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