- 12 minutes ago
Not Worth It The Alpha's Broken Vow - Full
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00:00Silas, your Luna marking ceremony is in a fortnight.
00:02What are you going to do about that little human stray you've got tucked away in the
00:05territory?
00:06My boots stopped dead on the heavy stone floor of the packhouse hallway.
00:09The crystal glass in my hand groaned as my fingers tightened, hairline fractures spider
00:13webbing through the surface.
00:14I knew that tone.
00:15The mocking rumble of high-ranking predators who viewed omegas and humans as nothing more
00:19than prey to be marked, claimed, and discarded once the utility was gone.
00:23Keep your muzzles shut.
00:24As long as none of you run your mouths, Lyra Thorne won't find out until the blood oath
00:28is sealed.
00:29A single, heavy oak door.
00:31That was all that separated me from the male I had loved with every beat of my heart for
00:34three years.
00:35In that thin, suffocating space, my entire world went weightless.
00:39He wasn't just betraying our bond, he was managing it, calculating the distance between
00:43my heart and his throne, turning me into a shameful secret he could keep caged while
00:48he took another female to his bed and bred an heir.
00:50Humiliation hit first.
00:52A choking, scalding heat that rose in my throat.
00:54But then something colder settled underneath.
00:56A primal, icy stillness that didn't cry, didn't plead, and certainly didn't bargain for scraps
01:02of affection.
01:03I didn't growl.
01:04I didn't storm in to challenge the Alpha's authority.
01:06I simply turned my back on the scent of cedar and whiskey that had once meant home and walked
01:10away.
01:11That night, alone in the penthouse, I called an encrypted relocation service.
01:15The woman on the line had a professional, neutral voice that felt like a lifeline in
01:20a drowning sea.
01:20Ms. Thorne, once we initiate the protocol, it takes about two weeks.
01:24Your legal identity will be scrubbed.
01:25We'll provide a scent masking serum for your relocation.
01:28The PAX trackers, the blood ties, the people who know your signature, they won't be able
01:32to find you the way they can now.
01:34They won't be able to find me again.
01:36The thought was a jagged relief, sharp and necessary, like cutting away a piece of infected
01:41flesh so the rest could heal.
01:42Perfect.
01:43I'm sure.
01:44When Silas came home that night, he was drunk.
01:47The smell of high-proof whiskey hit first, then his warm, familiar frame wrapping around
01:52me from behind.
01:53Little mate.
01:54He slurred.
01:55Why didn't you come pick me up?
01:56You smell so damn good.
01:58His hands started roaming, greedy and comfortable, claiming my body like it was already his consolation
02:04prize.
02:06Reyna Sterling sent a photo, Silas in study, Reyna on his lap.
02:10His arm around her, smiling warmly, text beneath, we're getting married, Silas thinks you are
02:14not worth it, leave, not worth it.
02:17Three words like a silver blade, my phone died, snow drifted down.
02:20The truth hit with the force of a blizzard, if I stayed on the ridge, they'd be scraping
02:24my frozen remains off the mountain.
02:26The second I stepped into the shadows of the pines, fear climbed my spine in slow, ugly
02:31waves.
02:31Scared again, they're just shadows a few trees are throwing, what are they going to do?
02:35Eat you.
02:36Now, standing alone among the pines, I heard his words all over again, each teasing murmur,
02:41each solemn promise.
02:42With me here, let the dark be as dark as it likes.
02:45All you have to do is close your eyes.
02:47He'd promised no shadow would touch me.
02:49Tonite, he left me here all the same.
02:51When I reached the penthouse, it was black and silent.
02:54Silas was with his fiancée.
02:55The next thing I remember is being shaken awake.
02:57Silas hovered over me, his face tight with panic.
03:00Lyra, you are burning up, we're going to the medical wing now.
03:03At the hospital, he snarled questions at the staff.
03:06The doctor smiled at me.
03:07You've got a good mate here.
03:09The irony nearly made me choke.
03:11Silas leaned closer, and beneath his cedar scent was the cloying floral of another wolf.
03:15Reyna, the nurse swabbed my arm for the IV.
03:18Silas pulled my head to his chest.
03:20Hey, hey, just a little pinch.
03:21I've got you, baby.
03:23You are fine.
03:24When I woke, Silas was gone.
03:25Coming out of the bathroom, I saw them.
03:28Silas guided Reyna out of an Obigian office with reverence.
03:31He held her as if she were porcelain.
03:32Two months.
03:33You are a mother now.
03:34You can't be reckless anymore.
03:36Reyna giggled.
03:37Then you have to watch me, Silas.
03:38The pup needs his father, too.
03:40Of course.
03:41And the ceremony is in less than two weeks.
03:43I don't want you tired.
03:44Not you.
03:44Not our heir.
03:45I stood frozen as their footsteps faded.
03:48They had a child.
03:49A pup.
03:49I wiped my face hard, my fingers coming away wet and cold.
03:53Suddenly, something clinked against the porcelain of the sink.
03:55I looked down.
03:57A ring.
03:58The silver band was the ring Silas had slid onto my finger after dropping to one knee.
04:02Silas returned around ten that night.
04:04He crossed the room in a predatory stride, dropped to one knee, and slid the ring back
04:08onto my finger with terrifying tenderness.
04:10Little mate.
04:11You didn't even notice you lost it.
04:12This is our promise.
04:13You are my future.
04:15Where were you today?
04:16I caught it.
04:17A flicker of guilt.
04:18Then it smoothed over.
04:19Pack business.
04:20Something urgent required my presence.
04:22I turned toward the television.
04:24Silas took my silence as submission.
04:26Baby, let's go riding tomorrow.
04:28The doctor said you need sun and fresh air.
04:30I didn't argue.
04:31I only needed to hold out until my exit date.
04:34The next day, Reyna Sterling was at the ranch.
04:36I expected Silas to go to her.
04:38Instead, he wrapped a possessive arm around my waist.
04:40Lyra, come on.
04:41I'll teach you.
04:42He didn't look at Reyna once.
04:43He helped me up.
04:45Stayed close.
04:45Then exhaustion hit.
04:47I am tired.
04:48Silas brought me back to sit.
04:49He stood.
04:50Stay here, baby.
04:51I am going to grab you some water.
04:52I followed his scent behind the barn.
04:55Reyna launched herself into his arms.
04:57What did I tell you?
04:58Until the marking ceremony, we act as if we don't know each other.
05:01If Lyra makes a scene, it will damage the pack alliance.
05:04But the pup misses you.
05:05And she hasn't found out anyway.
05:08Silas' expression softened.
05:10He leaned down and kissed her, slow, claiming, and deep.
05:13Something in my chest ripped clean in half.
05:15I turned and walked away.
05:16When Silas returned, he wore a fake, regretful smile.
05:20Sorry, little mate.
05:21I had to take a call.
05:22What happened?
05:23Why are you bruised?
05:24Dark crescents marked my palms where I dug my nails in.
05:26I want to ride, and I want to ride alone.
05:29Reyna's horse slammed into mine.
05:31I threw myself off, hitting the hard-packed earth.
05:34My shoulders screamed, my hip lit up with agony.
05:36When I looked up, Silas already had Reyna in his arms.
05:39His alpha instincts had chosen who to shield before his brain could process the wreckage.
05:44His eyes found me.
05:45For half a second, his muscles tensed.
05:47The pup!
05:48Silas froze.
05:49His arms tightened around her.
05:51Lyra.
05:51She is carrying.
05:52She can't take a fall like that.
05:54Let me take her to the pack healers first.
05:56Okay?
05:56He scooped her up and rushed off, leaving me in the dirt.
05:59A ranch trainer helped me up.
06:01Are you hurt, ma'am?
06:02I am fine.
06:03I limped toward the parking lot.
06:04The alpha's car was already gone.
06:06The next morning, Silas sat on the edge of the bed, watching me.
06:09He clasped a platinum bracelet onto my wrist and kissed my hand.
06:12Sorry, little mate.
06:13I should have checked you first.
06:15But she is carrying my friend's pup.
06:17You get that, right?
06:18My friend's pup.
06:19The lie landed like ash.
06:21Not worth it.
06:21I didn't realize I'd said it out loud until Silas went still.
06:25Panic cut through him.
06:26What?
06:26Baby, you are the most worth it person I've ever met.
06:29I lifted my eyes, calm and hollow.
06:31I saw a story yesterday, a couple.
06:33The male thought they were mated, but the female secretly pledged herself to another.
06:37People argued if he should forgive her.
06:39What do you think?
06:39He shouldn't forgive her.
06:40Not a chance.
06:41I agree.
06:42He shouldn't.
06:43Before he could reclaim me, I stood.
06:45I am hungry.
06:46Relief flickered across his face.
06:48Then I'll cook.
06:48Go wash up.
06:49Two days later was my birthday.
06:52Silas insisted on celebrating a day early.
06:54He lit the candles and sang.
06:56I closed my eyes and made my wish, please aunts I leave him.
07:00Let me start over.
07:01What'd you wish for?
07:01Silas grinned.
07:02I cut the cake calmly.
07:04To leave you, I answered in the dark of my heart.
07:06He wasn't home that night.
07:07I moved through rooms, packing only my things.
07:10I found all our photos, carried them outside.
07:13I struck a match, watched our memories turn to ash.
07:16I left all his gifts behind.
07:17I bought a new SIM card, cutting the digital link.
07:20Ladder, a livestream interview showed up.
07:22Reyna Sterling in white lace under studio lights.
07:25An arm I knew well wrapped around her waist off camera.
07:28How did you two meet?
07:29The host asked.
07:30Reyna gave a shy smile.
07:32It was an arrangement between our families.
07:34Just because it started as an arrangement doesn't mean it hasn't turned into real love.
07:38When's the wedding?
07:39Four days.
07:40It will be the greatest ceremony this city has ever seen.
07:43That night, Silas came home, carrying a box.
07:46Inside was a pale, delicate dress.
07:48What is this?
07:48You want me standing beside you at your wedding?
07:51His entire frame went rigid.
07:52What?
07:52Come on, Silas.
07:54That is a bridesmaid dress.
07:56Relief washed over him visibly.
07:58Oh, baby.
07:58No.
07:59He wrapped his arms around me.
08:00Why would you ever be a bridesmaid?
08:02If you are not the bride, then who is?
08:04My bride can only be you.
08:06In the days leading up to the wedding, I overheard him on the phone.
08:08Reyna.
08:09I am handling it.
08:10I have to keep her calm.
08:11If she acts up on the wedding day, the scandal will blow up.
08:14Just behave.
08:15He wasn't spending time with me.
08:16He was managing me, the night before the wedding.
08:18Lyra, tomorrow you are going to stay home, okay?
08:21Be good.
08:22Don't go anywhere.
08:23I'll come back tonight with a surprise for you.
08:25The next morning, the signal was dead.
08:27No data.
08:28No television.
08:29The housekeeper came over tense.
08:30Ma'am, the internet is being repaired.
08:32It might be out all day.
08:33That is fine.
08:34I'll go out for a bit then.
08:35The alpha told me.
08:36He said you should stay home and wait for him.
08:38I looked past the curtains and caught the shape of them.
08:41Two enforcers.
08:41They weren't guarding against intruders.
08:43They were guarding against me.
08:45So this was Silas' ultimate solution.
08:47Kill the signal, plant guards, and call it protection.
08:49Okay, I told the housekeeper.
08:52I am going to rest upstairs.
08:53In the bedroom, I packed the last items that were mine.
08:56I pulled out a gift box, laid the platinum ring and bracelet inside, and slid in a note.
09:01Then I tore the silk bedsheets into strips, knotted them together, and tossed the makeshift
09:06rope out the second floor window.
09:07I climbed down and slipped off the property.
09:09The relocation agency handed me a new ID and a plane ticket.
09:12I walked outside to hail a ride.
09:14Oh my god.
09:15That's so romantic.
09:16A woman gasped.
09:17A giant outdoor screen was streaming the ceremony live.
09:21Silas stood on the dais in a bespoke black suit, his hand possessively on Reyna's waist.
09:25As the officiant spoke the binding words, they kissed.
09:28I tugged my baseball cap down and climbed into the cab, airport.
09:32At the terminal, a breaking alert buzzed on my phone.
09:35The post called me a mistress who had seduced the alpha and tried to break a sacred love
09:38story.
09:39What a trashy homewrecker.
09:41Zero shame.
09:42I didn't defend myself after today.
09:44There would be no Lyra Thorne.
09:45When the plane lifted off.
09:46For the first time in three years, I breathed air that didn't feel borrowed.
09:50Then my phone vibrated.
09:51A video file named 1230th.
09:53The night Silas had forgotten my existence at the bar.
09:56I learned later that Silas Vane didn't see the world ending that day.
09:59He saw it through a screen.
10:01He just stepped off the dais when he checked his phone and saw the post about me.
10:04The blood drained from his face.
10:06He called my number immediately.
10:07Only to hear, the number you have dialed is no longer in service.
10:12Silas baby.
10:13We're supposed to go toast the elders.
10:14He yanked his arm free with a snarl that sent a shockwave through the ballroom.
10:18He drove to the penthouse like a predator on a blood trail.
10:21Where is Lyra?
10:22The housekeeper flinched.
10:23Ma'am, she's upstairs resting.
10:26He took the stairs three at a time and shoved the bedroom door open.
10:29The bed was empty.
10:30His gaze cut to the window, white silk strips dangling down the stone.
10:33The very ones I'd used to escape.
10:35He spun on the enforcers.
10:36How do you lose a human?
10:38They submitted.
10:38Go.
10:39Find her.
10:39Now.
10:40Silas stood in the silent room.
10:41His eyes landed on the gift box I'd left.
10:43When he opened it, his hands shook.
10:45Congratulations on your wedding.
10:47Beneath the paper were the ring and the bracelet.
10:49Returned like he was nothing.
10:50He realized then, I hadn't suspected I'd known.
10:53Send me the hallway security footage from the club, on the 23rd.
10:56He pressed play.
10:57There I was, standing outside the heavy oak door.
10:59The voices spilled through.
11:01His friends laughing.
11:02And his own voice.
11:03She is not worth it.
11:04I didn't storm in.
11:05I didn't cry.
11:06I just stood there.
11:07My shoulders shaking once before I turned and walked away.
11:10Fuck.
11:10He whispered, a ragged sob.
11:12He slapped himself hard on twice.
11:14Every excuse he'd fed me.
11:15Every coaxing promise.
11:16I'd been watching him perform the entire time.
11:19He remembered the ring at the hospital.
11:20I hadn't lost it.
11:22I'd thrown it away.
11:23He tore the room apart.
11:24There was nothing.
11:25No clothes.
11:26No lingering scent.
11:27I had erased myself.
11:28His phone buzzed.
11:29It was the trackers.
11:30I found out later that the trackers reported back to him.
11:33Alpha.
11:33We've traced the SIM card signal.
11:35It is still within vain territory.
11:36Silas sprinted toward the location.
11:38But there was only the small piece of plastic I discarded near the secondary gate.
11:42A calculated move.
11:43He returned to the penthouse and collapsed onto the couch.
11:46The realization that he didn't know where I would go chewed at his sanity.
11:48His phone rang.
11:49Silas baby.
11:50Raina whined.
11:51Stomach hurts.
11:52Come keep me company.
11:53Your stomach hurts.
11:54I hope it hurts enough to end you.
11:56He hurled the phone across the room.
11:58It rang again immediately.
11:59The High Luna.
12:00Silas.
12:01The sterling pack is demanding blood restitution.
12:03Get back here and apologize to your bride.
12:05If they're unhappy, they can rot in the abyss.
12:08The alliance is over.
12:09He cut the call.
12:10His gaze dropped to the gold band on his finger.
12:12He ripped it off and hurled it into the darkness.
12:14He stumbled upstairs and retrieved the old silver band from a hidden drawer.
12:18The one he'd worn for me in private and slid it back on.
12:21Then he picked up the ring I'd left behind, cradling it in his palm.
12:24He'd promised to be my shield.
12:25Instead, he'd become the blade that gutted me.
12:27He threaded my ring onto a heavy steel chain and fastened it around his neck.
12:31It rested against his heart, a vow and a punishment.
12:34Logan.
12:35Find out who planted the mistress scandal.
12:37Ten minutes later, Alpha.
12:38It was traced to a server owned by the Sterling family.
12:41Raina Sterling paid the bloggers herself.
12:43Silas's knuckles went white.
12:45He dialed Raina.
12:46Silas, baby.
12:47Your little heir misses you.
12:49I told you not to touch Lyra.
12:50I warned you she was off limits, and yet you ran to the media to smear her name.
12:55The silence was thick with sudden fear.
12:57You really have a death wish, don't you?
12:59Raina's phone clattered onto the marble floor.
13:01I can only imagine her terror when she realized.
13:04He knows.
13:05She scrambled, hand flying to her stomach.
13:07She dialed the High Luna.
13:08Mother Silas is coming for me.
13:10He is going to hurt me because of that human girl.
13:12Lyra Thorne is nothing.
13:14I'm coming.
13:15I will shield you.
13:17By the time Silas's SUV tore through the Sterling gates,
13:20a wall of the High Luna's enforcers had formed a perimeter.
13:23Silas didn't slow.
13:24Get them out of my way.
13:25The perimeter was shredded in seconds.
13:27In the grand drawing room, the High Luna stood with Raina huddled behind her.
13:31Raina is the Luna of this pack.
13:33You will not touch her.
13:34Mother, step aside.
13:36I will not!
13:37I won't let you destroy our legacy because of that human bitch!
13:40Enough.
13:41He roared.
13:42That is my mate you are talking about.
13:43Even if you are the one who birthed me, you will not speak of her with that filth.
13:47He stepped back.
13:48Escort my mother and anyone else on my way outside.
13:51Now.
13:51His enforcers dragged the matriarch toward the foyer, ignoring her screams.
13:55The heavy doors slammed shut.
13:56Raina's tears stopped instantly.
13:58She shrank into the corner, clutching a pillow.
14:00Silas walked toward her slowly.
14:02Raina.
14:03I told you not to mess with Lyra.
14:05But you couldn't resist.
14:06You had to smear her name until she had no choice but to vanish.
14:09Raina scrambled to her knees.
14:10I am sorry, Silas.
14:11I was stupid.
14:12Forgive me.
14:13He clamped his fingers onto her jaw like a steel trap.
14:16Because of you, Lyra Thorne is gone.
14:18I could tear you apart a thousand times, and it wouldn't be enough to pay for one of her tears.
14:21Know the pup.
14:22Silas, I am pregnant.
14:23It is your heir.
14:24You can't throw him away.
14:26Silas leaned in, his expression cold.
14:28Heir.
14:29You think I care about a pup born from a parasite?
14:32If it isn't Lyra's child, it means nothing to me.
14:34Silas yanked Raina by the wrist and dragged her toward the grand entrance.
14:37She screamed, heels skidding across marble.
14:39I never loved you.
14:40I have only ever loved Lyra.
14:42You were a business arrangement.
14:44The heavy doors swung open.
14:45High Luna vein broke free from the enforcers.
14:48Silas!
14:48She is carrying your pup!
14:50Silas threw Raina toward the back seat.
14:52He looked at his mother, expression flat.
14:54She won't be in a minute.
14:55The High Luna went blank with horror.
14:57Silas shoved Raina into the vehicle and slammed the door.
15:00Drive.
15:01To the private medical facility now.
15:02The surgical suite was prepped.
15:04Raina thrashed and sobbed.
15:06No, my pup.
15:07Don't do this.
15:08Silas, please.
15:09I know I was wrong.
15:10Just spare the pup.
15:11Onlookers whispered, recognizing the couple from the wedding.
15:13Silas pushed Raina into the operating room.
15:15As the doors began to close, she threw herself against the glass.
15:18Silas, please.
15:20He didn't look back in the hallway.
15:21The sterling alpha stormed in, swinging a fist.
15:23Silas caught his wrist and shoved him back.
15:25That's your child.
15:27You're murdering your own blood because of that human stray.
15:29Shut up.
15:30She's not a homewrecker.
15:31She is the woman I love.
15:32You know exactly what the truth is.
15:34Silas pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his hand.
15:36I am cleaning out the mess your family helped create.
15:38Don't push your luck.
15:39He dropped the handkerchief at the man's feet and turned his back.
15:42Half an hour later, the surgical light flickered off.
15:45Silas walked away.
15:46I heard that the boardroom was a den of agitated predators afterward.
15:49If you proceed with a press conference, the Vein Group stock will plummet.
15:53Silas sat at the head of the table expression, unreadable.
15:56The press conference is happening.
15:57This meeting was a notification, not a debate.
15:59He walked out.
16:00His father's voice cut through the hallway.
16:02Silas.
16:02Silas stopped but didn't turn.
16:04We can give Lyra whatever she wants.
16:06Go to her.
16:07Maybe she will take it.
16:08She won't.
16:09He knew I wouldn't take a single coin.
16:10I didn't even want him anymore.
16:12The next day, he stood before a wall of cameras.
16:14Reyna forced beside him.
16:16Everything circulating online is a fabrication.
16:18Lyra and I have been together since college.
16:20Reyna was never my mate.
16:21She was a family arrangement.
16:23I lied to her.
16:24I betrayed her.
16:25And I will spend the rest of my life making it right.
16:27Beside him, Reyna was pale and hollow-eyed.
16:30Silas leaned in, his voice lethal.
16:32Your family name, or your pride, choose.
16:34She admitted her role in the scandal and apologized while cameras zoomed in.
16:38The public turned its vitriol on the Vein and Sterling families.
16:41Afterwards, Silas was summoned to his father's study and ordered to kneel.
16:45Look at the wreckage!
16:46We are bleeding millions every day!
16:48Silas lifted his chin.
16:49I will not let the woman I love carry the label of a mistress for the rest of her life.
16:54Oh, now she is the woman you love?
16:56Where was that love when you signed the engagement papers?
17:00It serves you right that she vanished.
17:03You built this disaster with your own hands.
17:05I don't care about the company.
17:07I only care about Lyra.
17:08I will get her back.
17:09He went straight to the penthouse.
17:11The moment he stepped inside, the silence hit him like a physical blow.
17:14My scent was gone.
17:15It was as if I'd never lived there at all.
17:17I later learned that for Silas, the silence of the penthouse was a physical weight.
17:21He stood in the kitchen, remembering how he'd once complained about making me dinner.
17:25That memory felt like a silver blade.
17:27To punish himself, he spent three hours preparing a spread of my favorite dishes.
17:32He set an empty bowl across from him.
17:34Lyra.
17:34Eat.
17:35It is all your favorites.
17:36Every bite tasted of ash.
17:38That night, he curled onto my side of the bed, searching for the faintest trace of my jasmine scent.
17:43He fell into a fever dream.
17:45I stood just out of reach, smiling radiantly.
17:47He lunged for me, but the distance never closed.
17:50Lyra.
17:51What are you saying?
17:52I can't hear you.
17:53In his dream, my voice snapped into focus, clear, cold, final.
17:56Congratulations on your new marriage.
17:58He jolted awake, sheets damp with sweat.
18:01I had really left him.
18:02Months passed.
18:03He vanished from social circles, threw every resource into finding me.
18:07He stayed at the office until midnight.
18:09Before, he'd rushed home because I was afraid of the dark.
18:12Now the darkness was his only companion.
18:14He drank until he passed out, the silver ring on his chain clutched in his hand.
18:18His friends dragged him to a private club room.
18:20He sat in silence, drinking cup after cup.
18:23I am sorry, Lyra.
18:24I love you.
18:25Please, come back.
18:26I can't live without you.
18:28The room went silent.
18:29Even the most dominant alphas looked shaken.
18:31They'd assumed I was just a sugar baby.
18:33They didn't understand I was the foundation of his soul.
18:36Then his assistant Logan called,
18:37Alpha, we have a lead.
18:39He sent photos, a boutique inn by the ocean in Hawaii.
18:42In the profile of the owner, he saw me instantly.
18:44I looked happy.
18:46Book the flight.
18:46But sir, the critical client meeting.
18:49Tell him I am dead.
18:50Hawaii was a land of eternal summer.
18:52The boutique inn had become my sanctuary.
18:54Until the day I looked up and saw him standing ten steps away.
18:58Six months had passed.
19:00Silas Fane looked like a man who had crawled out of a wreckage.
19:03His eyes were glassy, fixed on me as if I were the only thing that held mass.
19:08I glanced at him once, then turned back to my work.
19:11The sight of him stirred nothing.
19:13No rage.
19:14No relief.
19:15Only a profound stillness.
19:17Silas didn't follow me inside.
19:19He stood near the entrance, a silent guard dog.
19:22When the crowd thinned, I walked out.
19:24Come with me.
19:24I led him to the shoreline.
19:26Why are you here?
19:28Lyra, I am sorry.
19:29I cancelled the engagement.
19:31I cleared the rumors.
19:32I am so sorry.
19:33My silence made him fidget.
19:35None of that has anything to do with me anymore.
19:37And you don't need to come looking for me.
19:39I love you.
19:40The bottom seemed to fall out of him.
19:42I can't live without you.
19:44Enough.
19:45Go back to your little arrangement.
19:47Stop bothering me.
19:48I stepped around him.
19:49His hand shot out, clamping around my wrist, that familiar alpha grip that now only felt
19:54like a shackle.
19:55Let go.
19:56Slowly, he released me.
19:58I walked away without looking back.
20:00Silas wandered the streets like a man with no home.
20:03If he hadn't chosen the sterling alliance over our bond, we would be together right now.
20:08The thought hit him so hard he doubled over on the sidewalk.
20:11He pulled the silver ring from the chain and kissed it.
20:14I'll get you back.
20:15I swear I will.
20:17The next day, he walked into the inn.
20:18I am here to stay.
20:20This is an inn, right?
20:21I checked him in with a blank face.
20:23For the next few days, he didn't speak, but I could feel his stare.
20:26Hot, heavy, and relentless.
20:28One evening, I set out toward a local market.
20:31Halfway back, three men stumbled into my path.
20:34Hey, pretty thing, where are you heading all alone in the dark?
20:37Back off.
20:38Then a roar shattered the night.
20:40Silas appeared like a thunderclap.
20:42He twisted the first man's arm with a sickening crack.
20:45The other two tried to rush him.
20:47Silas dealt out strikes that sent them scattering.
20:50He spun toward me, eyes wild.
20:52Lyra, are you hurt?
20:53Did they touch you?
20:54I shook my head once and peeled his hands off my skin.
20:58In the streetlight, I noticed dark bruising on his cheek.
21:01He'd taken hits for me.
21:02The moment he saw me looking, he let out a hiss of exaggerated pain.
21:07I rolled my eyes and started walking.
21:09He trailed behind me to my private quarters.
21:12As I reached for the door, his hand shot out gentler, but firm.
21:16I haven't eaten today.
21:17I am starving.
21:19I stared at him.
21:20I didn't offer a word of welcome, but I left the door open.
21:24Silas followed as if I'd granted him a miracle.
21:27He sat on my couch, eyes roaming every corner of my new life.
21:31I prepared a bowl of noodles, not because I was softening, but because I wanted this to be our final
21:36meal.
21:37He ate with desperate hunger.
21:39To him, it was hope.
21:40To me, it was goodbye.
21:42When you finish that, go back to the pack.
21:45Staying here changes nothing.
21:46His hand froze.
21:48Then he acted as if the words hadn't reached his ears, shoveling the food down faster.
21:53He washed the dishes with frantic energy, talking over me every time I tried to repeat the order.
21:59When he finally retreated to the door, his voice was a quiet rasp.
22:03I'll go.
22:04Thanks for the meal.
22:05I shut the door.
22:06Outside, Silas leaned against the wall, palm flat against the wood.
22:09For the next few days, I believed he'd returned to the vain territory.
22:14I was wrong.
22:15Valentine's Day arrived.
22:16Silas reappeared outside with a massive bouquet of black-tipped roses.
22:21Gasps erupted from the crowd.
22:23A massive drone light show illuminated the shoreline, spelling out my name and Alpha's territorial display.
22:30Silas walked toward me, his nervous smile mirroring the boy I'd met in college.
22:34Happy Valentine's Day, Lyra.
22:36He held out the roses. I didn't look at the flowers. I pulled out my phone.
22:40Hello. I am at the beach access. There is a drone show operating without a permit.
22:46Can you send a team to shut it down?
22:48Silas froze. Within minutes, the drones began to fail.
22:51One after another, the lights flickered out and the machines plummeted into the surf.
22:56I reached out and took the bouquet from his paralyzed hand.
23:00For a split second, hope lit his eyes.
23:03I breathed in the scent of the roses, then I dropped the entire bouquet into the trash can.
23:08Silas went pale.
23:10Stop wasting your time, Silas.
23:12I said, my voice cold as the depths of the sea.
23:14The sound of the roses hitting the bin wasn't loud, but Silas went deathly pale.
23:18Silas, stop wasting your time.
23:20He didn't react with snarling dominance, just the quiet, hollowed-out posture of a male,
23:25who'd been living in a private hell.
23:26Lyra, you still won't grant me a pardon.
23:29What do I have to do for you to give me just one more chance?
23:31I regret every lie, every calculation.
23:34Those six months you were gone.
23:35I was barely a beast, let alone an alpha. Please.
23:38It is useless, Silas. We don't have a future.
23:41There is no us left.
23:42His broad shoulders sagged.
23:43I turned my back and walked toward the inn.
23:46But Silas didn't quit.
23:48Every morning, a tribute appeared.
23:50Breakfast, my specific coffee, rare blossoms.
23:53Every day I tossed his flowers in the trash while he watched, jaw-tight.
23:57One evening, he trailed me down to the shoreline.
23:59I stopped in the middle of the white sand.
24:01He froze, then hurried closer.
24:03Do you remember?
24:04We said we'd come see the ocean together.
24:07The memory struck him like a physical blow.
24:09College days, reckless promises.
24:11After graduation, the High Luna had declared war on our bond.
24:14Latter, he'd made a second promise.
24:15Christmas Eve, 2024.
24:17Just us, by the water.
24:19And what were you doing then, Silas?
24:20I knew.
24:21On the night we were supposed to be at the ocean,
24:23he'd been finalizing his arranged marking with Reyna Sterling.
24:26The memory hit him like a silver blade.
24:28He lifted a hand as if he could grab the past and pull it back.
24:31Silas, you've been haunting this island for over a fortnight.
24:33What do you actually want?
24:35When you left, I thought about everything.
24:38Every selfish calculation.
24:39I was a monster.
24:40I don't function without you.
24:42I can't breathe the air of my own territory if you aren't in it.
24:44Please, give me one chance to make it right.
24:46A chance?
24:47A humorless laugh escaped me.
24:49You already had your chances.
24:50I gave you my trust, and you used it to sharpen your knives.
24:53I was gutted until there was nothing left.
24:55There are no chances left in the chamber for you.
24:57The words hit him like a physical impact.
24:59His spine bent as if my rejection had the weight of a mountain.
25:01We are finished here.
25:02I turned and walked away.
25:03He remained nailed to the sand, watching my silhouette get smaller.
25:06When he finally moved, his limbs felt like they belonged to a corpse.
25:10One morning, the silence broke him.
25:11He hadn't seen me at the inn for two days.
25:13He rushed to the front desk.
25:14Where is Lyra?
25:15She had things to attend to.
25:17She'll be gone for a few days.
25:18Where did she go?
25:19I don't know.
25:21She didn't say.
25:22Silas stumbled back toward his room and collapsed onto the edge of the bed.
25:25She is gone.
25:26She left me again.
25:27Whatever remained of his composure collapsed.
25:29The silence clawed at the walls of his suite back at the inn.
25:32After a grueling span, Silas's trembling fingers finally gripped his phone.
25:36Find her.
25:36I am sending the updated trace data now.
25:38The truth was less dramatic than the storm in his head.
25:40I was simply visiting an old friend.
25:42But to Silas, my silence sounded like abandonment.
25:45When he spotted me at the lodge, my irritation was immediate.
25:47Silas saw I wasn't alone, and the frantic tension in his muscles snapped.
25:51Relief flooded him so violently, his knees nearly buckled.
25:54With others present, he didn't dare exert dominance.
25:56He simply tracked me from a distance.
25:58The moment the crowd thinned, he struck, gripping my shoulders with bruising intensity.
26:02I thought you ran again.
26:03I thought you left me in the dark.
26:06Thank the gods, Lyra.
26:07The words were hollow.
26:08My remaining was not forgiveness.
26:10Silas's composure fractured.
26:12Tears spilled over as he bowed his head.
26:14Lyra, I can't do this without you, please.
26:16Don't leave me.
26:17I am begging you.
26:18Don't leave, please.
26:20He sobbed.
26:21It was the first time I'd ever seen the alpha cry.
26:23The shock lasted only a heartbeat before it was replaced by cold iron.
26:26I forced his hands off.
26:27I've made myself clear.
26:28There is no us.
26:30Silas stumbled back.
26:31Desperate, he yanked the silver ring from the chain and shoved it toward me.
26:34You remember this, Lyra.
26:35You promised a sty-eye.
26:36Let's go back.
26:37We can mark each other properly.
26:38I let out a sharp, mocking laugh.
26:40You sound ridiculous.
26:41Let each other go.
26:43Don't make it so the only thing I remember of you is the pain.
26:45He didn't argue.
26:46For the next week, he stayed in my orbit, watching with eyes that had lost their fire.
26:50It took seven agonizing months for Silas to stop lying to his inner wolf that I would return.
26:54It took two more weeks for him to force his body to leave the island.
26:57Silas retreated into the bowels of the vain estate, locking the doors.
27:01Days blurred into nights.
27:02The silence shattered with a thunderous pounding.
27:04Silas didn't move from the carpet.
27:06Then his father's voice vibrated through the wood.
27:08He dragged himself to the door.
27:09A heavy hand struck him across the face.
27:11Silas didn't dodge.
27:12He tasted blood and laughed.
27:14A dry, rattling sound.
27:15Father, what the hell are you doing here?
27:18What are you doing to yourself?
27:19You are rotting for a female who has already cast you out.
27:23What is this pathetic display?
27:24Silas offered no defense.
27:26If Lyra Thorne saw you like this, she would loathe you even more.
27:31She would regret ever letting a male with no backbone touch he.
27:34You carry the vain bloodline.
27:37Do not let her remember you as a coward who couldn't even stand up to his own grief.
27:41The elder patted Silas's shoulder and walked away.
27:43Silas stood paralyzed, his father's words echoing.
27:46No one loves a male with no backbone.
27:49The next morning, he forced himself into a tailored suit
27:52and buried himself in the cold logistics of the vain group,
27:54trying to numb the ache where his heart used to be.
27:56But he wasn't the only predator lurking.
27:58Raina Sterling sat in her sedan from dawn until dusk,
28:01her eyes fixed on the tower entrance.
28:03Raina's love had curdled into black hate.
28:05She never forgot the hollow sensation of the recovery room,
28:08the silent wound, the medicated numbness.
28:10They'd planned the lies together,
28:11yet she was the only one who'd been gutted.
28:14At 10 PM, Silas emerged.
28:15The second his car pulled out, Raina stomped the accelerator,
28:18steering directly into his path.
28:20The crash was a metal splitting explosion.
28:22Glass shattered, a siren wailed.
28:24Raina escaped with a broken arm.
28:25Silas was not so fortunate.
28:27He languished in a coma for months, the only scent my Jasmine.
28:30When he finally opened his eyes, his first thought was guttural.
28:33Why didn't it kill me?
28:34Waking up meant returning to a world where I was gone.
28:37His mother wept.
28:38The healer confirmed his leg had been shattered.
28:40The injury would leave a permanent mark.
28:42Silas didn't react.
28:43His mother told him Raina would be sentenced to life in a high security facility.
28:47Silas stared at the wall.
28:49He checked the date on the bedside monitor.
28:51Tomorrow was my birthday.
28:52He summoned Logan.
28:53Book me a ticket to Hawaii.
28:54Sir, your leg cannot handle the transit.
28:57It's too dangerous right now.
28:58I told her I would be there every year.
29:00I am not breaking that promise again.
29:02If you won't book it, I will crawl to the terminal myself.
29:06His voice dropped.
29:07Don't tell my parents.
29:08The following morning, Silas Fane boarded a flight to the islands.
29:11Logan trailing like a worried shadow.
29:13The alpha looked like a ghost.
29:14He went straight to a bakery and purchased a cake.
29:17By the time they reached the inn, the sun was beginning its descent.
29:20Silas stood in the lobby, the cake box clutched in trembling hands.
29:23I wasn't at the desk.
29:25The girl at the counter pointed toward the shoreline.
29:27Silas hurried out, his left leg dragging with a painful uneven rhythm.
29:30Near the water's edge, I sat framed by the orange glow of sunset.
29:33He crouched, his broken leg screaming in protest.
29:37Lyra, happy birthday.
29:39I told you I'd spend every birthday with you.
29:41I went perfectly still.
29:42Silas opened the box, stuck candles into the frosting, and began to sing in a rough, clumsy voice.
29:47When he finished, he told me to make a wish.
29:49I closed my eyes.
29:50I didn't believe in wishes anymore.
29:51I only needed to live without the shadow of the vein pack looming over my shoulder.
29:55When I opened my eyes, Silas's gaze was waiting.
29:57He reached for the knife to cut the cake, but I stopped his hand.
30:00No, thank you.
30:00I've already eaten today.
30:02Silas's hand froze.
30:03He understood immediately.
30:05His throat worked as he swallowed grief.
30:06He knew his time was up.
30:08He stood slowly, the limp more pronounced than ever.
30:10Happy birthday, Lyra.
30:12I hope you are safe.
30:14I hope you are happy.
30:15I hope life treats you with the kindness I failed to show you.
30:18He turned to go.
30:19Behind him, my voice stopped him.
30:21Let's end that promise this year, Silas.
30:23Silas felt his heart lock.
30:25A single tear escaped hot against his scarred cheek.
30:27He didn't turn back.
30:28He hesitated.
30:29When you look back, is it only the pain you remember?
30:31The silence felt like an eternity.
30:33Finally, I spoke.
30:34No, there was good too.
30:36Silas went still, then his mouth curved into the smallest, most wrecked smile.
30:40The tears kept falling, but for the first time in seven months, he could breathe.
30:43He continued his uneven trek back toward the road.
30:46That one sentence, that small acknowledgement of our shared history,
30:49would be the only thing that kept him alive for the rest of his days.
30:52The healers confirmed the damage to his leg was permanent.
30:54He would never run as a wolf again without a hitch in his step.
30:58Silas didn't regret the limp or the pain.
31:00It was the physical manifestation of the last time he saw my face.
31:03He never showed himself to me again.
31:04But every once in a while, I would catch the faint scent of cedar and whiskey on the tropical breeze,
31:09or feel the weight of eyes watching from the distant tree line.
31:11I knew he was there, an alpha in exile, stealing one more look at the mate he had surrendered.
31:16That kind of obsession doesn't fade.
31:18It simply quiets down into a low, thrumming ache that lasts as long as the blood flows.
31:22I have never entered into tomorrow.�
31:22cares about... You
31:23have joined will be right into your life. We promise
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