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