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00:00My fiancé brought his pregnant mistress to our mating ceremony
00:03And told me I would raise their child
00:04He didn't say it in private
00:05Damon set it on the altar where he was supposed to claim me
00:08In front of the entire pack
00:09Lyra stood beside him in pale gold silk
00:11One hand resting on her belly
00:13Lyra, my friend from the Omega Quarters
00:15The girl who had slept two beds away from me for years
00:17On her wrist was my silver bracelet
00:19Last winter, Damon had given it to me
00:21After three young alphas mocked my Omega blood
00:23He promised no one would ever make me bow again
00:25A week ago, a servant came and asked me to send it back
00:28For the ceremony
00:29I didn't question it
00:30Now I understood
00:31Lyra saw me looking
00:32She touched the bracelet gently
00:33Like it might break
00:34He wanted me to have it
00:35I hope you don't mind
00:37She knew I did
00:38Damon didn't stop her
00:38He only looked at me
00:39Cold
00:40I won't bond with you, Serafina
00:41The elders care about your silver blood
00:43They think it can crown the next Alpha King
00:47He pulled Lyra closer
00:48But Lyra is carrying my air
00:49My throat burned
00:50That bracelet was mine
00:51Lyra flinched behind Damon's arm
00:53As if I had hurt her
00:54Damon glanced at the bracelet
00:56Then back at me
00:56It was a promise to a girl who needed protecting
00:59His hand covered Lyra's stomach
01:00She gives me a future
01:01Lyra looked at me from behind him
01:03Tears shining in her eyes
01:04Small
01:05Fragile
01:05Victorious
01:06Then Damon turned to the entire hall
01:08When my pup is born
01:09Serafina will raise it
01:10As her own
01:13For one second
01:14I thought I had misheard him
01:15Then Damon made it worse
01:16You'll serve Lyra through the pregnancy
01:18Nurse her through recovery
01:20Raise my air as your own
01:21He said it like he was assigning chores to the lowest wolf in the room
01:24Maybe he was
01:25I was Serafina
01:26The only silver blood air Silvercrest had seen in a thousand years
01:29The prophecy said whoever completed a bond with me could awaken true Alpha power and claim the Alpha King's throne
01:35But I was also an Omega
01:36The rank everyone stepped on until they needed something
01:38Damon had decided my blood was useful
01:40But I was not
01:41Lyra gave a soft gasp beside him
01:43Damon don't say it like that
01:44Serafina has always been so good at taking care of people
01:47In the Omega quarters
01:49She helped everyone
01:50I'm sure she won't punish an innocent pup just because she's hurt
01:54The hall went silent
01:55Every stare landed on me
01:56Waiting for me to cry
01:57To beg
01:58To bow like a good little Omega
01:59My eyes burned
02:00Not because Damon had rejected me
02:01Because Lyra knew every soft place I kept hidden
02:04And still chose to press her hand against it
02:06The claim was never sealed
02:07No blood oath
02:08No mark
02:10Under the old laws it can still be revoked
02:12One elder exchanged a look with another
02:13That is technically true
02:15I looked at Damon
02:16I may be an Omega
02:19But I am not her servant
02:22And I will not raise the child you made with her
02:25I revoked the claim
02:27If any wolf here is willing to claim me tonight
02:30I accept
02:32The whispers came fast
02:34Silver blood
02:35Did Damon just throw away the prophecy?
02:38If someone claims her now
02:39I could see it in their faces
02:40Shock
02:41Hunger
02:41Calculation
02:42For one second
02:43I thought someone might actually step forward
02:45Then Damon's voice cut through
02:46Your name is still written into the royal reet
02:48The room froze
02:49Until the elders formally dissolve this ceremony
02:52Anyone who steps forward
02:53Is openly defying the crown
02:55No one moved
02:56That had been his plan
02:57Not to bond me
02:57Not to free me
02:58To keep me trapped under the royal rite
03:00Until the elders could turn me into something quieter
03:02Something useful
03:03Lyra's servant
03:04His heir's caretaker
03:05A silver blood Omega
03:06No other man would dare touch
03:07Damon stepped close enough
03:08For only me to hear
03:09Sarah
03:10My chest twisted
03:11That name used to be soft in his mouth
03:13Tonight
03:13It was a blade
03:14Don't embarrass yourself
03:15Then he turned to the hall
03:16No one wants you badly enough to start a war
03:18For one terrible second
03:19I thought he was right
03:20Not because I wasn't valuable
03:22But because every wolf in that room
03:23Wanted my blood more than they wanted to save me
03:26Then the doors at the far end of the hall swung open
03:28But before anyone could see who had entered
03:29Moira 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
03:38And slapped her across the face
03:39The 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
03:55Sarah Fauna 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 for my blood
04:12Then he brought her here with his heir and told me to raise their child
04:16My voice shut
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
04:25Because Damon thinks an Omega should be grateful for scraps
04:28Moira's eyes hardened
04:30Careful girl
04:31You are still standing inside a royal treat
04:33Your blood belongs to Silverrest 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
04:43The elders will decide your future
04:44Damon smiled again
04:46For the first time that night
04:47I 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
04:54Tall
04:55Dressed in black
04:56Pale as winter
04:57Aldrich'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
05:02He 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
05:11Careful brother
05:12If she chooses you
05:13She won't be a bride by sunrise
05:15A 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
05:26Does it still stand?
05:28My throat tightened
05:28Before I could answer
05:29Damon stepped in
05:30No
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
05:41He can't protect you
05:43He can't shift
05:44He can barely stand
05:45If you choose him
05:47This wedding becomes a funeral before sunrise
05:50Lyra's eyes widened
05:51Soft 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
06:00The 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
06:09Stand down
06:11For one second
06:13The whole hall waited
06:14They all thought I would break
06:15I looked past his hand
06:16At Kale
06:17Thin as paper
06:17Pale as death
06:18A cursed heir the entire pack had already buried
06:21And still
06:21He 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
06:41I did
06:42For the first time all night
06:43I did
06:44Then I stopped in front of Kale
06:45He looked down at me
06:46Grey 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
06:59Then 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
07:07Take her hand
07:09Are you done making a scene Sarah?
07:11If you stop now
07:11Lila 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
07:17Worry flickering across her face like another part of the performance
07:20The hall went dead silent
07:22Kale held out his hand
07:23At the same time
07:24I 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
07:40The gray in his eyes vanished
07:41Replaced 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
07:54No one outside it could break it
07:55Kale'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
08:03Kale looked up at me
08:04Gold flickering through the gray
08:06Let go
08:06If you stop now
08:08You'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
08:20Lyra 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
08:27I 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
08:34I leaned closer
08:35Kale
08:36Get me
08:36Then
08:37Without looking away from him
08:38I reached for the silver edge of the altar
08:41I didn't let go
08:42With Kale's eyes locked on mine
08:44I 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
08:50Before anyone could stop me
08:52I pressed my bleeding hand against the darkest knot of curse marks on Kale's wrist
08:56Light exploded between us
08:57Cold and blinding
08:58Violent enough to shake the altar beneath us
09:00Kale's body arched
09:01And a broken sound tore from his throat
09:03The curse fought back under my palm
09:05Black marks twisting up his skin
09:07Fighting to reach his throat again
09:08So I pressed harder
09:09Stay with me
09:10The black marks stopped
09:12Then slowly
09:12Unwillingly
09:13They began to retreat
09:14The ritual lines beneath our feet blazed white hot
09:17Spiraling around our joined wrists
09:19Until a pale silver mark burned itself into both our skin
09:21The bond didn't fail
09:22It held
09:23Kale collapsed to one knee
09:24Blood still on his lips
09:26But the gold was leaving his eyes
09:27Grey was coming back
09:28He was alive
09:29The oldest elder stared at our wrists
09:31The bond is sealed
09:32By old law
09:34Serafina of Silver Blood
09:35Is now claimed by Kale
09:37Firstborn 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
09:45Then vanished
09:46In its place
09:46A new name carved itself into the silver light
09:49Kale
09:49Damon's face went white
09:50He forced out a laugh
09:52He's still cursed
09:53You think your blood makes him stronger than me
09:56Before I could answer
09:57The 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
10:07Damon stopped breathing
10:08The prophecy had not died
10:10It had moved on
10:12The hall stayed silent
10:13Kale was still on one knee
10:15Blood on his lips
10:15One hand braced against the altar
10:17But his grip on me never loosened
10:18The silver mark on my wrist pulsed once
10:20His answer
10:21Damon finally found his voice
10:23This isn't over
10:24The oldest elder looked at the burned royal right mark
10:26Then at our joint hands
10:27Damon's face hardened
10:28He can barely stand
10:30Kale 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
10:36But he rose
10:37Then watch me
10:38No one laughed this time
10:39Moira stepped forward at once
10:41Kale
10:41You 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
10:51This is not the time for pride
10:53No one decides for my mate
10:54A shiver moved through the room
10:56For thirteen years
10:57They had spoken around him like he was already dead
10:59Tonight
10:59He did not raise his voice
11:00But every wolf in that hall heard the command beneath it
11:03Move
11:03The 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 said 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
11:30So 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
11:40No 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 he 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 I could not speak
12:33Damon wanted an heir
12:34The elders wanted a prophecy
12:35And Kale wanted a cure
12:37I stepped back before I could stop myself
12:39Kale saw it but 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
13:21My hands were still shaking
13:23But my voice came out clear
13:24You claimed me before the whole pack
13:27So show me
13:28Serafina
13:29Show me the curse
13:32Hale 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
13:47It was feeding on him
13:48My fingers curled once before I forced them still
13:51I need to touch it
13:52Serafina
13:53You claimed me before the whole pack
13:55Do not hide from me now
13:57For one beat
13:57I thought he would refuse
13:58Then 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
14:06My 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
14:17His chest rose hard beneath my hand
14:19It's not gone
14:20I feel it every day
14:21Gold blood threw 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
14:38The 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
14:47I could feel his wolf pressing against the bond
14:49Like it wanted to tear through his skin to reach me
14:51His 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
15:17The 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
15:25Not 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
15:32Unconscious
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
16:08The cut from the altar had split again
16:10I'm fine
16:11No
16:12You're bleeding from me
16:14There's a medicine stall in the eastern market
16:15Their salves are better than anything kept in this tower
16:17I almost laughed
16:19After everything that happened
16:21Do you want to buy me medicine?
16:22I want to do one useful thing before you decide I'm only good at nearly dying
16:25Before I could answer
16:26A knock sounded
16:27My lord
16:28The eastern market opened early
16:29A rare medicine shipment just arrived
16:31Kale looked at my palm
16:32Then reached for his cloak
16:33We go now
16:35The market was loud and crowded
16:37At the south stall
16:38I heard Damon's voice
16:39Damon's voice
16:40The strongest prenatal tyniner
16:41My chosen mate carries the future heir
16:43He stood at the next stall with Lyra on his arm
16:45When he saw me
16:46His eyes dropped to my bandaged palm
16:48Then 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
17:04I turned to the shelf
17:06Moonshade root
17:06Exactly what could weaken a soul-level curse
17:09My fingers closed around at first
17:10Lyra's hand landed over mine
17:12Eyes already wet
17:13Serafina, please
17:15I need this
17:16I didn't let go
17:17Lyra's lip trembled
17:18She turned to Damon
17:19Voice barely a whisper
17:20She won't even let me have medicine for our pup
17:23Damon's face darkened instantly
17:24He 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
17:31Kale 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
17:56For someone whose mate moves you like a puppet with a single tear
17:59Lyra's face went white
18:00Damon's jaw tightened
18:01I looked him up and down
18:03At least Kale's curse has a cure
18:04What's yours?
18:06Damon's mouth opened
18:07Before he could answer
18:08Kale's pressure slammed through the stall
18:09He stepped back
18:10Everyone saw it
18:11Kale 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, that's the problem
18:19Damon dragged Lyra away before his wolf could betray him again
18:22Only when they were gone did I see the blood at the corner of Kale's mouth
18:25His curse had hurt him act like an alpha
18:27And it was punishing him for it
18:30I made him sit down
18:31Kale 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
18:42I 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
18:51I choose where it goes
18:53For a moment
18:54He 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
19:01His whole body locked
19:02The seal fought back
19:03So did the wolf trapped beneath it
19:05The first night
19:06I kept my eyes on the mark
19:07By the third
19:08I 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
19:16Does it hurt?
19:18No
19:18By the fifth night
19:19It had become routine
19:20Touch 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?
19:37Because when you do
19:38The 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
19:46On his knees
19:47Body shaking so hard it looked painful to watch
19:49His nails had turned to claws
19:51They dragged across the stone
19:52Leaving deep white marks
19:53Then he looked up
19:54Gold eyes
19:55Slit pupils
19:56Too much wolf
19:57Not enough man
19:58Go when you're close
19:59The 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
20:06And 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 hell
20:13Half relief
20:13Then he looked at me again
20:15Breathing hard
20:16Half man
20:16Half wolf
20:17And said my name like it was the only thing keeping him from breaking apart
20:20Tell me to stop
20:22Say it now
20:23And I still can
20:24I'm not going anywhere Kale
20:28I didn't run
20:29Kale stared at me
20:30Gold burning through grey
20:31Then his hand caught my waist
20:32And the other came to the back of my neck
20:34This was the wolf
20:35The curse mark flared between us
20:36Silver and black light crashing together
20:38Every touch cracked the seal wider
20:40I let my blood answer
20:41Let 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
20:48The last piece of the seal gave way
20:50The curse shattered
20:51When the light died
20:52The 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
20:58You should have run
21:01You keep saying that
21:02You never listen
21:04Get used to it
21:05Then he laughed
21:06Low
21:06Rough
21:07Real
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
21:16Warm
21:17And everywhere
21:18Nothing interrupted us
21:19Nothing pulled him away
21:20When I woke hours later
21:21The 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
21:31Warmer
21:31Solid in a way that made me close my eyes
21:33And stay exactly where I was
21:36Sunlight hit my face before I opened my eyes
21:39The space beside me was empty
21:40But still warm
21:41Then I heard water running
21:42Kale stood by the basin
21:44Splashing 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
21:52His shoulders were broader now
21:54For 13 years
21:55The 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
22:12Something 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
22:28Wolf's waking too fast
22:29I looked at the mark
22:30Half faded
22:31Half burning
22:32How long?
22:33Days
22:34Not weeks
22:35Kale wiped the blood away
22:37And 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
22:50The first time Aldrich saw him cross the council hall
22:53Without leaning on anything
22:54The old alpha king stopped mid-sentence
22:56So did half the elders
22:57For one breath
22:58They 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
23:07But not to his name
23:08Thirteen years of being treated like a dead air did not disappear
23:11Because he could stand straight
23:12Kale knew that better than anyone
23:14So he stopped waiting for them to remember who he was
23:16He worked border routes
23:18Missing supplies
23:19Patrol gaps
23:20Old complaints no one had touched in years
23:22He read everything
23:23Checked everything
23:24Corrected everything
23:25At first
23:25The captains ignored him
23:27Then one of his warnings saved a patrol from walking into an ambush
23:30By the next council
23:31Two warriors stood behind his chair without being ordered
23:33By the fifth day
23:34A dispute over Northern Territory reached the council table
23:37No one had an answer
23:38Aldrich's eyes moved across the room and
23:40For the first time in thirteen years
23:42Stopped on Kale
23:43What do you think?
23:44The room went quiet
23:45Kale answered like he had been waiting thirteen years to be asked
23:48By sunset
23:49The news had reached Damon
23:50That night
23:51A patrol wolf came to the north tower with a message
23:53He wouldn't meet Kale's eyes
23:55Damon says
23:56The wolf swallowed
23:58Enjoy pretending to be air while you can
24:00Kale 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
24:11Damon looked away too late
24:13At first
24:13Lyra pretended not to see it
24:15Then she couldn't
24:16That night
24:16She found him alone
24:17Am I not enough?
24:19Don't start
24:19Her eyes filled
24:20She reached for his hand
24:22He pulled it away
24:23I gave up everything for you
24:24My friends
24:25My place
24:27I chose you over everyone
24:29Our child is right here Damon
24:31He looked down at her hand
24:32Then removed it
24:33Lyra's composure cracked
24:34She doesn't love you
24:36She chose the cursed one
24:38She let you go without looking back
24:39I'm the one who stayed
24:41I'm the one carrying your air
24:42Why 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
24:50I'm carrying your
24:52Then do it quietly
24:53He walked out
24:54Lyra knelt on the floor
24:55Tears running
24:56Hands on her belly
24:57With no one left to perform for
24:59The next afternoon
25:00Damon 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
25:07Pretending you don't still love me
25:09Must 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
25:43If you learn your place
25:45For one second
25:45I could only look at him
25:47You don't want me, Damon
25:49You want my blood
25:50My forgiveness
25:51And my silence
25:52I pulled my wrist away
25:54Before 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
26:01Sarah, don't come asking for mercy
26:03By then you won't have a choice anymore
26:06I'll break him in front of the whole pack
26:06I'll break him in front of the whole pack
26:06I'll break him in front of the whole pack
26:06I'll break him in front of the whole pack
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