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