cheek against mine, marking me with his own scent.

01:10:01Then he pulls back, his eyes deadly serious.

01:10:04I have a request.

01:10:05My parents.

01:10:07And the elders.

01:10:08They want to meet you.

01:10:10Officially.

01:10:11Tonight.

01:10:12Anything.

01:10:13My stomach drops.

01:10:15Tonight?

01:10:16Like, right now, meeting the in-laws is terrifying enough.

01:10:19But I'm a rejected mate from a rival cat, carrying another alpha's child.

01:10:23They know everything, Ilana.

01:10:25They know about Emilio.

01:10:27They know about the baby.

01:10:29He tells me they don't judge me.

01:10:30They admire you.

01:10:32They want to welcome you.

01:10:34But a new wave of panic hits me.

01:10:36I can't go.

01:10:36I don't have a gift.

01:10:38I can't show up empty-handed.

01:10:40It would be the ultimate sign of disrespect.

01:10:42But Ansel just smiles, a glint of pride in his eyes.

01:10:45You have the model in the back of the car.

01:10:47The architectural model.

01:10:49For the new nursery wing I designed.

01:10:51Give them that.

01:10:53Show them your vision for our future.

01:10:55He's right.

01:10:56It's perfect.

01:10:57It's not just a gift.

01:10:59It's a piece of my soul.

01:11:01It is proof of my value.

01:11:03Okay.

01:11:03Let's do it.

01:11:04Ansel kisses me, hard and fast, stealing my breath.

01:11:07He opens the door and we step out into the cold night air.

01:11:10As his hand engulfs mine, I realize I'm not walking into a trial.

01:11:14I'm walking home.

01:11:15I arrive at the fortress of the Silver Alps pack.

01:11:18Behind them stand three pack elders in ceremonial robes.

01:11:21Ansel's parents, the Alpha and Luna, are waiting at the massive oak doors.

01:11:25My training screams at me to bow, to show the submission of a lesser wolf.

01:11:29But Ansel grips my hand, his voice a firm whisper in my ear.

01:11:33Head high, my love.

01:11:34You are an equal here.

01:11:36His mother steps forward, her voice warm like honey.

01:11:39We have been waiting for you, Alana.

01:11:41She doesn't offer a hand to shake.

01:11:43Instead, she pulls me into a hug.

01:11:45My muscles lock out of habit, then instantly melt.

01:11:48She smells like a mother.

01:11:50Later, I present the architectural model I designed for the pack.

01:11:53You are family now.

01:11:55The elders lean in, their eyes wide with approval.

01:11:58Ingenious.

01:11:59The white wolf is truly gifted.

01:12:01Then, Ansel's mother presents me with a small velvet box.

01:12:04We have something for you.

01:12:06I open it.

01:12:07Inside rests a silver badge shaped like a wolf's head, a moonstone for an eye.

01:12:11This is the crest of the Silver Alps.

01:12:13It's for wolves born into the pack.

01:12:15But the elders, they voted unanimously.

01:12:18He takes the badge and fastens it to my coat, right over my heart.

01:12:21You are one of us, Alana.

01:12:23Forever.

01:12:25Tears stream down my face.

01:12:26I'm not a guest.

01:12:28I belong.

01:12:29But I see something else in the box.

01:12:31A black card and a folded document lie beneath where the badge was.

01:12:34I stare at the gifts.

01:12:36A deed to the Lakeside Cabin.

01:12:38And access to the pack vault.

01:12:40For anything you want.

01:12:42A symbol that I am family.

01:12:43A key to my own home.

01:12:45A card for unlimited wealth.

01:12:47After a lifetime of being an outcast with nothing.

01:12:50They have just given me everything.

01:12:52After years of pain, betrayal, and fighting for my life, I am finally here, in a private dining room at

01:12:57the top of the highest tower.

01:12:59The walls are pure glass, showing a world covered in a thick blanket of fresh snow under the moonlight.

01:13:04Candles flicker on our table as soft music plays from somewhere I cannot see.

01:13:07We finish our meal, and Ansel's demeanor suddenly shifts.

01:13:11The music swells dramatically.

01:13:13He stands from his chair and walks around the table to me.

01:13:15He holds out his hand, his eyes locked on mine.

01:13:18I take it, and he pulls me gently to my feet.

01:13:21My breath catches in my throat.

01:13:23Ansel lowers himself down onto one knee.

01:13:25In an instant, the main lights dim, leaving us illuminated only by the moon and the flickering candles.

01:13:30My heart hammers against my ribs like a caged animal.

01:13:33He pulls a small, dark box from his jacket pocket.

01:13:36With a soft click, he opens it.

01:13:39Inside is a ring, but it's not a diamond.

01:13:41It's a massive, glowing moonstone, surrounded by tiny diamonds that glitter like a constellation of stars.

01:13:46Ilana.

01:13:47You have walked through fire and ice to get here.

01:13:50You have survived betrayal and pain that would have broken a lesser wolf.

01:13:53His gray eyes shine with unshed tears as he looks up at me.

01:13:56You are the strongest, most beautiful soul I have ever known.

01:14:00I promise to protect you.

01:14:01I promise to honor you.

01:14:03I promise to be the mate you have always deserved.

01:14:05Will you make me the luckiest man alive?

01:14:08Will you be my Luna?

01:14:09I suddenly realize we are not alone.

01:14:12The entire world seems to hold its breath, waiting for my answer.

01:14:15The staff, the elders, and even his parents have gathered quietly in the shadows of the room.

01:14:20I look at the incredible ring, and then I look at the incredible man offering it to me.

01:14:24He is not a savior who rescued me.

01:14:26He is a partner who will stand beside me.

01:14:28Yes.

01:14:29Then I find my voice and shout it for the world to hear.

01:14:32Yes, Ansel.

01:14:33Yes.

01:14:34Cheers erupt all around us as Ansel slides the moonstone ring onto my finger, a perfect fit.

01:14:38He surges to his feet and sweeps me into his arms, spinning me around as I bury my face in

01:14:42his neck, finally home.

01:14:44My past is buried.

01:14:46My future is bright.

01:14:47I am the White Wolf.

01:14:49I am the Luna of the Silver Alps.

01:14:50And I am finally, truly, loved.

01:14:53And I am finally, truly, loved.

01:14:58I am the Linus.

01:14:58I am the Linus Muhammed.

01:14:58You

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