- 9 hours ago
The Blood Trial Silent Heartbreak
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00:00The wolves pinned me to the ground, claws tore my dress, fists cracked against my ribs, one after
00:05another. This was the blood trial. The harder they beat you, the more worthy you are as a bride.
00:09I didn't fight back, I didn't make a sound, because the man who was supposed to claim to me
00:13tonight had already carried my sister out the door. The packlands have a savage tradition known
00:17as the blood claiming. It demands the alpha steal his mate under the full moon, fighting through the
00:22pack's warriors to prove his power and right to her. I waited three years for alpha Silas. Finally,
00:27he and his wolves slipped into my pack. I was ready to run to him until I heard his hushed
00:32order.
00:32Grab Brianna in the chaos. She's fragile. If she's sold off to the alpha of the silverback pack to
00:38settle the debt, she won't survive the night. As for Alara, she'll fight like hell. She'll keep
00:44herself safe. His warriors hesitated. Silamis, you and Alara are already mated. If she finds out,
00:51she'll rein this pack to ash. Let her. It's dark enough. A case of mistaken identity during the
00:57claiming will be easy to explain. I'll calm her down later. He paused, his voice turning icy.
01:04Besides, the mating decree she signed was a forgery. We never held the mating ceremony.
01:08I promised Brianna a safe life. She's my priority. I heard every word from behind the door.
01:15I didn't howl. I didn't shift. I simply stepped back into the shadows. They'd expected me to fight,
01:21to claw apart anyone who'd tried to take me. Instead, I silently climbed onto the back of the wolf
01:26who'd broken into my room and became his mate.
01:31Alara, my contact at the council checked. You, you aren't actually Silas's bonded mate.
01:36I put down the phone. Something inside my chest shattered. I'd lived as Silas's mate for five
01:40years. All that time, the Crescent pack never accepted me. His mother never used my name,
01:45only ever referring to me as that girl. At pack gatherings, I was always seated at the farthest
01:50table in pack portraits. I was placed at the edge so I could be easily cropped out.
01:55Silas said his mother wouldn't let up until I broke, so he sent me back to the Thornhollow pack.
01:59He promised he'd follow our traditions and complete the formal blood claiming to bring me back as his
02:04Luna. Then the Crescent pack would have no choice but to accept me. I waited. For three years,
02:09I'd held my tongue, longing for this night. But he'd come for another woman. He'd kept me to see for
02:14years with a forged decree, all to hide the truth. The one he truly meant to claim was my half
02:19-sister,
02:19Brianna. I stared at my reflection. My face was empty. Wolf howl exploded across the grounds.
02:25The ritual had begun. Growls mixed with laughter, claws scraped against stone, and warriors put on
02:32a show of resisting. Ritual torches painted half the sky red. Another group of wolves had come from
02:36the silver backpack. They'd originally come for Brianna. By the rules of the ritual, if a she-wolf
02:41didn't want to be taken, she could hide and send them away empty-handed. But Brianna didn't hide.
02:46She waited in her room to be taken. And the wolf she waited for was my mate. The room I
02:51was in wasn't
02:51mine. It was Brianna's. That afternoon, my stepmother pulled me aside. For once, her voice
02:57was gentle. Alara, stay in Brianna's room tonight. Yours is too far back, too quiet. They'll never
03:04find you. The wolves coming for Brianna are savages. You've always been tough. You can handle
03:09the blood trial. Brianna is fragile. If she gets caught in the crossfire, it'll be a disaster.
03:16I said nothing. I knew exactly what she meant. By the rules of the blood claiming, the alpha's wolves
03:22would storm in. The she-wolf was expected to fight back with everything she had. It was called
03:27the blood trial. The harder she fought, the more valuable she was considered. The alpha had to prove
03:33he could pin her down and force her submission. Those claws drew real blood. My stepmother studied
03:38my face, testing me. Besides, Simus has never been here at night. The front room? He'll find you faster.
03:44Back then, I'd only wanted to make things easier for Silas. I agreed. I even sent him my room location
03:49through the mind link. But they'd been planning this switch all along.
03:55A roar of celebration erupted outside. We got her! The she-wolf is ours!
04:00Howls tore through the night sky, one after another, spreading across the territory like wildfire.
04:06I listened but didn't move. I knew exactly who they'd taken. I could picture Silas carrying Brianna
04:10through the crowd, his wolves flanking them, as pack members lunged and blocked their path. Brianna
04:15would hide her face against his back, pretending to struggle. How perfect! I lowered my gaze.
04:21Moments later, my door was kicked in. A group of wolves flooded into the dark room,
04:25eyes glowing amber in the black. Then the blood trial began. Someone seized my arm,
04:30claws biting into skin. Fists cracked against my spine, claws raked across my shoulders and back.
04:35The harder the beating, the more the pack valued the bride. I let them drag me from my chair toward
04:40the
04:40door, their claws leaving red trails down my arms. At first it felt like a formality. But the violence
04:45quickly turned savage. Someone slammed me into the stone wall, fangs snapping inches from my throat.
04:53This was intentional. The pain was excruciating, but I didn't make a sound. I finally understood
04:58what my stepmother had meant by calling me tough. Just when I thought it would never end, a body slammed
05:04between us, throwing the attackers off me. Enough! It was a stranger's voice, sharp with fury. He stood
05:11over me, claws out, and shoved the others back with a snarl. That's the rule. The harder we hit,
05:17the more she's worth. What rule? His voice dropped to a dangerous growl, canines lengthening. This isn't
05:24your mate! If someone was tearing into your she-wolf like prey, would you just stand there and watch? The
05:30room went silent. He glanced back at me. In the shadows, I could only make out the sharp line of
05:35his jaw and the amber flash of his eyes. Then he bent down and hoisted me onto his back. Who
05:40is he?
05:41He's taking this ritual way too seriously. He carried me out in long, steady strides. Wolves chased after
05:46us, snapping and lunging, but his grip on my legs never wavered. When he finally carried me out of the
05:52pack house, he paused to catch his breath. In the distance, the faint glow of ritual torches moved.
05:57That was the other group. Crossing the corridor, I heard their laughter. Silas was at the front,
06:04sweat-soaked, but wearing a triumphant smile. Brianna was on his back, her arms wrapped tight
06:09around his neck. His wolves were cheering. I lay silent on the stranger's back as they drew near.
06:17Torchlight flickered across my face. Silas's eyes flicked over me for a split second.
06:21Then his gaze moved on, turning back to his wolves as he joked and laughed. He didn't recognize me.
06:28Brianna whispered something in his ear, and he leaned in with a soft smile.
06:32I suddenly thought back to three years ago, when I'd returned to the Thorn Hollow pack to
06:36visit my father and stayed for a while. The first time Silas came to find me there,
06:41he'd worn that exact same smile. That day, my father's warriors put him to the test. My father
06:49sent a dozen warriors to block him at the gates. Claws out, fangs bared, they told him to turn back.
06:54He fought through every single one of them and showed up at my door, bruised, bloodied,
06:59barely standing. I asked if it hurt. He grinned through the blood. For my mate, I'd take a lot worse.
07:06He was of the proud alpha heir, yet he'd taken a beating from my father's warriors,
07:10just for me. He always acted like it was nothing, but I knew the truth. My father's wolves didn't go
07:17easy on outsiders. Another time, it poured rain. He showed up soaked to the bone, his shirt torn,
07:25but the pastries tucked inside his jacket were still dry. He pushed the pastries into my hands,
07:30smiling. Didn't want you to wait too long. I held those pastries, staring at the cut on his cheek,
07:37and thought, this is the wolf I'll spend my life with. But now, he carried Brianna with that exact
07:43same smile. My vision blurred for a second, then sharpened again. When did it all start to change?
07:51Probably three years ago, when my father died, I felt completely hollow inside. Silas cancelled
07:57everything to stay at the Thorn Hollow pack with me for two weeks. The day he had to leave, he
08:03took my
08:03hand and spoke softly. Alara, you just got through the funeral and you look awful. If my mother sees
08:09you like this, she'll start on you again. I don't want you putting up with that. Just stay here at
08:13the
08:13room and rest. You've always wanted to take over the pack's affairs, right? I'll go wake and smooth
08:19thing for at home, then come get you. I looked at him and nodded. I was truly exhausted from the
08:25constant fighting with his mother. Back then, I believed he was looking out for me, that he didn't
08:30want me to go back and face those cold stares. Only later did I realize, distance doesn't create beauty.
08:36It just makes it easier for him to love someone else. Last year, when his mother turned 60,
08:42Silas came to bring me back. The moment I stepped inside, I saw my stepsister Brianna.
08:47She was supposed to be in another pack for work, but there she was in the main hall,
08:52arranging things, her movements smooth and familiar. Silas paused while taking off his coat
08:57and explained, Brianna's assignment is near our territory. She's staying here temporarily.
09:02There wasn't a trace of guilt in his voice, and I didn't push for more.
09:09My father didn't take a second mate until I was already grown. Brianna was stepmother's daughter.
09:15We'd never been close. Over the years, we'd only seen each other during gatherings.
09:20I couldn't quite put into words how I felt about her staying there. When Brianna saw me walk in,
09:25she called out warmly, I nodded but said nothing. Back then, I never could have imagined. For three
09:37years, I waited alone in the Thorn Hollow pack. And all that time, my little sister had been working
09:42in the Crescent pack. Now watching Brianna on Silas' back, it all suddenly clicked. I hadn't
09:48been waiting for him to bring me home at all. I'd been waiting for my heart to die. Brianna's voice
09:53drifted closer on the wind. What about Alara? If she finds out, she'll lose it.
09:59She's all bark and no bite. She'll get over it after throwing a fit.
10:05It's pitch black during the blood claiming I just made a mistake.
10:09She'll feel sorry for me before she even gets angry. Once she finds out, I'll just smooth it over.
10:17Brianna laughed softly. My knuckles whitened. One of his wolves spoke up suddenly.
10:21Alpha, what if someone else claimed Alara? The group fell quiet.
10:26You think she'd let anyone take her without a fight? Then Silas laughed.
10:30With that temper of hers, she'll tear the place apart tonight.
10:34True. No way Alama goes quietly.
10:38Feel sorry for that poor bastard. Wonder what he looks like now.
10:42The laughter swelled. I looked down.
10:45Let's go.
10:47He must have heard everything. Heard them laughing about me. Heard how they thought I'd rip someone's
10:52throat out. But he said nothing. He just kept walking.
10:58At the edge of the Thorn Hollow territory, we ran straight into them. Someone from the other side
11:03called out. His steps halted. A quiet. Silas moved closer with Brianna on his back, grinning.
11:12It really is you. You claiming someone tonight too? Yeah. Who?
11:18I buried my face in Killian's shoulder, showing only the back of my head.
11:22A neighboring family. Silas stared at me a moment longer, then laughed.
11:27Damn, man. Always figured you'd stay unmade forever. Congrats-its.
11:32Killian just grunted. Silas took a step forward. I felt his gaze linger on my back.
11:37That look lasted too long. Long enough I almost thought he'd recognized me.
11:41Let's go. Wait!
11:46Silas frowned. He was about to speak. Brianna's voice cut in, soft and pained.
11:51Simus, my ankle hurts.
11:52What's wrong? Did you twist it earlier?
11:54I don't know. It just aches. Her voice dropped.
11:57Let's go. We need to get to your territory before sunrise.
12:00Silas didn't waste another second. He nodded at Killian.
12:04Gotta run. I'll buy you a drink next time.
12:06Their footsteps faded into the distance. Killian spoke quietly.
12:10He really didn't recognize you. I rested my face against his shoulder and said nothing.
12:14My eyes stung, but I didn't cry. He seemed to sense it. His pace slowed, steps gentle and steady.
12:20The moon was bright. The road stretched on. I had no idea where he was taking me. But in that
12:26moment,
12:26I thought anywhere was better than going back.
12:31Music filled the crescent pack's great hall. The whole place buzzed with celebration. Wine flowed freely and wolves danced to
12:38old songs.
12:38This was the feast after a successful blood claiming. By tradition, it would last until sunrise.
12:44Silas sat at the edge of the crowd, phone in hand. The screen lit up, went dark, then lit again.
12:50No messages from Alara.
12:51That wasn't like her. She never kept things bottled up. If she'd found out he'd claimed the wrong she-wolf,
12:57she would have called screaming by now. He already had his excuses ready.
13:00It was pitch black. Don't overthink it. You're the only one I want. He'd wait for her to blow up
13:07over
13:07the phone, then talk her down gently. She'd hurl some threat, and he'd smooth it over. Done.
13:13She never stayed mad at him for long. But this time, no call, no text, no yelling. One of his
13:20wolves
13:20wandered over with a drink. Alpha still staring at your phone? Waiting on Alara? Don't bother.
13:25Signal's dead out here. Her area gets fine signal. Then her phone's probably dead. Or she didn't see
13:31it. Another wolf chimed in. She's probably off tearing someone apart right now. Everyone laughed.
13:38Silas stayed quiet. Alara had once told him, I set a special ringtone for your messages.
13:43Don't want to miss them. She'd sit out in the courtyard till midnight, just waiting for him to call.
13:50He didn't believe she didn't see it. But he had no better explanation.
13:55Alright, quit overthinking. This is your big night. Your mate's waiting for you. What are you doing
14:00sitting here? Once you've claimed her, you stay with her all night. Finish the ritual.
14:04Silas' frown deepened.
14:06I told Brianna this was temporary. He said quietly.
14:10I just got her out of there. I didn't plan on-
14:13Didn't plan on what?
14:14The wolf cut him off, frustrated.
14:15Alpha, this is the blood claiming, not a game. You took her, you finish it. Otherwise,
14:20you insult her whole pack. Besides, you and Alara have been together for years.
14:23She won't care about formalities. Just get through tonight.
14:26Silas opened his mouth to argue. Brianna appeared beside him.
14:29What are you guys talking about?
14:30Silas froze, about to explain. Brianna's voice softened.
14:34Simus, in our tradition, the blood claiming only happens once in a lifetime.
14:40I know this one's fake, but can we at least finish the ritual?
14:45She looked up at him, her eyes glistening.
14:48I know you love Alara, but just for tonight. Can you pretend I'm your Luna, just tonight?
14:56Silas said nothing. Brianna bowed her head, her lashes fluttering. The crowd started chanting,
15:01Toast the Luna!
15:03Silas picked up his glass, linking arms with Brianna. Firelight danced across both their faces.
15:09Cheers and laughter erupted around them, loud enough to rattle the walls. He drank. But his eyes
15:15kept straying to the dark road beyond the territory. The same road he'd carried Brianna down tonight.
15:21At the gate, he'd run into Killian. They'd met years ago at annual meetup. They'd had a few drinks
15:27together. Acquaintances, at best. Tonight, Killian had been carrying someone too. Said she was from another
15:33family. She'd been thin, lying quietly on Killian's back. Only a glimpse of her neck was visible.
15:38The line of that neck, the curve of her bowed head. It had felt strangely familiar,
15:43but Brianna had cried out in pain, so he hadn't looked again.
15:48Now, thinking back, that silhouette- Silas? Brianna's voice pulled him back to the present.
15:54Is that okay? He nodded, distracted. Yeah.
15:58Then he stepped aside, pulled out his phone, and dialed Ilara's number. He needed to explain. He
16:04needed to make sure she didn't misunderstand. Finally, someone picked up. Hello? A middle-aged
16:10woman's voice. Silas blinked. Let me talk to Alara. Alora? The woman paused. She's not here.
16:21We're packing up her stuff to send over. Send over? Send where?
16:27Alora never lets her phone leave her her hand. Where are you sending her things? The woman on the
16:32other end hesitated, not expecting the question. I'm Alora's aunt. We have to pack her things and
16:39send them to her mate's pack. Mate's pack? He paused. So Alara was preparing to move back in
16:45with him. That made sense. He'd always planned to bring her back after the blood claiming.
16:49Stopped leaving her at the Thorn Hollow pack alone.
16:53Auntie, about the blood claiming tonight, there was a bit of a mix-up. Alara say anything?
17:01No. Several packs did blood claimings tonight. What would Alara?
17:04Alara? Despite the words, a sense of unease surged in him. Just as he was about to ask more,
17:10the aunt interrupted him hurriedly. Oh, I can't talk anymore. We're busy packing.
17:15Both Aloda and Brianna were taken tonight. We have to get their things ready.
17:21Silas froze. What did she mean both were taken? Didn't he only take Brianna?
17:26As for Alara, she would never go with someone she didn't love.
17:30He gripped the phone. Auntie, you said Alara was taken?
17:34Yes, by the Ironclaw pack. Silas' throat tightened. He couldn't speak.
17:38He suddenly remembered something, and his mind exploded. Ironclaw. Killian, the wolf he met at
17:44the gate, the one carrying a girl, saying she was his mate. That silhouette that looked so familiar.
17:50His voice was choked. She didn't fight?
17:53Fight? Why would she? A blood claiming isn't a bad thing. She was as quiet as could be. She just
17:57went with
17:57him. We all thought it was strange. With her temper, shouldn't she have clawed the wolf to pieces?
18:02But nothing happened. She just let him carry her away.
18:06Silas' hand began to shake. Quiet as could be. Just let him carry her away.
18:11No fight. No snarl. No resistance. No, that wasn't Alara. That wasn't the Alara he knew.
18:20He remembered talking to Alara about blood claimings before. She had been perched on the big tree,
18:25swinging her legs, speaking excitedly. The she-wolves in the thorn hollow pack,
18:29if they're claimed by someone they don't want, they don't just let them. They claw, bite, and snarl.
18:35They fight until the wolf gives up himself. He had teased her then. You're so wild. Who would
18:42dare claim you? She had rolled her eyes, her chin held high. Well, it depends on who's coming. If it's
18:48you…
18:50She had stopped suddenly, her face flushing as she turned away. Anyway,
18:53if it's you, I'd just put on a show of struggling a little, for appearances. He teased her. Just a
18:59little? Three times at most. She glared at him, then laughed, her eyes bright like mountain stars.
19:06If you came to claim me, I'd probably be the first to jump on your back so you wouldn't have
19:10to take
19:10those hits. He had thought then. This girl is so foolish.
19:17Auntie. His voice barely controlled. Alara, when was she taken?
19:23When? The aunt thought for a moment. Tonight, right after you left.
19:28Silas opened his mouth, but not a single word came out. Hello? Hello?
19:33Simus? Are you still there? I'm here.
19:37Why are you asking so much? Alara's mate will take care of her.
19:40You claimed Brianna tonight, didn't you? That poor girl's had it rough. Take good care of her.
19:45Silas said nothing.
19:47Alright, I have to go. We're still packing. Alara left in such a hurry,
19:51she forgot so many things. We have to get them to her. Bye now.
19:56The line went dead. He stood at the edge of the crowd, white-knuckling his phone. Around him were
20:02songs, laughter, music, all the noise of celebration.
20:08Congratulations, man.
20:09Someone shoved a drink into his hand, tugging him toward the dance floor. Brianna waved at him from
20:15across the fire, but he couldn't hear a thing. While he'd been carrying Brianna away,
20:21Alara had been lying on another wolf's back. They had passed each other in the dark. He'd thought
20:27she would fight, snarl, resist. But she did nothing.
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