- 10 hours ago
The Silver Judged His Betryal
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00:00For a hundred years, the Blackwood Pack held one sacred law.
00:03No male shall take a mistress or reject his mate.
00:06Those who violated it faced the Silver Whip.
00:08Yet in the third year of our mating,
00:11Silas knelt before the Pack Council chamber and pleaded for Pack Law.
00:14He wanted to break our bond,
00:16because his female trainee who'd been missing for three years had returned.
00:20The same hands that once traced my brows in tender strokes
00:23now pushed the rejection papers toward me.
00:25Pain spilled from his eyes like a wound torn open.
00:28Laya suffered because of me.
00:31I cannot betray her.
00:32I held our daughter tighter.
00:34My wolf whimpered in my chest, already feeling the severing to come.
00:38What about Iris?
00:39He stayed silent for a long moment, then looked away.
00:42Laya can no longer bear children.
00:44She cannot stand the sight of my pup.
00:46Iris will be removed from the Pack Records.
00:49I'll find another family to place her properly.
00:51I remembered the full moon hunt when he'd won that white stag for me.
00:54Brought me its heart still warm, claiming the victory was mine.
00:58His wolf had howled for mine that night.
01:01Pure and true.
01:02I tucked the rejection papers into my sleeve.
01:05Everything had signs all along.
01:07I accept the bond breaking.
01:10But Iris stays with me.
01:12From this day forward.
01:13Iris and I have nothing to do with the Blackwood Pack.
01:16Not in life, not in death.
01:18The council chamber went silent.
01:20I tightened my hold on Iris.
01:22This tiny pup was my only anchor now.
01:24My wolf curled protectively around her presence.
01:27Silas stared at me, confusion flickering in his eyes.
01:31He hadn't expected me to agree so readily.
01:34Luna Blackwood rushed forward, reaching for my hand.
01:37Elara, you're being foolish.
01:40Pack law is iron.
01:42How can he reject his mate on a whim?
01:44We will never allow this.
01:46Alpha Blackwood's beard trembled with rage, his pointing finger shaking.
01:51Ungrateful wretch.
01:52Elara bore you a child.
01:54Managed your household.
01:55What wrong has she done?
01:57You would reject your mate and abandon your pup?
02:00You lost your mind!
02:01The elders shook their heads.
02:03Silas, the Blackwood Pack has held its honor for a century.
02:07We have never rejected mates or abandoned pups.
02:11If you insist on this, you must endure a hundred lashes first.
02:14Silas kept his spine straight, cold sweat beating on his forehead.
02:19His wolf's presence flickered, conflicted weak.
02:23Father, mother, honored elders.
02:25This is my fault alone.
02:28But Lyra suffered for years because of me.
02:31Now that she's returned, I cannot betray her.
02:33He turned to me.
02:35His gaze flickered with struggle when it touched Iris,
02:37but quickly hardened into resolve.
02:40Iris.
02:42I cannot keep her.
02:45Lyra cannot bear children.
02:46She cannot stand the sight of my pup.
02:49After removing her from the records,
02:51I'll find her a good family.
02:54She'll want for nothing.
02:57Good!
02:58Excellent!
02:59Bring the whip!
03:03A dark silver-laced whip was brought forth,
03:06each strand woven with threads of pure silver,
03:08blessed by the moon goddess herself.
03:10Silas shed his outer shirt and knelt in submission.
03:13When the lash fell, gasps filled the hall.
03:16His back wound with blood,
03:17silver burning into his flesh,
03:19but he bit down hard,
03:20refusing to make a sound.
03:22His wolf howled silently in agony.
03:24After a hundred lashes,
03:26Alpha Blackwood threw down the whip
03:27and pointed to the door.
03:29Get out!
03:29Kneel until you come to your senses!
03:32Snow was falling outside.
03:34Silas staggered to his feet,
03:36walked to the courtyard,
03:37and knelt rigid in the snow.
03:39His face was pale as paper,
03:41lips turning purple from cold.
03:43Still, he held on to those words.
03:44Even if I freeze to death here,
03:46I will break this bond.
03:48I watched him willing to die for Lyra,
03:50a sharp pain piercing my chest.
03:52My wolf keened, confused, and betrayed.
03:55Anse, he had knelt before his parents,
03:57just as determined,
03:58saying he would marry no one but me.
04:00Back then, he was the capital's elite pack beta,
04:03and I was an Omega's daughter.
04:05The gap between us was vast.
04:07Everyone said he'd gone mad,
04:09yet he insisted on a proper courtship,
04:11a blood bond ceremony,
04:12to bring me into his pack.
04:13His wolf had reached for mine,
04:15their energies intertwining as he said tenderly,
04:17Lyra, I will treat you well for all my life.
04:22How did we end up here?
04:23Yesterday was Iris' full moon celebration.
04:26Guests filled the halls.
04:28That was when Lyra appeared.
04:29In tattered clothes, haggard.
04:31She stood at the door and called out timidly.
04:34My dog.
04:38Just that one word,
04:39and Silas always composed,
04:41always said he dropped his wine cup.
04:43He pushed through the congratulating guests,
04:45nearly stumbling as he rushed to her
04:47and pulled her into his arms.
04:49Eyes bloodshot,
04:50voice breaking,
04:51repeating I am sorry over and over.
04:53I'm sorry.
04:54It was my fault, Lyra.
04:57I shouldn't have said those terrible things.
04:59I harmed you.
05:01Everyone watched this reunion unfold.
05:02His friends murmured in sympathy.
05:04Silas is devoted beyond measure.
05:07He finally waited for her return.
05:10I stood outside the crowd holding Iris
05:11like a stranger at my own celebration.
05:14In that moment,
05:14I still thought it is all right.
05:16He is just feeling guilty.
05:18Until last night when he came to my chamber.
05:20After a long silence,
05:21he finally spoke.
05:23Alara,
05:24let's break our hand.
05:25I'm sorry,
05:27but Lyra was taken because of me.
05:28She endured unspeakable abuse.
05:30Now she cannot bear children.
05:31I owe her too much.
05:33I must spend the rest of my life making amends.
05:36The words struck like lightning.
05:38Break our bond?
05:40What about Iris?
05:42What about our daughter?
05:44Voice hoarse.
05:45Lyra cannot stand the sight of my pup.
05:48Iris,
05:49I'll remove her name and send her away.
05:51I beat his chest like a madman,
05:53screaming how could he be so cruel.
05:55He didn't dodge,
05:56didn't avoid.
05:56He let me rage.
05:57Pain filling his eyes,
05:59but he never took back his words.
06:01By dawn,
06:01I was exhausted.
06:03I said,
06:03Fine.
06:07The whip wounds and the cold
06:08made Silas collapse in the snow.
06:11Servants scrambled to carry him back to his chamber
06:13and called for a healer.
06:15I stood outside the courtyard,
06:17watching shadows move inside,
06:19listening to Luna Blackwood's quiet sobs.
06:21My heart turned to ice.
06:24My wolf went silent.
06:25Back in my own quarters.
06:27I began packing.
06:28In three years at the Blackwood estate,
06:31I'd accumulated so much.
06:32All of it,
06:34jewelry,
06:34fabric,
06:35paintings,
06:36gifts from him.
06:36Now they seemed like a cruel joke.
06:39I was folding everyday clothes into my travel sack
06:41when footsteps sounded outside.
06:43One servant helped Silas inside.
06:46His face was ashen,
06:47his back wounds bandaged,
06:48yet he still needed support to stand.
06:51I didn't turn around.
06:52I kept packing.
06:53Alara,
06:54this is my wrongling.
06:56My stubbornness.
06:57The world will know this was my fault.
06:59I'll make it clear,
07:00we're breaking the bond mutually,
07:01not a rejection.
07:02I'll protect your reputation as much as possible.
07:04You're still young.
07:06You'll find another mate.
07:07I'll give you sufficient compensation.
07:09I stopped and turned to face him.
07:11His eyes were full of remorse,
07:12sincere as if he truly had my best interests at heart.
07:16Silas,
07:17there's no need for such hypocrisy.
07:19He froze.
07:20I walked up to him,
07:21looking up at this face I once loved deeply.
07:24You just want peace of mind
07:25so you can mate with Lyra without guilt.
07:27You say,
07:29you won't miss this chance again.
07:31But these three years,
07:32what was I to you?
07:34His lips moved,
07:35his throat worked.
07:36Finally,
07:36words came out.
07:38Alara,
07:39in this world regrets are common.
07:45Not everything can be perfect.
07:47I watched him quietly,
07:49watched that face that once made my heart race,
07:51now wearing false apology.
07:53So Iris and I together matter less than your regret.
07:56I heard my own voice,
07:57terrifyingly calm.
07:59Pain flashed through his eyes,
08:00but still he repeated,
08:02I turned away and continued packing,
08:05but my mind drifted to the past.
08:07It was the full moon gathering.
08:09I watched the pack's unmated males compete in the hunt,
08:12a tradition where wolves ran wild under the moon's light,
08:15seeking to prove their worth.
08:17I stood among the other females
08:18when a magnificent black wolf emerged from the forest,
08:21a white stag's heart in his jaws.
08:24He shifted back to human form,
08:26elegant and refined in the moonlight.
08:28He knelt before me,
08:30offering the still warm heart.
08:31For you,
08:32Alara,
08:33my hunt,
08:34my victory,
08:35my heart,
08:36all yours.
08:37His wolf's eyes gleamed gold in the darkness,
08:39calling to mine.
08:40I was enchanted,
08:41captivated.
08:42He said his name was Silas.
08:44From that day on,
08:45he often appeared on my path,
08:47sometimes with gifts,
08:49sometimes with books on wolf lore.
08:50My father was wary,
08:52investigated his background,
08:53and was shocked to discover he was the elite pack alpha.
08:57Father warned me not to dream impossible dreams,
08:59but Silas knelt before my father in submission,
09:02saying he wanted to court me properly.
09:04Father couldn't believe it.
09:05Silas was sincere and patient,
09:07visiting repeatedly to prove his intentions.
09:10Finally,
09:10father relented.
09:12On our mating ceremony,
09:13the moon hung high.
09:14Silas lifted my veil,
09:15gazed at me,
09:16and said,
09:17Alara,
09:18I will protect you for life.
09:19His wolf sang to mine,
09:21their energies intertwining in the blood bond.
09:23I believed him.
09:24Who knew it would all become a joke?
09:26Now as I packed,
09:27I found a small carved wolf totem in a corner,
09:30a gift from our mating night.
09:31I stared at it for a long time,
09:33then threw it in the trash.
09:35Behind me,
09:36Silas's voice came hoarse.
09:37Don't throw it away.
09:39I didn't look back.
09:40It's just nothing.
09:44Before leaving the Blackwood estate,
09:46Luna Blackwood came to see me.
09:47She wept as she held Iris,
09:50her tears falling on the pup's small face.
09:54Alara,
09:54this child cannot be without a mother.
09:56Please,
09:57stay.
09:58I gently took Iris back.
10:00Luna,
10:00Iris won't be without a mother.
10:02She has me.
10:03That ungrateful ret.
10:05I should never have born him.
10:07How did I raise such a heartless son?
10:09I said nothing.
10:10What could I say?
10:12Silas made his choice.
10:13Nothing I could do would change it.
10:15Luna Blackwood suddenly grabbed my hand,
10:17pressing something into my palm.
10:19This is a crescent locket passed down through the Blackwood line.
10:22Take it for Iris.
10:24She carries Blackwood blood.
10:26This is her birthright.
10:27I wanted to refuse,
10:29but seeing the grief in her eyes,
10:30I accepted it silently.
10:32When Iris grows up,
10:33if she asks about her father,
10:37tell her he wasn't always heartless.
10:39Then I left the Blackwood estate with Iris,
10:42never looking back.
10:43My family's territory was in the southern woodlands.
10:46The journey south was long.
10:48On the road Iris would sometimes cry from hunger.
10:52I'd stop to feed her,
10:53soothing her softly.
10:55My wolf crooned to the pup,
10:57protective and fierce.
10:58Looking at this tiny child,
11:00my heart ached with tenderness.
11:02She was so small,
11:03so innocent.
11:04Yet she'd been abandoned by her own father.
11:06I swore silently,
11:08I would protect her,
11:09raise her well.
11:10Never let her suffer the slightest grievance.
11:16Finally reached Southern Territory.
11:18Father was shocked to see me.
11:19Alara?
11:20Why are you here?
11:22Where's Silas?
11:23I sat down Iris and knelt before father.
11:25Father,
11:25the bond is broken.
11:27From now on Iris and I may rely on you.
11:30Father's expression went through shock,
11:32fury,
11:33then pain.
11:34He helped me up,
11:35trembling.
11:37That's Silas.
11:38How dare he?
11:40I'll take you to confront the Blackwoods.
11:43Demand justice.
11:44Father,
11:46it's over.
11:47I don't want to entangle with them anymore.
11:51I only want to live peacefully with Iris.
11:53Father saw my hollow eyes
11:55and finally said nothing more.
11:57He just held Iris,
11:58sighing deeply.
12:00Poor child,
12:02born into such fate.
12:03I stayed at my family estate,
12:05living quietly.
12:06Father invited healers to check on me.
12:09She said I'd suffered severe emotional trauma
12:11and needed rest and care.
12:13But how could a heart wound heal?
12:15How could a shattered bond mend?
12:17Every night I dreamed of the past,
12:20dreamed of Silas saying he'd protect me for life,
12:22dreamed of our mating ceremony,
12:24our wolves dancing together under the full moon.
12:26Then I'd wake reality crashing down.
12:29Those vows were all lies.
12:31Iris grew day by day.
12:33She had Silas's brows and eyes.
12:35Sometimes looking at her,
12:37my heart would twist.
12:38But more often,
12:39she was my only comfort.
12:41Half a year passed.
12:42News came from the capital.
12:44Lyra had been exposed.
12:50The letter was from Luna Blackwood.
12:52Her handwriting trembled with rage.
12:54Alara, that vicious woman Lyra,
12:56her disappearance was a scheme.
12:58She wasn't abducted at all.
13:00She staged it herself to test Silas's feelings.
13:03That lowborn wretch.
13:04She fooled us all.
13:05I read the letter slowly,
13:07feeling nothing but cold emptiness.
13:09After Lyra returned,
13:11Silas broke our bond
13:12and brought her into the household as his mistress.
13:14Though he claimed they would mate properly
13:16once enough time had passed.
13:18But Lyra's behavior grew increasingly strange.
13:20She was jealous and controlling,
13:22forbidding Silas from mentioning my name.
13:24When the incident was exposed,
13:26Silas interrogated her.
13:28Under pressure, Lyra finally confessed.
13:31Three years ago,
13:31I had deliberately disappeared
13:33to test whether Silas still had feelings for me.
13:35I hid in a remote village,
13:37living simply,
13:38waiting for Silas to search for me desperately.
13:40I thought if I returned haggard and pitiful,
13:43Silas would feel guilty,
13:44and bring me into his pack.
13:45Her plan succeeded.
13:48Silas truly felt guilty,
13:49truly wanted to make amends.
13:51So he abandoned mate and pup,
13:53breaking pack law for her.
13:55But Lyra's jealousy didn't end there.
13:57She couldn't tolerate Iris's existence,
14:00couldn't stand that Silas had loved another.
14:02So she plotted to eliminate Iris.
14:04When the truth came out,
14:06the capital was in uproar.
14:08Silas was shattered.
14:09That ungrateful wretch finally realized his mistake.
14:12He is kneeling at the pack council chamber,
14:14begging forgiveness.
14:19Come back?
14:21Give him a chance?
14:22I walked to the window,
14:24looking at the southern spring scenery.
14:26Iris toddled in the courtyard,
14:28a maid watching over her carefully.
14:30My pup,
14:31so innocent,
14:32so pure,
14:33almost killed because of her father's foolishness.
14:36I would never forgive Silas.
14:38Never.
14:39I wrote back to Luna Blackwood with just one line.
14:42What Silas chooses to do is his own business.
14:45It has nothing to do with me.
14:47After sending the letter,
14:49I thought this chapter was finally closed.
14:51But a month later,
14:52news came again.
14:54Lyra was sentenced for attempting to murder a pack pup
14:56and deceiving the elite pack beta.
14:58She received 200 lashes of the silver whip
15:01and exile to the borderlands as a rogue.
15:03Silas personally executed the sentence.
15:06When the whip fell,
15:07he showed no mercy.
15:09Lyra screamed,
15:10begging him to remember their past feelings.
15:12Simus, please.
15:14Remember our past feelings.
15:18You deceived me into abandoning mate and pup.
15:21There are no past feelings.
15:25After the punishment,
15:27Lyra was dragged away.
15:28She screamed Silas' name,
15:30cursing him.
15:31Lyra brought it on herself.
15:34As for Silas,
15:35his regret came too late.
15:44Southern Territory's spring was always gentle.
15:47Magnolia flowers bloomed white throughout the courtyard.
15:50I held Iris,
15:51teaching her to walk beneath the trees.
15:53She walked on unstained legs,
15:55sizzling when she stumbled.
15:57I caught her,
15:58my heart melting.
15:59Iris, walk slowly.
16:01Mother's here.
16:02Sometimes I wondered if she'd ask about her father when she grew up.
16:05What would I tell her?
16:06That her father abandoned her when she was barely a month old.
16:09I couldn't bear to see hurt in those innocent eyes.
16:12I decided when she asked,
16:14I'd say her father died,
16:15died before she was born.
16:17That would be kinder than the truth.
16:20Miss,
16:21there's a visitor.
16:23Who?
16:24Says his name is Rowan Ashford.
16:26I was surprised.
16:28Rowan?
16:29The name was unfamiliar.
16:33Show him to the receiving hall.
16:37I handed Iris to the nanny and went to receive this unexpected guest.
16:42In the hall sat a young man with refined features and a gentle bearing.
16:46Seeing me,
16:47he rose and bowed respectfully.
16:49Miss Wintons,
16:51forgive my intrusion.
16:53Master Ashfield,
16:55what brings you here?
16:57I heard Miss Winters return to Southern Territory,
17:00so I came to pay my respects.
17:01We've met before,
17:03though you may not remember.
17:05Years ago,
17:05at the full moon hunt,
17:07you watched the competition.
17:08Someone won
17:09and brought you a white stag's heart.
17:12I was competing that night, too.
17:15I remember you clearly.
17:17The way you smiled when he knelt before you.
17:22My heart skipped.
17:23That full moon hunt.
17:26I remembered Silomus
17:28appearing,
17:29victorious,
17:30offering me the stag's heart.
17:33But I didn't recall anyone else
17:35being there.
17:37You only had eyes for him then.
17:39Of course you wouldn't notice me.
17:41I just wanted to say,
17:43that night I saw your smile.
17:44I thought,
17:45what a lovely person.
17:46Later I heard you mated
17:47with the Elite Pack Beta.
17:49I was happy for you.
17:50But now,
17:51hearing of your troubles,
17:51I thought I should visit.
17:52I studied him.
17:53This man was straightforward
17:55and sincere.
17:56No ulterior motives.
17:58Thank you for your concern,
17:59Master Ashfield.
18:01But I'm fine now.
18:02You needn't worry.
18:04Rowan nodded.
18:05As long as you're well.
18:08If you ever need help,
18:09please don't hesitate.
18:11I'm not far from here.
18:16I thanked him,
18:17and he took his lead.
18:22After he left,
18:24I stood in the courtyard
18:25for a long time.
18:26That full moon hunt
18:28seemed like a lifetime ago.
18:29Back then,
18:30I thought meeting Silas
18:31was destiny.
18:33Now I realize
18:34some meetings
18:34are nothing but empty promises.
18:37Just ghosts.
18:38Just shadows.
18:42After that,
18:43Rowan visited occasionally,
18:45sometimes bringing books,
18:47sometimes medicinal herbs
18:48for Iris.
18:49He never overstepped,
18:51always respectful and proper.
18:53Young Master Ashfield
18:54is learned and well-mannered.
18:56A good man.
18:57Father approved of him.
18:59I knew father was thinking
19:00of my future,
19:01but I had no such intentions.
19:03The wound in my heart
19:05hadn't healed.
19:06How could I think
19:07of another bond?
19:08For Miss Iris.
19:09I noticed she likes
19:10looking at pictures.
19:11I accepted it gratefully.
19:13Rowan watched Iris
19:14toddle around.
19:16She's a bright child.
19:17She'll grow up well.
19:19A gentle smile on his face.
19:21I'll do my best to raise her.
19:23Miss Wintons,
19:23I know you're still hurting,
19:24but pain will fade with time.
19:26I hope you'll allow me
19:28to stay by your side.
19:29Not as anything more,
19:30just as a friend.
19:31When you need someone
19:32to talk to,
19:33I'll listen.
19:33And his sincerity touched me.
19:35From then on,
19:36Rowan visited often.
19:37He played with Iris,
19:38spoke with father,
19:39and brought southern treats.
19:40Gentle and unassuming,
19:42he made me comfortable.
19:43We talked late of books and life.
19:45He never spoke of Silas
19:46or my past hurts.
19:47Just listening when I shared.
19:49Half a year passed like this.
19:51News came from the capital again.
19:53Simus had resigned from his position.
19:56He was coming south to find me.
20:00The news made my heart sink.
20:02I didn't want to see Silas.
20:04Didn't want to open old wounds.
20:06But he came anyway.
20:07Miss!
20:08Master Blackwood is at the gates!
20:10My hand trembled,
20:11nearly dropping my teacup.
20:12My wolf stirred uneasily.
20:16Take Iris inside.
20:19Silas kneeling in the mud,
20:20soaked through.
20:21His face haggard.
20:23Clothes travel worn.
20:24He was nothing like the proud elite pack alpha.
20:26His wolf's presence was dim and broken.
20:29Hey, Lara!
20:30What are you doing here?
20:32I came to apologize.
20:34I stood under the eaves,
20:35rain dripping from the roof between us.
20:37I watched him bow again and again,
20:39blood mixing with rainwater.
20:40Once, his pain would have destroyed me.
20:43I told Silas to get up.
20:45I pressed him on what he would have done
20:47if Lyra hadn't deceived him.
20:48I asked if he would abandon me and Iris for her.
20:51Silas froze.
20:52I laughed bitterly.
20:53You would have.
20:54You know you would have.
20:56So whether Lyra deceived you or not doesn't matter.
20:59That choice revealed who you truly are.
21:01Rain poured harder.
21:03Lyra, I...
21:04Go.
21:05I turned away.
21:06Went inside and shut the door.
21:08Iris and I don't need you.
21:10His anguished cries and wolf's agonized howls
21:12mixed with thunder behind me.
21:14The one who'd sworn to protect me broke his vow.
21:16Nothing left to save.
21:20Silas stayed outside our gates for three days and nights.
21:23No food.
21:24No shelter.
21:25Just kneeling in the rain and sun.
21:27Neighbors whispered.
21:29Father wanted to chase him away.
21:31I stopped him.
21:32Let him kneel.
21:34It's his own decision.
21:36On the third day, Silas collapsed.
21:39Servants found him unconscious and brought him to a physician.
21:42The physician said he had a severe fever from exposure.
21:45If untreated, he might not survive.
21:47Father looked at me.
21:50I thought of Iris.
21:51No matter how much I hated Silas, he was still her father.
21:55If he died here, Iris would carry that shadow forever.
21:59Save him.
22:00Then send him away.
22:01Silas was treated and recovered after a few days.
22:04When he woke, he asked for me.
22:05Let me see her.
22:06I refused to see him.
22:08So he wrote letters.
22:09Every day a thick letter arrived.
22:11I didn't read them.
22:13Just threw them in a box.
22:15Rowan visited during this time.
22:17He knew Silas was in town but said nothing.
22:19Just stayed by my side quietly.
22:25One day, Iris was fussing.
22:27The wet nurse couldn't calm her.
22:29I took her.
22:30Noticing she kept grabbing at the crescent locket Luna Blackwood had given me.
22:34I took it off and handed it to her.
22:36As I did, I noticed something.
22:38The locket felt heavy, heavier than it should.
22:46I examined it closer.
22:48There was a hidden clasp.
22:49I pressed it, and the locket opened.
22:52Inside was a piece of folded paper.
22:54To my future grandchild, if you are reading this, it means the Blackwood pack has failed you.
23:00This locket is your birthright.
23:02More than that, it is proof of your bloodline.
23:04Present it to the Alpha Council if you ever need sanctuary.
23:08The Blackwoods may have abandoned you, but the pack has not.
23:11I held the locket to my chest and wept.
23:14Not for Silas.
23:15Not for what we'd lost.
23:17But for Luna's love.
23:18For her foresight.
23:20For her ensuring Iris would never be completely alone.
23:26Weeks passed.
23:27Silas remained in Southern Territory.
23:29But I never saw him.
23:30Rowan's visits became more frequent.
23:32He'd bring gifts for Iris.
23:34Chat with Father.
23:35Sometimes stay for dinner.
23:36Father clearly hoped something would develop between us.
23:39But I wasn't ready.
23:40One afternoon.
23:41Rowan asked if I'd like to visit the downtown square.
23:44The Harvest Moon Festival is coming.
23:47The pack puts on quite a show.
23:49I hesitated.
23:50That full moon hunt became my shadow.
23:53Which is why I've never attended any other festivals or celebrations all these years.
23:58Iris should see it.
23:59Rowan added gently.
24:01She is old enough now to enjoy the celebration.
24:03Alright.
24:04Let's go.
24:04We went downtown.
24:06Iris riding on my hip.
24:07String lights glowed warm across every storefront.
24:10Street performers breathed fire and shifted mid-dance.
24:13Iris squealed with delight, pointing at everything.
24:16Rowan bought her a small stuffed wolf toy with silver-tipped fur.
24:20She clutched it.
24:21Beaming.
24:21For a moment I felt light.
24:23Almost happy.
24:24We stopped at the great hall's steps where pack elders told stories.
24:28An old woman was recounting the legend of the first alpha and his destined mate.
24:33No distance could break it.
24:34No betrayal could sever it.
24:36Only death.
24:38Rowan listened intently then turned to me with a gentle smile.
24:41Do you remember the old stories?
24:44About wolves who found their true mates under the full moon?
24:46I nodded.
24:47As we walked past the bonfire circle, I noticed a figure in the shadows.
24:51Silas, he stood alone at the edge of the firelight, watching us.
24:54His wolf's presence was barely a flicker now.
24:57Broken, fading.
24:58Rowan noticed my gaze and looked over.
25:00Ignored him.
25:00I have no mind.
25:01He said quietly.
25:01Today is yours and Iris's.
25:03His wolf rising protectively.
25:04Today is for you and Iris.
25:05I nodded and turned away.
25:07Silas had made his choice.
25:08Now I was making mine.
25:13Spring turned to summer.
25:15Rowan had become part of our daily lives.
25:17Iris adored him, calling him Uncle Rowan.
25:20And demanding he play with her.
25:22Even the servants smiled seeing us together.
25:25One evening, Rowan asked to speak with me privately.
25:29We walked in the garden, magnolia petals drifting around us.
25:37Alera, I know it hasn't been long.
25:40His voice was gentle but serious.
25:43And I know your heart is still healing.
25:46But I want you to know.
25:48My feelings are sincere.
25:50I'm not asking you to forget the past.
25:52Or to love me the way you loved him.
25:53I just want to be by your side.
25:55To protect you and Iris.
25:57To give you both a safe harbor.
25:59I want to be the man you can always count on.
26:02He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.
26:06Inside was a simple ring,
26:07engraved with wolf patterns and pack rooms.
26:10Will you consider becoming mate?
26:15My breath caught.
26:17I looked at this man who'd shown me nothing but kindness.
26:20Who'd never rushed me.
26:22Never demanded anything who loved Iris like she was his own.
26:25His wolf reached for mine gently, not pushing, just offering.
26:32Rowan, I...
26:35You don't have to answer now.
26:37Take your time.
26:38Think about it.
26:40I nodded, taking the box.
26:42I'll wait.
26:43That night, I couldn't sleep.
26:44I thought about Silas' promises now broken.
26:47About pain and betrayal.
26:49About trust shattered.
26:50But I also thought about Rowan's steadiness.
26:53His patience.
26:54His genuine care for both Iris and me.
26:57Could I love again?
26:58Did I want to?
26:59Or would I let one betrayal poison the rest of my life?
27:03Iris stirred in her sleep, reaching for me.
27:06I held her close.
27:07I had to think of her future too.
27:09She deserved a complete family.
27:11Deserved a father who would truly cherish her.
27:14Rowan would be that father.
27:16I knew he would.
27:17As for love, maybe, it would grow with time.
27:20Maybe steady warmth was better than passionate fire anyway.
27:23Fire burned bright but left only ashes.
27:28I agreed to Rowan's proposal.
27:31The news spread quickly.
27:32Father was overjoyed.
27:34The household buzzed with excitement.
27:36Only one person's reaction I didn't know.
27:39Silas.
27:40The day before our mating ceremony,
27:42I went to the sacred grove to pray.
27:44It was a small clearing.
27:46Ancient trees surrounding a stone altar to the moon goddess.
27:49I lit wolf's bane incense and bowed my head.
27:53Moon goddess.
27:54Please bless Iris.
27:56Keep her safe and happy.
27:57As I turned to leave, I saw him.
28:00Silas stood at the edge of the grove.
28:02He looked like a shadow of his former self.
28:05Thin, worn.
28:06Eyes hollow.
28:07His wolf was barely present.
28:09A ghost of what it once was, Illera.
28:11His voice was barely a whisper.
28:13I should have walked past him.
28:15Should have ignored him completely.
28:17But something made me stop.
28:21What do you want, Silas?
28:23I said nothing.
28:25I am glad.
28:26His voice cracked.
28:27I heard you're mating tomorrow.
28:30Glad you're moving forward.
28:32That Iris will have a father who deserves her.
28:34I failed you both.
28:36I know that now, but I need to tell you.
28:38I'm leaving.
28:39Going into self-exile.
28:42Leaving?
28:46I stared at him.
28:48Living as a rogue.
28:49Nameless and alone.
28:52I won't return to the capital.
28:54Won't take another mate.
28:55Won't have any other life.
28:57This is my penance.
28:59Tears streamed down his face.
29:02Illera, I loved you.
29:03I truly did.
29:06I was just too foolish to see what I had until I destroyed it.
29:12I hope, I hope you'll be happy.
29:15That's all I want now.
29:16He bowed deeply in submission, then turned and walked away.
29:20I watched him disappear into the trees.
29:23A part of me felt vindicated.
29:24He was suffering, paying for his choices.
29:27But another part felt only emptiness.
29:30What good was his suffering now?
29:32I touched the crescent locket around my neck.
29:35It wouldn't change the past.
29:38It wouldn't undo the pain.
29:40I left the sacred grove and went home.
29:43Tomorrow I would mate with Rowan.
29:45Tomorrow I would start anew.
29:47The past was dead.
29:48Let it stay buried.
29:49Let it stay buried.
29:50Let it stop.
29:50Let it stay buried.
29:50Let it stay buried.
29:52Maya, I soaked it toutene
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