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00:00My fiance brought his pregnant mistress to our mating ceremony and told me I would raise their child. He didn't
00:05say it in private. Damon said it on the altar where he was supposed to claim me. In front of
00:08the entire pack, Lyra stood beside him in pale gold silk, one hand resting on her belly. Lyra, my friend
00:14from the Omega Quarters, the girl who had slept two beds away from me for years, on her wrist was
00:18my silver bracelet. Last winter, Damon had given it to me after three young alphas mocked my Omega blood. He
00:23promised no one would ever make me bow again. A week ago, a servant came and asked me to send
00:27it back for the ceremony.
00:29I didn't question it. Now I understood. Lyra saw me looking. She touched the bracelet gently, like it might break.
00:34He wanted me to have it. I hope you don't mind. She knew I did. Damon didn't stop her. He
00:39only looked at me, cold. I won't bond with you, Serafina. The elders care about your silver blood. They think
00:45it can crown the next Alpha King. He pulled Lyra closer. But Lyra is carrying my air. My throat burned.
00:50That bracelet was mine. Lyra flinched behind Damon's arm, as if I had hurt her. Damon glanced at the bracelet,
00:56then back at me.
00:56It was a promise to a girl who needed protecting. His hand covered Lyra's stomach. She gives me a future.
01:02Lyra looked at me from behind him, tears shining in her eyes. Small. Fragile. Victorious. Then Damon turned to the
01:07entire hall. When my pup is born, Serafina will raise it as her own.
01:13For one second, I thought I had misheard him. Then Damon made it worse. You'll serve Lyra through the pregnancy.
01:18Nurse her through recovery. Raise my air as your own.
01:21He said it like he was assigning chores to the lowest wolf in the room. Maybe he was. I was
01:26Serafina. The only silver blood air silver crest had seen in a thousand years. The prophecy said whoever completed a
01:31bond with me could awaken true Alpha power and claim the Alpha King's throne. But I was also an Omega.
01:36The rank everyone stepped on until they needed something. Damon had decided my blood was useful. But I was not.
01:41Lyra gave a soft gasp beside him.
01:43Damon, don't say it like that. Serafina has always been so good at taking care of people. In the Omega
01:49quarters, she helped everyone. I'm sure she won't punish an innocent pup just because she's hurt.
01:54The hall went silent. Every stare landed on me. Waiting for me to cry. To beg. To bow like a
01:58good little Omega. My eyes burned. Not because Damon had rejected me. Because Lyra knew every soft place I kept
02:03hidden. And still chose to press her hand against it.
02:06The claim was never sealed. No blood oath. No mark. Under the old laws, it can still be revoked.
02:12One elder exchanged a love with another. That is technically true. I looked at Damon. I may be an Omega,
02:18but I am not her servant. And I will not raise the child you made with her. I revoked the
02:26claim. If any wolf here is willing to claim me tonight, I accept.
02:32The whispers came fast. Silver blood. Did Damon just throw away the prophecy? If someone claims her now.
02:39I could see it in their faces. Shock. Hunger. Calculation. For one second, I thought someone might actually step forward.
02:45Then Damon's voice cut through.
02:46Your name is still written into the royal reet. The room froze.
02:49Until the elders formally dissolve this ceremony, anyone who steps forward is openly defying the crown.
02:55No one moved. That had been his plan. Not to bond me. Not to free me.
02:58To keep me trapped under the royal reet until the elders could turn me into something quieter. Something useful. Lyra's
03:03servant. His heir's caretaker.
03:05A silver blood Omega no other man would dare touch. Damon stepped close enough for only me to hear.
03:09Sarah.
03:10My chest twisted. That name used to be soft in his mouth. Tonight, it was a blade.
03:14Don't embarrass yourself.
03:15Then he turned to the hall.
03:17No one wants you badly enough to start a war.
03:18For one terrible second, I thought he was right. Not because I wasn't valuable.
03:22But because every wolf in that room wanted my blood more than they wanted to save me.
03:25Then the doors at the far end of the hall swung open. But before anyone could see who had entered,
03:30Moira arrived first.
03:32Moira.
03:32Damon's mother.
03:33The Luna matriarch.
03:34Swept into the hall like a storm in silk.
03:36She took one look at Lyra behind Damon and slapped her across the face.
03:40The crack echoed off every wall.
03:41Shameless Omega.
03:42You dare turn a royal treat into a spectacle?
03:45Lyra fell to the floor.
03:46Clutching her cheek.
03:47Tears already spilling.
03:48Damon lunged forward and shielded her.
03:49She's under my protection.
03:50Moira stared at him like she was seeing him clearly for the first time.
03:53Then she turned to me.
03:54Her voice softened.
03:55Serafana dear.
03:56Damon has humiliated you.
03:58I will deal with him.
03:59But you must not act rashly.
04:01Let me close this ceremony quietly.
04:03The crown will keep you protected until we decide where you belong.
04:06Where I belonged.
04:07Not what I wanted.
04:08Not who I chose.
04:09I pulled my hand free.
04:10You bound me to Damon from my blood.
04:12Then he brought her here with his heir and told me to raise their child.
04:16My voice shook.
04:17But I did not stop.
04:18I will not be their servant.
04:20The hall went silent.
04:21I will not nurse his mistress through pregnancy.
04:23And I will not raise another woman's child because Damon thinks an Omega should be grateful
04:27for scraps.
04:29Moira's eyes hardened.
04:30Careful, girl.
04:31You are still standing inside a royal treat.
04:33Your blood belongs to Silverhrest before it belongs to you.
04:36My stomach went cold.
04:37There it was.
04:38Damon wanted me useful.
04:39Lyra wanted me beneath her.
04:40Moira wanted me on.
04:41If no one claims you tonight, the elders will decide your future.
04:45Damon smiled again.
04:46For the first time that night, I felt truly trapped.
04:48Then a low voice cut through the hall.
04:49Does her offer still stand?
04:52Every head turned.
04:53Kale stood at the far end of the hall.
04:55Tall.
04:55Dressed in black.
04:56Pale as winter.
04:57Aldric's firstborn.
04:58Damon's older half-brother.
04:59The true alpha heir by blood.
05:01And the cursed one who still couldn't shift.
05:03He took one step forward.
05:04Then stopped.
05:05Just for half a second.
05:06His hand touched the doorframe.
05:07Everyone saw it.
05:08The cursed heir could barely stand.
05:10Damon laughed under his breath.
05:12Careful, brother.
05:12If she chooses you, she won't be a bride by sunrise.
05:16A few wolves laughed.
05:17Moira's face went white.
05:18Kale, don't be stupid.
05:19You know what silver blood does to a cursed wolf.
05:22It could kill you.
05:23Kale ignored her.
05:24His gray eyes stayed on me.
05:25What you just said, does it still stand?
05:28My throat tightened.
05:29Before I could answer, Damon stepped in.
05:31No.
05:31The whole hall froze.
05:32Damon's smile sharpened.
05:33She said any wolf.
05:35Not a dead one pretending he still has a claim.
05:37Kale's face did not change.
05:39Damon moved closer to me.
05:40Look at him, Sarah.
05:42He can't protect you.
05:43He can't shift.
05:44He can barely stand.
05:45If you choose him, this wedding becomes a funeral before sunrise.
05:50Lyra's eyes widened, soft and wet.
05:52Don't do this to yourself, Serafina.
05:54You don't have to ruin yourself just because you're hurt.
05:56Moira seized the silence.
05:57If no suitable wolf claims you tonight, the elders will decide your future.
06:02The room closed around me again.
06:04Damon held out his hand.
06:05Not like a lover.
06:06Like a leash.
06:07Last chance, Sarah.
06:08His smile was cold.
06:10Stand down.
06:12For one second, the whole hall waited.
06:14They all thought I would break.
06:15I looked past his hand.
06:16At Kale.
06:17Thin as paper.
06:18Pale as death.
06:19A cursed heir the entire pack had already buried.
06:21And still, he was the only man in that room who had asked for my answer.
06:24Not my blood.
06:25Not my obedience.
06:26Not my usefulness.
06:27My answer.
06:28So I stepped around Damon's hand.
06:30His smile vanished.
06:31Lyra's face changed.
06:32The hall went silent.
06:33I walked toward Kale.
06:34Every step felt like I was cutting a rope around my throat.
06:37Damon's voice snapped behind me.
06:39Serafina.
06:39I didn't stop.
06:40Girl, think carefully.
06:42I did.
06:42For the first time all night, I did.
06:44Then I stopped in front of Kale.
06:46He looked down at me.
06:47Gray eyes steady.
06:47What you said.
06:48Does it still stand?
06:50My hands were still shaking.
06:51But my answer did not.
06:52Yes.
06:53The hall exploded.
06:54Kale did not look at Damon.
06:55Did not look at Moira.
06:56Only me.
06:57Then I claim her.
06:58A few elders half froze.
07:00Then froze.
07:00Because a claim spoken and accepted before the right could not be taken back.
07:04Damon laughed.
07:05Loud enough for the whole hall to hear.
07:06Go on, brother.
07:08Take her hand.
07:09Are you done making a scene, Sarah?
07:11If you stop now, Lila and I might still forgive you.
07:13You can still stay where you belong.
07:15He looked me up and down.
07:16Lyra leaned into him.
07:18Worry flickering across her face like another part of the performance.
07:21The hall went dead silent.
07:22Kale held out his hand.
07:23At the same time, I reached for him.
07:25Our fingers locked.
07:26The ritual lines blazed white.
07:28Then black marks burst from beneath Kale's sleeve.
07:31They weren't veins.
07:32They were his curse.
07:33Black marks tore up Kale's arm.
07:35Coiled around his throat.
07:36And climbed toward his face like something alive.
07:38The hall gasped.
07:39For one second, the gray in his eyes vanished.
07:42Replaced by molten gold.
07:43Something caged.
07:44Something feral.
07:45The curse is activating.
07:47He can't hold it.
07:48Stop the ceremony.
07:49The elders surged forward.
07:50But the ritual lines had already locked around our wrists.
07:53Once a bond began, no one outside it could break it.
07:56Kale's hand tightened around mine.
07:57Too tight.
07:58His knees buckled.
07:59He hit the altar hard.
08:00Blood spilling from his mouth onto the silver stone.
08:02The hall went silent.
08:04Kale looked up at me.
08:04Gold flickering through the gray.
08:06Let go.
08:07If you stop now, you'll still make it out.
08:10He meant it.
08:10Even half dying in front of the entire pack.
08:12He was still trying to give me a way out.
08:14Damon stepped forward.
08:15Are you insane?
08:17I already told you, Sarah.
08:19If you stop this now, Lyra and I can still forgive you.
08:22I didn't look at him.
08:23Damon's tone sharpened.
08:24Don't throw your life away just to prove a point.
08:26Still, I did not look at him.
08:28My fingers tightened around Kale's.
08:30The curse burned black between us.
08:31Every wolf in that hall was waiting for me to let go.
08:34Instead, I leaned closer.
08:35Kale, get me.
08:37Then, without looking away from him, I reached for the silver edge of the altar.
08:41I didn't let go.
08:43With Kale's eyes locked on mine, I dragged my palm across the altar's silver edge.
08:46Pain cut sharp.
08:47Silver blood spilled over my skin.
08:49The entire hall gasped.
08:51Before anyone could stop me, I pressed my bleeding hand against the darkest knot of curse marks on Kale's wrist.
08:56Light exploded between us, cold and blinding, violent enough to shake the altar beneath us.
09:00Kale's body arched, and a broken sound tore from his throat.
09:03The curse fought back under my palm, black marks twisting up his skin, fighting to reach his throat again.
09:08So I pressed harder.
09:10Stay with me.
09:10The black marks stopped.
09:12Then slowly, unwillingly, they began to retreat.
09:15The ritual lines beneath our feet blazed white hot, spiraling around our joined wrists until a pale silver mark burned
09:20itself into both our skin.
09:21The bond didn't fail.
09:23It held.
09:23Kale collapsed to one knee, blood still on his lips.
09:26But the gold was leaving his eyes.
09:27Gray was coming back.
09:28He was alive.
09:29The oldest elder stared at our wrists.
09:31The bond is sealed.
09:33By old law, Seraphina of Silverblood is now claimed by Kale, firstborn heir of Silvercrest.
09:39A sharp crack split the altar stone.
09:41The royal right mark that had held Damon's name beside mine burned black, then vanished.
09:46In its place, a new name carved itself into the silver light.
09:49Kale, Damon's face went white.
09:50He forced out a laugh.
09:52He's still cursed.
09:54You think your blood makes him stronger than me?
09:56Before I could answer, the silver mark on my wrist flared again.
09:59So did Kale's.
10:00The ritual light shifted.
10:01It no longer circled me alone.
10:03It moved around him.
10:04The elder's face drained of color.
10:05The blood accepted him.
10:06The hall went silent.
10:08Damon stopped breathing.
10:09The prophecy had not died.
10:10It had moved on.
10:12The hall stayed silent.
10:13Kale was still on one knee, blood on his lips.
10:15One hand braced against the altar.
10:17But his grip on me never loosened.
10:19The silver mark on my wrist pulsed once.
10:21His answered.
10:21Damon finally found his voice.
10:23This isn't over.
10:24The oldest elder looked at the burned royal right mark, then at our joined hands.
10:27Damon's face hardened.
10:28He can barely stand.
10:29Kale slowly lifted his head.
10:31Through the bond.
10:32I felt the pain he was hiding.
10:33Sharp enough to cut through bone.
10:34Then he rose.
10:35Not easily.
10:36Not steadily.
10:37But he rose.
10:37Then watch me.
10:38No one laughed this time.
10:39Moira stepped forward at once.
10:41Kale, you need healers.
10:43Serafina will remain here until the council decides what happens next.
10:47Kale looked at her.
10:48No.
10:48One word.
10:49Low and final.
10:49The hall froze.
10:50Moira's expression tightened.
10:52This is not the time for pride.
10:53No one decides for my mate.
10:54A shiver moved through the room.
10:56For 13 years, they had spoken around him like he was already dead.
10:59Tonight, he did not raise his voice.
11:01But every wolf in that hall heard the command beneath it.
11:03Move.
11:04The wolves blocking the aisle stepped aside.
11:06Damon stared at me like he still expected me to look back.
11:08Lyra's fingers dug into his sleeve.
11:10I did not turn.
11:11Kale led me out of the hall.
11:12Each step costing him more than he let anyone see.
11:14Only when the doors closed behind us did his hand tighten around mine.
11:17His voice dropped.
11:18Now ask me what you really want to ask.
11:22Kale had set it outside the hall.
11:23His hand still wrapped around mine.
11:25For one second.
11:26The question almost escaped me right there.
11:28But then he swayed.
11:29Just once.
11:29Pain cut through his grip.
11:31So I swallowed the words and followed him to the north tower.
11:33No one stopped us.
11:34No one dared.
11:35His quarters were cold and almost bare.
11:37A narrow bed.
11:37A heavy desk.
11:38Maps pinned neatly to the walls.
11:40No flowers.
11:41No servants.
11:41Nothing prepared for a bride.
11:43But everything was clean.
11:44The bed was made sharp.
11:45The books were lined straight.
11:46Even the medicine bottles stood in order.
11:48Kale had been forgotten here.
11:49But he had not let himself fall apart.
11:51For the first time that night.
11:52No one was watching.
11:53No elders.
11:54No pack.
11:54No Damon.
11:55No Lyra.
11:56Just me and the cursed heir who had become my mate.
11:58Kale removed his black outer robe and set it aside.
12:00Without it.
12:01He looked even thinner.
12:01Too pale.
12:02Too tired.
12:03A man the curse had been eating alive for years.
12:05He leaned one hand against the desk.
12:06Mask.
12:07My fingers curled into my sleeves.
12:09Did you know.
12:10That my blood could help you.
12:12Did you claim me because you wanted me.
12:15Or because my blood can keep you alive.
12:17Kale went very still.
12:18For one breath.
12:18I thought he would deny it.
12:20Then he looked at me.
12:20I don't want to lie to you.
12:22And suddenly.
12:22I knew.
12:23Whatever came next was going to hurt.
12:26Kale did not look away.
12:27That was how I knew the answer before he said it.
12:29Yes I knew your silver blood might hold back my curse.
12:32For a moment.
12:32I could not speak.
12:33Damon wanted an heir.
12:34The elders wanted a prophecy.
12:36And Kale wanted a cure.
12:37I stepped back before I could stop myself.
12:39Kale saw it.
12:39But he did not follow.
12:40If I only wanted your blood I could have asked for you years ago.
12:43Maybe you waited until I had nowhere else to go.
12:45The words came out smaller than I wanted.
12:47His face changed.
12:48Not anger.
12:49Something worse.
12:50Because he knew I had the right to think it.
12:51Maybe I deserve that.
12:52The fire cracked between us.
12:54I hated that he sounded honest.
12:55I hated that honesty still hurt.
12:57Then why tonight?
12:58Because Damon made you stand alone.
13:00And I know what that feels like.
13:01My fingers twisted in my sleeves.
13:03For a second I forgot how to answer.
13:05Because he wasn't asking me to pity him.
13:06He was telling me he had seen me.
13:08If I stay.
13:09It won't be because you need me.
13:10I know.
13:12If I help you.
13:13It doesn't mean you get to use me.
13:15No.
13:16Never.
13:17The room went quiet.
13:18I looked at the place beneath his shirt.
13:19Where the curse had almost killed him in front of everyone.
13:22My hands were still shaking.
13:23But my voice came out clear.
13:24You claimed me before the whole pack.
13:27So show me.
13:29Seraphinda.
13:29Show me the curse.
13:32Kale did not move for a long moment.
13:33Then he loosened the ties of his shirt.
13:35The fabric fell open.
13:36The curse mark sat at the center of his chest.
13:38Dark red against bone pale skin.
13:40Coiled like something alive beneath his flesh.
13:42I had seen blood on him.
13:43I had seen him collapse at the altar.
13:45But this was worse.
13:46The curse was not just sealing his wolf.
13:48It was feeding on him.
13:49My fingers curled once before I forced them still.
13:51I need to touch it.
13:52Seraphina.
13:53You claimed me before the whole pack.
13:56Do not hide from me now.
13:57For one beat.
13:57I thought he would refuse.
13:59Then he gave a single nod.
14:00I pressed my palm flat against the mark.
14:02His whole body locked.
14:03Heat slammed into my hand.
14:04Sharp and violent.
14:05Not mine.
14:05His.
14:05My silver blood answered instantly.
14:07And something inside him answered back.
14:09I felt it hit the seal.
14:10Once.
14:10Twice.
14:11A wolf trapped behind iron.
14:12Throwing itself against the dark.
14:14Kale's breath broke.
14:14Gold flashed through his gray eyes.
14:16Your wolf is still there.
14:18His chest rose hard beneath my hand.
14:19It's not gone.
14:20I feel it every day.
14:22Gold bled through his eyes again.
14:23Like fire under ice.
14:24Then his grip tightened.
14:25And this time.
14:26When he said my name.
14:27It did not sound entirely human.
14:30I didn't even see him move.
14:31One second.
14:32I was standing in front of him.
14:33My palm pressed to his chest.
14:35The next.
14:35My back hit the bed.
14:36Kale was above me.
14:37One hand braced by my ear.
14:39The other locking around my wrist.
14:40Breathing like he'd been dragged up from deep water.
14:42The curse mark blazed under my palm.
14:44Its edges lit up.
14:45Spreading outward like cracks in burning glass.
14:47His eyes were wrong.
14:48I could feel his wolf pressing against the bond.
14:50Like it wanted to tear through his skin to reach me.
14:52His pupils narrowed.
14:53Jaw clenched so hard I could hear his teeth grind.
14:55Stop touching me.
14:56If you keep going.
14:58He didn't finish.
14:58Because the bond pulsed.
15:00I felt it.
15:00His wolf.
15:01Trapped behind that seal.
15:02Slamming toward my hand with everything it had.
15:04Kale stared down at me.
15:05Half broken.
15:06Half feral.
15:06Every muscle in his body was locked tight.
15:08Holding himself back.
15:09Even like this.
15:10He still wasn't hurting me.
15:11Then Kale kissed me.
15:12Not softly.
15:13Not carefully.
15:13Like the bond had finally pulled too hard for either of us to pretend it was only a ritual.
15:18The mark beneath my palm flared white gold.
15:19Kale's body locked.
15:20His eyes flashed full gold.
15:22For one terrifying second.
15:23I saw what had been trapped inside him for 13 years.
15:26Not the cursed prince.
15:27The wolf.
15:27Then the room burst into light.
15:30When the light faded.
15:31Kale was on the floor beside the bed.
15:33Unconscious.
15:33The curse mark on his chest had split straight down the center.
15:36For one terrified moment.
15:37I thought I had killed him.
15:39Then I felt it through the bond.
15:40A pulse.
15:41Weak.
15:41But there.
15:42I stayed beside him until his breathing steadied.
15:44Sometime before dawn.
15:45I must have fallen asleep.
15:46I woke to sunlight and the scratch of a pen.
15:48Kale was already at the desk.
15:50Writing like he had not collapsed in front of me hours ago.
15:52He still looked too thin.
15:53Too pale.
15:54But the hollowed out look was not as sharp as before.
15:56There was more color in his face.
15:58His hand no longer trembled around the pen.
16:00Small things.
16:01Impossible things.
16:02He noticed me watching and set the pen down.
16:04His eyes dropped to my bandaged palm.
16:06You reopened it last night.
16:07I looked at my hand.
16:09The cut from the altar had split again.
16:10I'm fine.
16:11No.
16:12You're bleeding for me.
16:14There's a medicine stall in the eastern market.
16:16Their salves are better than anything kept in this tower.
16:18I almost laughed.
16:19After everything that happened, you want to buy me medicine?
16:22I want to do one useful thing before you decide I'm only good at nearly dying.
16:26Before I could answer, a knock sounded.
16:28My lord, the eastern market opened early.
16:29A rare medicine shipment just arrived.
16:31Kale looked at my palm, then reached for his cloak.
16:33We go now.
16:35The market was loud and crowded.
16:37At the south stall, I heard Damon's voice.
16:39Damon's voice.
16:40The strongest prenatal tynener, my chosen mate, carries the future heir.
16:43He stood at the next stall with Lyra on his arm.
16:45When he saw me, his eyes dropped to my bandaged palm, then to the silver mark on my wrist.
16:49Already bleeding for him, Sarah?
16:51How was the first night?
16:52Or did the curse ruin that too?
16:54Serafina always had a habit of saving people who didn't choose her first.
16:58You used to call that kindness when you needed it from me.
17:01Sarah, I didn't mean...
17:02You mean everything.
17:03That's always been the problem.
17:05I turned to the shelf.
17:06Moonshade root.
17:07Exactly what could weaken a soul-level curse?
17:09My fingers closed around at first.
17:11Lyra's hand landed over mine.
17:12Eyes already wet.
17:14Serafina, please.
17:15I need this.
17:16I didn't let go.
17:17Lyra's lip trembled.
17:18She turned to Damon, voice barely a whisper.
17:21She won't even let me have medicine for our pup.
17:23Damon's face darkened instantly.
17:25He held out his hand.
17:26Give it to her.
17:28I picked it up first.
17:29Damon's smile died.
17:30Before he could speak, Kale stepped forward.
17:32The air shifted.
17:33Glass jars trembled on the shelf.
17:35She's my mate.
17:36Say one more word to her.
17:37Damon stepped back half a step.
17:39Instinct, not choice.
17:40Then something ugly settled in his face.
17:42He stopped looking at me.
17:43Do you remember that night, brother?
17:45The night you were cursed.
17:46You were six.
17:47You screamed for father for hours.
17:49He didn't come.
17:50Damon.
17:50I stepped in front of him.
17:52He blinked.
17:53Surprised.
17:54You talk about broken things a lot for someone whose mate moves you like a puppet with a single tear.
17:59Lyra's face went white.
18:01Damon's jaw tightened.
18:02I looked him up and down.
18:03At least Kale's curse has a cure.
18:05What's yours?
18:06Damon's mouth opened.
18:07Before he could answer, Kale's pressure slammed through the stall.
18:10He stepped back.
18:10Everyone saw it.
18:12Kale took the moonshade root from my hand and placed coins on the counter.
18:15This belongs to my mate.
18:16This isn't over.
18:18No.
18:18That's the problem.
18:19Damon dragged Lyra away before his wolf could betray him again.
18:23Only when they were gone did I see the blood at the corner of Kale's mouth.
18:26His curse had heard him act like an alpha.
18:28And it was punishing him for it.
18:30I made him sit down.
18:32Kale tried to say he was fine.
18:33Then blood touched his lip again.
18:35I stared at him.
18:36No more pretending.
18:37The bond cracked the curse.
18:39But not enough.
18:40If I want to break it, I have to work on it directly.
18:44How?
18:45My blood.
18:46My hand on the mark.
18:48Every night.
18:49That will hurt you.
18:50It's my blood.
18:52I choose where it goes.
18:53For a moment, he said nothing.
18:55Then he sat on the bed and opened his shirt.
18:57The curse mark looked darker than before.
18:59Angrier.
19:00The moment my palm touched it, his whole body locked.
19:02The seal fought back.
19:03So did the wolf trapped beneath it.
19:05The first night, I kept my eyes on the mark.
19:07By the third, I could no longer ignore the way his breathing changed when the curse pushed back.
19:11The way his jaw clenched.
19:13The way he stared at the ceiling like counting stones was the only thing keeping him still.
19:17Does it hurt?
19:18No.
19:18By the fifth night, it had become routine.
19:21Touch the mark.
19:21Hold the pressure.
19:22Wait until the seal stopped fighting.
19:24Then pull away.
19:25So I pulled away like always.
19:26Kale caught my wrist.
19:27Not hard.
19:28Just fast enough to stop me.
19:30The bond snapped tight between us.
19:31My breath caught.
19:32His eyes lifted to mine.
19:33Dark in the firelight.
19:35Don't pull away like that.
19:36Why?
19:36Because when you do, the wolf wants to follow.
19:40I woke to a sound that didn't belong to any human throat.
19:43The bed beside me was empty.
19:45Kale was in the corner, on his knees, body shaking so hard it looked painful to watch.
19:49His nails had turned to claws.
19:51They dragged across the stone, leaving deep white marks.
19:54Then he looked up.
19:54Gold eyes.
19:55Slit pupils.
19:56Too much wolf.
19:57Not enough man.
19:58Go.
19:59When you're close.
20:00The bond makes it worse.
20:01I got out of bed anyway.
20:02He hit the wall trying to get away from me.
20:04Serafina, don't.
20:05I knelt in front of him and pressed my hand to his chest.
20:08Silver light burst between us.
20:09The curse mark split.
20:10Kale threw his head back with a sound that was half howl, half relief.
20:14Then he looked at me again, breathing hard, half man, half wolf, and said my name like
20:18it was the only thing keeping him from breaking apart.
20:20Tell me to stop.
20:22Say it now.
20:23And I still can.
20:25I'm not going anywhere, Kale.
20:28I didn't run.
20:29Kale stared at me, gold burning through gray.
20:31Then his hand caught my waist and the other came to the back of my neck.
20:34This was the wolf.
20:35The curse mark flared between us, silver and black light crashing together.
20:39Every touch cracked the seal whiter.
20:40I let my blood answer.
20:42Let it flood every fracture.
20:43His claws drove into the stone beside me hard enough to split it.
20:46But he never hurt me.
20:47And the moment I understood that, the last piece of the seal gave way.
20:50The curse shattered.
20:51When the light died, the mark on his chest had faded to almost nothing.
20:54He looked different.
20:55Stronger.
20:56Warmer.
20:56More like the man he should have been all along.
20:59You should have run.
21:01You keep saying that.
21:03You never listen.
21:04Get used to it.
21:05Then he laughed, low, rough, real.
21:07Lifted his hand to the back of my neck.
21:09And kissed me.
21:10Not like the almost kiss the curse had stolen from us.
21:12This one didn't stop.
21:14His claws were gone.
21:15His hands were human again.
21:16Steady, warm, and everywhere.
21:18Nothing interrupted us.
21:19Nothing pulled him away.
21:20When I woke hours later, the moon had crossed the entire sky.
21:23Kale's arm was around my waist.
21:25His breathing slow and deep against the back of my neck.
21:27The man pressed against me felt nothing like the one I had married.
21:30Broader, warmer, solid in a way that made me close my eyes and stay exactly where I was.
21:36Sunlight hit my face before I opened my eyes.
21:39The space beside me was empty, but still warm.
21:41Then I heard water running.
21:42Kale stood by the basin, splashing water over his face.
21:45And I froze.
21:46Because the man standing there did not look like the one I had married.
21:49The hollow frame was gone.
21:50The sharp bones had softened under lean muscle.
21:53His shoulders were broader now.
21:54For 13 years, the curse had been feeding on him.
21:56Now his body was taking everything back.
21:59What?
22:00Nothing.
22:01You look like you could actually win a fight now.
22:03His mouth twitched.
22:04I mean, nothing, nothing.
22:06I could always win a fight.
22:08You couldn't survive a stair race two weeks ago.
22:10Then he lowered his head and kissed me.
22:12When he pulled back, something pulsed beneath my palm.
22:14I hadn't realized my hand was on his chest.
22:16His wolf hit the broken seal like a battering ram.
22:19Kale doubled over.
22:20Black lines flared across the faded curse mark.
22:22Blood dripped from his nose onto the floor.
22:24Kale!
22:25The curse cracked.
22:27But the wolf was waking too fast.
22:30I looked at the mark.
22:31Half faded, half burning.
22:32How long?
22:33Days.
22:34Not weeks.
22:36Kale wiped the blood away and reached for his coat.
22:38Then we move fast.
22:40Because Damon won't wait either.
22:43Kale's change was impossible to hide.
22:45The hollow look was fading from his face.
22:47His shoulders had filled out.
22:48He no longer looked like a man the stairs could kill.
22:51The first time Aldrich saw him cross the council hall without leaning on anything.
22:54The old alpha king stopped mid-sentence.
22:56So did half the elders.
22:58For one breath, they all stared.
22:59Then the moment passed.
23:01Aldrich looked back at the reports.
23:02An elder cleared his throat.
23:04A patrol captain lowered his eyes.
23:05Strength had returned to Kale's body, but not to his name.
23:0813 years of being treated like a dead air did not disappear because he could stand straight.
23:12Kale knew that better than anyone, so he stopped waiting for them to remember who he was.
23:17He worked border routes, missing supplies, patrol gaps, old complaints no one had touched in years.
23:22He read everything, checked everything, corrected everything.
23:25At first, the captains ignored him.
23:27Then one of his warnings saved a patrol from walking into an ambush.
23:30By the next council, two warriors stood behind his chair without being ordered.
23:33By the fifth day, a dispute over Northern Territory reached the council table.
23:37No one had an answer.
23:38Aldrich's eyes moved across the room and, for the first time in 13 years, stopped on Kale.
23:43What do you think?
23:44The room went quiet.
23:45Kale answered like he had been waiting 13 years to be asked.
23:48By sunset, the news had reached Damon.
23:50That night, a patrol wolf came to the North Tower with a message.
23:53He wouldn't meet Kale's eyes.
23:55Damon says, the wolf swallowed.
23:58Enjoy pretending to be air while you can.
24:01Kale looked up from the border map.
24:02Tell him pretending was his mistake.
24:04The messenger froze.
24:05I'm done pretending.
24:08Lyra noticed it before Damon did.
24:10Every time someone said my name, Damon looked away too late.
24:13At first, Lyra pretended not to see it.
24:15Then she couldn't.
24:16That night, she found him alone.
24:18Am I not enough?
24:19Don't start.
24:20Her eyes filled.
24:21She reached for his hand.
24:22He pulled it away.
24:23I gave up everything for you.
24:25My friends.
24:26My place.
24:27I chose you over everyone.
24:29Our child is right here, Damon.
24:31He looked down at her hand, then removed it.
24:33Lyra's composure cracked.
24:35She doesn't love you.
24:36She chose the cursed one.
24:38She let you go without looking back.
24:40I'm the one who stayed.
24:41I'm the one carrying your air.
24:43Why isn't that enough?
24:44Because she's standing next to an alpha.
24:46The whole pack is starting to follow.
24:49And you're standing here crying.
24:51I'm carrying your-
24:52Then do it quietly.
24:53He walked out.
24:54Lyra knelt on the floor.
24:56Tears running.
24:56Hands on her belly.
24:57With no one left to perform for.
24:59The next afternoon, Damon found me alone.
25:01Sarah.
25:03Don't call me that.
25:04His jaw tightened.
25:05Then he smiled.
25:06You don't have to keep punishing me.
25:08Pretending you don't still love me must be exhausting.
25:11You were hurt.
25:12I understand.
25:14Lyra was scared.
25:15You two were friends once.
25:17Be generous.
25:18You want me to forgive her?
25:20I want you to stop embarrassing yourself.
25:22His eyes dropped to the silver mark on my wrist.
25:25Stop wasting your blood on him.
25:26That curse has been eating him for 13 years.
25:29You really think you can turn a ruined wolf into an alpha?
25:32Give your blood to me.
25:33I went still.
25:34Damon saw it and mistook it for hope.
25:36When I become alpha king, I can be generous too.
25:38Lyra gave me an heir.
25:39But you?
25:40You could still stand beside me.
25:42Maybe even as my Luna, if you learn your place.
25:45For one second, I could only look at him.
25:47You don't want me, Damon.
25:49You want my blood, my forgiveness, and my silence.
25:53I pulled my wrist away before he could touch the mark.
25:55And you don't get any of them.
25:56Fine.
25:57I'll break him in front of the whole pack.
25:59And when he falls, Sarah, don't come asking for mercy.
26:03By then you won't have a choice anymore.
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