A heartbreaking short drama filled with betrayal, revenge, and unforgettable romance. After losing everything—including her family legacy and the man she trusted most—Natalie rises stronger than ever with the help of the Supreme Alpha. Will true love heal old wounds, or will revenge come first?
Watch this emotional full episode featuring werewolves, Alpha romance, rebirth, powerful female lead, forbidden love, and shocking plot twists. Perfect for fans of romantic fantasy, revenge stories, and dramatic love triangles.
#ShortDrama #DramaSeries #FullEP #ShortFilm #ShortMovie #RomanticDrama #Werewolf #WolfShifter #Alpha #Luna #FantasyRomance #Revenge #Rebirth #LoveStory #FantasyDrama #Drama #Romance #ENGSUB
Watch this emotional full episode featuring werewolves, Alpha romance, rebirth, powerful female lead, forbidden love, and shocking plot twists. Perfect for fans of romantic fantasy, revenge stories, and dramatic love triangles.
#ShortDrama #DramaSeries #FullEP #ShortFilm #ShortMovie #RomanticDrama #Werewolf #WolfShifter #Alpha #Luna #FantasyRomance #Revenge #Rebirth #LoveStory #FantasyDrama #Drama #Romance #ENGSUB
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Short filmTranscript
00:00The night before my wedding, my hair was gone.
00:02The silver hair passed down through generations of the Warwick bloodline,
00:05the symbol of our lineage that could summon wolf packs under the full moon
00:08and make even the most feral beasts submit by instinct,
00:10had been shaved off while I passed out.
00:13I lay there with my bare scalp exposed,
00:15and I saw Zoe standing beside the bed.
00:16She wore a black tactical vest.
00:18He was fiddling with a bone blade in her hand.
00:20The blade had been coated with wolf bone extract.
00:22She grinned at Liam.
00:23She hasn't even completed her first transformation.
00:26What gives her the right to stand beside an alpha?
00:28Liam's inner circle howled along with her.
00:30Zoe, that's not really fair.
00:31One of them chummed in.
00:32That sleep sashage was a gift from the alpha himself.
00:34Wolf bait mixed with moonflower, enough to knock out a bear.
00:36The marking ceremony's tomorrow.
00:37Zoe waved a hand to dismissively.
00:39Not that it matters anyway.
00:40Once she's in our pack, her status is always up for re-evaluation.
00:43Looking like this, she's perfect for starting from the lowest rung.
00:46Amid the roaring laughter filling the room, Liam glanced at me.
00:48Just one glance, then he looked away.
00:50They're all brothers who fought alongside me in the north.
00:52He said.
00:52Just a joke. Don't take it seriously.
00:54Just wrap a veil around your head tomorrow.
00:55No one will notice.
00:55He paused. His tone suddenly softened.
00:57And you're still the woman I'm going to mark.
00:59My Luna.
01:00I shifted my body slightly.
01:02The drug hadn't worn off yet.
01:03My limbs felt like they were filled with lead.
01:05He didn't wait for my response.
01:06He turned around and walked out of the bedroom with his men.
01:08The door closed.
01:09The room was left with just me and that herbal sashage,
01:12still swaying slightly above the headboard.
01:14The way he looked at me was cold.
01:15Cold as if he was staring at a stranger.
01:17He was my chosen mate.
01:18The mate I chose.
01:19Not the one the moon goddess chose for me.
01:21I thought choosing for myself meant I was guaranteed to be right.
01:24I spent six years proving one thing.
01:26I was wrong.
01:29Got it from the Scottish Highlands.
01:31Added some moonflower from the border.
01:33Best thing for sleep.
01:35Rest well.
01:36Be my most beautiful bride tomorrow.
01:41Natalie, don't be mad.
01:43Zoe's always had a big mouth.
01:45We drove all night.
01:47Across three states.
01:48We thought it was a surprise.
01:54I looked at the hair scattered across the carpet.
01:56It was dead.
01:57Living silver hair flowed with moonlight.
01:58When my grandmother died, her hair was silver to the very last strand.
02:01My mother broke a leg and her hair still fell silver to her waist.
02:03That was the power of the Warwick She-Wolves bloodline.
02:05Not decoration, but a vessel of strength.
02:07The root of sensing beasts calling upon moonlight and shielding the pack.
02:10Now it lay like snipped dead electrical wires.
02:12Blanketing the floor in a dark mass.
02:14The moment it left my scalp, the luster died.
02:16I tried to extend my senses, reaching toward the window.
02:18Nothing.
02:18That sensory domain, once as clear as flowing water,
02:21felt like it had been filled with cement overnight.
02:22As if something, at some point, had already died.
02:25And I didn't even know when that moment had started.
02:30I was just curious.
02:31What kind of woman is worthy of Alpha Liam's mark?
02:36Now I see.
02:38Unworthy.
02:40Every wolf in that room understood exactly what she meant.
02:44Chosen mate.
02:45Pledged mate.
02:45I chose him.
02:46He chose me.
02:47I thought that was love.
02:48It wasn't until tonight that I realized.
02:50This so-called choice was nothing but a handout he could snatch back whenever he felt like it.
02:54Natalie.
02:56Zoe meant no harm.
02:59She's been like this since we were kids.
03:01Never thinks before she speaks.
03:03Don't hold it against her.
03:05Whether I think you're worthy or not, Liam's still gonna mark you.
03:09So what are you still upset about?
03:13Just drape a long veil over your head tomorrow?
03:16Who's going notice?
03:18I said nothing.
03:19I didn't cry either.
03:21From the moment I woke up until now, not a single tear had fallen.
03:24Liam sighed and reached for my hand.
03:26I pulled away.
03:29He froze.
03:30He probably never imagined I would pull away.
03:31After they left, I sat there, pressing my palms against my temples.
03:35That pain was back.
03:36Not the stinging from having my hair shaved off, but something deeper.
03:40A burning sensation, like something was struggling desperately to break out from within.
03:44This feeling had actually been following me for six years now.
03:47Zoe is my second-in-command.
03:49She has no filter, but she means well.
03:52Let's leave it at that, okay?
03:54His voice softened.
03:55His calming scent washed over me.
03:57Natalie, I gave you the Sanch.
03:59If I knew Zoe would use it to pull something like this, I...
04:02He didn't finish.
04:04I looked at his face.
04:06A face I had looked at for so many years.
04:09Twelve years old, a bunch of young wolves were bullying me.
04:12Liam shattered one of their jaws.
04:15He got suspended for a month.
04:17He said it was worth it.
04:19Fifteen.
04:20My first awakening.
04:22But it wasn't a full wolf form, just the senses.
04:26He showed up at my father's estate gore the very next morning.
04:29He didn't wait a single day.
04:31That very day, something deep within my scalp trembled lightly,
04:35like the tip of a thread quietly pulling taut in a certain direction.
04:39I paid it no attention.
04:41All I saw was Liam standing in the morning light,
04:44his eyes red-rimmed.
04:46Eighteen.
04:47Before he was deployed to the north,
04:48he gripped my hand at the airport,
04:50eyes reddening,
04:52and said he'd come back.
04:53And hold the marking ceremony with me.
04:55He spent three years out there.
04:57I spent three years waiting for him in my apartment in New York.
05:02Every full moon,
05:04that thread buried deep in my soul would burn hot once.
05:07I thought it was longing.
05:08And now, that sachet was still hanging above the headboard, making me sick.
05:14I didn't press him for more answers.
05:16The answers no longer mattered.
05:19Did he know about Zoe's plan?
05:21Did it make a difference?
05:22He indulged her, like he always did.
05:26That wasn't the first time he'd indulged her at my expense.
05:30Last year, I practically begged my father for permission to visit him in the Northern Territory.
05:34I stood outside his tactical tent for three hours.
05:37I had someone announced my arrival three times.
05:40Zoe had posted a sign outside the tent,
05:42no entry,
05:43authorized personnel only,
05:45including Natalie.
05:45He walked out and looked at me.
05:47His face was cold.
05:49Blame yourself.
05:50I should have known back then.
05:52That was the first time I truly felt it.
05:54My place in his heart didn't even weigh as much as a prank from his second-in-command.
05:59Natalie, do you have to be this petty?
06:00Liam's voice was trembling.
06:02Zoe is my second-in-command!
06:04Do you know how many times she saved my life up north?
06:06She bled for three years in the Northern Territory,
06:08gave way more than a sheltered princess like you who hides in your safe apartment,
06:12moping about how lonely you are.
06:14You see every other woman as a rival in your head.
06:17Zoe's vision is far bigger than yours.
06:18What fills her heart is the safety of the entire pack.
06:21And you?
06:23You can't even see beyond the four walls of this apartment.
06:26Zoe tugged at his sleeve.
06:28Liam, that's enough.
06:30She's still the mate you're going to mark.
06:33So what?
06:34Liam shook off her hand.
06:36She's been living in her comfort zone for too long.
06:38Her world is this small.
06:41Zoe just wanted to test your alertness as a werewolf.
06:43It's the most basic prank in any pack.
06:45Why can't you just let it go?
06:46I sat on the bed and listened to every single word he said.
06:50That burning thread pulled tighter than ever before.
06:53Like something in a distant direction was trembling with fury.
06:57Not for Liam, but for me.
06:59I pressed my hand to my chest.
07:01I wanted to tell myself to let go of Liam.
07:03I thought I already had, but there was a dull ache in my chest.
07:07I looked at the hair on the carpet.
07:09My hair.
07:11And then I knew.
07:12I hated him.
07:13Once hatred takes root, there's no going back.
07:15The sky was growing light.
07:17The sound of a delivery truck came from the street below.
07:20Liam's expression shifted.
07:21He immediately took those inner circle members and slipped out through the fire escape.
07:24My mother, Sarah, pushed the door open.
07:25She was holding a cup black coffee.
07:27She glanced at the hair all over the floor.
07:28The cup wobbled in her hand, coffee spilling onto the carpet.
07:31Natalie, who did this?
07:33I heard Zoe's soft laugh from the alley below.
07:36Mom, look at me.
07:37I need you to do something for me.
07:39Right now.
07:39I didn't dig through the ventry drawer.
07:41I didn't take out any ancient tokens.
07:42I closed my eyes and pressed down on my own chest.
07:45There was a thread there.
07:46It had been faintly present since the day I awakened at 15.
07:48Like a strand of silver spider thread buried deep within my wolf nature.
07:51I didn't choose that thread.
07:52It appeared without my permission the year I turned 15.
07:54It was the fated mate bond.
07:55True mate.
07:55Destined by fate itself.
07:56I had deliberately ignored it for six years because I thought the person I chose was the right one.
07:59Now I understood.
08:00The moon goddess never chooses wrong.
08:02I took a deep breath and gathered all my despair and rage into a silent howl.
08:06Pushing it out along that bond.
08:08It wasn't a cry for help.
08:09It was the first time in six years that I actively said, I'm here.
08:13That force was ancient.
08:14More primal than my family's blood ace.
08:16Like a current of silver electricity.
08:17It pierced through the sear and concrete of Manhattan.
08:19Through the morning light shooting towards a specific direction.
08:22Upper east side.
08:23On the other end of my soul someone was waiting.
08:25That end, almost in the same instant, without a moment's hesitation, responded.
08:28Meanwhile, upper east side, New York.
08:30The ancient estate that was never open to outsiders.
08:33Nicholas stood before the floor to ceiling windows.
08:35He was holding an old pocket watch in his hand.
08:36It was too old.
08:37The gilded edges worn down to the brass beneath.
08:39A photo was embedded inside the watch cover.
08:41The profile of a 15-year-old girl at her awakening ceremony.
08:43That silver hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall.
08:46Six years ago, he first sensed that bond at the awakening ceremony.
08:50That scent belonging to her rushed into his soul, like a flame locked into his very bones.
08:54But she said she had chosen Leon.
08:56So he sealed that bond deep within his soul and waited for her.
09:00Waited for six years.
09:01In those six years, that bond was like a piece of shrapnel buried in his marrow.
09:06He felt it every single day.
09:08And every single day, he had to actively suppress it.
09:10There were a few times he nearly lost control.
09:13His second-in-command found him more than once in the early morning.
09:16Half the walls of his study smashed apart by his bare hands.
09:20He never explained.
09:21He just cleaned it up.
09:23Kept waiting.
09:24His second-in-command appeared at the door and bowed his head.
09:27Alpha, our people in the city detected a mate bond activation signal.
09:30Source, Miss Natalie Warwick.
09:32Target locked on you.
09:33The second-in-command paused.
09:35A cautious surprise in his voice.
09:37We didn't have time to react.
09:38You had already accepted it.
09:39Nicholas snacked the watch cover shut.
09:41In those golden wolf eyes was a killing intent, suppressed for far too long,
09:45that had finally found a righteous outlet.
09:47His fingers squeezed the watch case until the metal let out a faint groan.
09:50Send a reply to Miss Warwick.
09:52The ceremony proceeds as planned.
09:53Leave the rest to me.
09:54The second-in-command was about to withdraw, but was called back.
09:57One more thing.
09:58Bring out my mother's coronation crown.
10:00Notify Paris to dispatch a team of jewelists overnight.
10:02Adjust the measurements to Miss Warwick's file.
10:04I want it in New York before sunrise tomorrow.
10:06Also, pull the application documents from the alliance.
10:08Joint confirmation from the three founding families.
10:11I submitted it three weeks ago.
10:12Understood.
10:13The final arbitration only requires notifying the three alphas to seal it.
10:16Complete it tonight.
10:17The second-in-command left to carry out the orders.
10:19Nicholas placed the pocket watch back into his chest pocket, right against his heart.
10:24Then, to the empty room, he said six words, very softly.
10:28Not waiting anymore.
10:30Not this time.
10:31By evening, the reply arrived.
10:33Just one line.
10:34The ceremony proceeds as planned.
10:36Leave the rest to me.
10:37Along with the letter came a high-end carrying case.
10:39Opened, a homemade lace wig.
10:41So finely crafted that even my wolf eyes couldn't tell it was fake.
10:44A full set of custom diamond crown and jewelry.
10:46I couldn't sleep at all that night.
10:48I sat by the window, fingers tracing the pure white wedding dress.
10:52For the first time in all these years, it wasn't Liam on my mind.
10:55I truly hated him.
10:56In just a few more hours, I would be wearing this wedding dress standing before another alpha.
11:01Nicholas, whom I had seen a few times at alliance meetings but had barely exchanged
11:05words with.
11:06And he sent a wig and a crown.
11:08Like it was nothing.
11:09I held the crown in my hands.
11:11Moonlight struck the diamond facets.
11:14Scattering fine silver light looking exactly like the strands of my hair that had died on
11:18that carpet.
11:18The thread in my chest lay warm and quiet.
11:21Not burning.
11:22Just warmth.
11:23The bedroom door was suddenly shoved open.
11:26Liam.
11:27Behind him.
11:27Zoe.
11:28This time, he didn't bring anyone else.
11:30He saw me sitting there, holding the crown in my hands.
11:33The crest engraved on that crown was the wolf head emblem of the Lycan family.
11:37His face drained of color in an instant.
11:39Now we're even.
11:45I looked at those marks.
11:47A wave of nauseous trumped into my stomach.
11:50That's Sache.
11:51You inhaled it and fell unconscious.
11:53She shrugged.
11:54The curve of her lips carried no guilt whatsoever.
11:56But for an alpha male to smell it, the reaction is completely different.
11:59Wolf bowed.
11:59Not some sleep serb.
12:00A full dose knocks the she-wolf out cold.
12:02But the same out pushes a male alpha into a rut.
12:04This, I knew from the start.
12:05My hand froze.
12:06You knew.
12:07I looked into her eyes.
12:09You knew from the very beginning.
12:11Zoe met my gaze.
12:12She neither denied nor explained.
12:14In her eyes was only a raw, primal satisfaction of being marked by Liam.
12:17I was prepping your gear.
12:18Probably got some residue on my skin.
12:20Liam caught the scent.
12:21He lost control in front of me and went into a frenzy.
12:23Didn't even give me time to run.
12:25She recited the excuse, word for word, like a script she had memorized.
12:29So there it is.
12:30You lost your hair.
12:30I paid with my body.
12:32We're even.
12:32I understood.
12:33She knew about the dual effect of wolf fails from the start.
12:36That night was her design.
12:37Shave my hair, then use the residual herb to trigger Liam.
12:40Two birds with one stone.
12:41Strip away my bloodline marker, then use the mark to bind Liam to her for good.
12:44It wasn't an accident.
12:48Natalie.
12:49Given what happened, I need to give the pack an explanation.
12:53Tomorrow's marking ceremony.
12:54Let's postpone it for now.
12:55Postpone.
12:57Postpone again.
12:59I was 15 when he proposed.
13:02Now I'm 21.
13:03Six whole years.
13:05I had no more time to give him.
13:09I'm not postponing the ceremony.
13:12Natalie, do you have to be this impossible to reason with?
13:15Whether I'm easy to reason with or not,
13:19I'm putting on this wedding dress tomorrow.
13:22He stared at me for a long time.
13:23His gaze shifted from the wedding dress to the lion crown in my hands,
13:27then to my bare scalp.
13:28Fine.
13:29Since you have no intention of being considerate towards Zoe,
13:32all for a Luna title.
13:33He stopped at the door.
13:34Don't regret this.
13:35The door slammed shut behind me.
13:37I faced the mirror and put that wig on,
13:40securing the crown piece by piece.
13:42The woman in the mirror wore the crown of the lion family
13:46and a pure white wedding grass.
13:49She was nobody's second choice.
13:51Early the next morning,
13:53I stood before the mirror and put on that wig.
13:55I secured the diamond crown piece by piece.
13:58The pure white wedding dress was elegant and magnificent.
14:02It was time.
14:03My mother held my arm as we walked out.
14:05The apartment building's front door swung open,
14:07and I saw Liam.
14:08He was wearing an old leather jacket.
14:10Behind him were two mud-splashed pickup trucks idling by the curb.
14:13No stretch Lincoln.
14:14No wedding convoy.
14:15A few of his men slouched in the truck beds, looking hungover.
14:18There wasn't even a single decorative white rose on the vehicles.
14:22Natalie.
14:24My mom said the ceremony was canceled.
14:26The whole drive here, I kept thinking,
14:28you really weren't going to stay with me anymore.
14:30But now, seeing you dressed like this and coming out,
14:33I knew you changed your mind.
14:35I looked at those two beat-up pickup trucks.
14:37Is this how an Alpha comes to claim his Luna?
14:39You're the one who insisted on holding the ceremony today.
14:41Considering Zoe's situation,
14:43I had to follow the protocol for accepting an unranked stray into the pack to pick you up.
14:47We'll hold a proper formal ceremony later, once things settle down.
14:50Unranked stray.
14:51Handmade lace trail.
14:53The Lycan family crown.
14:54Six generations of Warwick she-wolf bloodline flowing through me.
14:57And he said,
14:58Unranked stray.
15:00The last half inch of warmth in my heart went completely cold.
15:04I am Natalie Wark,
15:05and I am nobody's backup plan.
15:10Look closely at what I'm wearing.
15:13I'm not going anywhere to be someone's sideshow.
15:17I told you yesterday.
15:19I have to give Zoe an explanation.
15:21She holds the real power.
15:23You hold the title.
15:24It's perfectly reasonable.
15:25You didn't have time to prepare?
15:28I let out a cold laugh.
15:31Liam,
15:33You proposed to me when I was 15.
15:36Six years.
15:38Six whole years.
15:39Who exactly-
15:40You're still holding on to that?
15:44Can you just try for once to see the bigger picture?
15:46Zoe just came down from the territory.
15:47The situation is complicated.
15:48Come with me today, you'll get everything you're owed.
15:50Do you really have to fight me on saving face right now?
15:51Liam instinctively turned sideways and reached for his gun.
15:53Heavy armored via back had just pickup truck gile and reached the Screeping All.
15:56Tire screamed against the asphalt.
15:57He snapped his head up.
15:58Those car doors slowly opened.
15:59Elite members in full tactical gear,
16:01wolf emblems of the lichen pack engraved on their chest plates,
16:04sealed off the entire street.
16:06The luxury car boy trailing behind stretched for several blocks.
16:09Helicopters hovered overhead.
16:11The whole street went quiet.
16:13An alpha scent,
16:14carrying the raw edge of cedar and gunpowder,
16:17brutally crushed its way through the entire street.
16:19It wasn't meant to soothe.
16:20It was pure physiological domination.
16:22Liam's wolf let out a whimper deep in his soul.
16:25At the very front of the convoy,
16:26the door opened.
16:27Nicholas stepped out of the car.
16:29Tailored pure black suit.
16:30Golden eyes that held no warmth whatsoever in the morning light.
16:33He looked at Liam,
16:34looking down on him.
16:35Only one sentence.
16:36My true mate.
16:38You think someone like you can treat her with such disrespect?
16:41His voice wasn't loud,
16:42like a razor blade slicing through the air.
16:44Do you have a death wish, Liam?
16:47Liam's face went utterly white.
16:49One spoke of an engagement.
16:50The other spoke of a faded bond.
16:53Even the words were different.
16:54For the first time in six years,
16:55I realized some things
16:57the moon goddess had chosen for me from the very beginning.
17:00I had only pretended not to hear.
17:02And now,
17:02someone had come to settle the score on my behalf.
17:05Every last debt,
17:06collected one by one.
17:08Liam stood there,
17:09looking at me,
17:10then at Nicholas,
17:11who was radiating terrifying pressure.
17:14Natalie,
17:15what is going on here?
17:17Why is Nicholas saying you're his true mate?
17:19Because today is my bonding ceremony with him.
17:22I didn't look back.
17:23Liam,
17:24stop wasting my time.
17:25Footsteps chased after me from behind.
17:27Liam rushed forward,
17:28trying to grab my hand.
17:29An elite member's palm slammed into his chest,
17:31shoving him back.
17:31Liam's voice panicked.
17:32What did you say?
17:33You have a mate vow with me first.
17:34The one you bond with can only me.
17:36How could you...
17:36I am Natalie Warwick,
17:38and I am nobody's backup plan.
17:40I turned around.
17:41Six years,
17:42Liam.
17:42I gave you six years to choose.
17:45Every single time you chose to make me wait.
17:47I'm done.
17:48With that,
17:49I turned and sat in the back seat of the myhach.
17:51The moment the car door closed,
17:53I saw Liam still frozen in place.
17:54Frozen.
17:54Lost.
17:55Nicholas stood beside the car,
17:56looking down at him.
17:57Liam,
17:57I'm genuinely curious.
17:59He pulled out a piece of heavy,
18:00textured letter paper.
18:01What made you think the silver wolf bloodline
18:02of the Warwick family,
18:03my liking family's true mate,
18:04would be willing to go to your pack
18:05and be an empty trophy?
18:07He unfolded the document.
18:08On the bottom left were pressed
18:09three bloodline signatures
18:10that could not be forged.
18:11The three founding families
18:12holding the highest seats
18:13in the North American Werewolf Alliance.
18:15Alliance ruling.
18:16Three weeks ago,
18:16I already submitted the application.
18:17This morning,
18:18the final arbitration was signed
18:19and filed across all of North America.
18:20Before sunset,
18:21this would be written
18:21into every single pack registry.
18:23In other words,
18:24the entire continent's wolf packs now know.
18:26You attempted to go against
18:27on the Alliance resolution
18:29of the three founding families.
18:31He withdrew the document.
18:33His eyes so cold,
18:34they seemed to want to nail Liam to the floor.
18:36Rather, Liam,
18:37you should be at the Northern Border Defense
18:39guarding your post right now.
18:41What are you doing in Manhattan?
18:46He paused.
18:48No wonder you never received
18:50that emergency mate contract termination notice
18:53sent to the front lines.
18:56Natalie was planning to tell you
18:58in person yesterday
18:58that she was dissolving
19:00the chosen mate contract
19:01and you hung a sleeping sachet
19:03over her bed and left
19:04without even giving her the chance
19:06to open her mouth.
19:08Abandoning your post without leaving.
19:11Sneaking back into the core city
19:13right under the Alliance's nose.
19:16Nicholas tilted his head slightly.
19:18What do you think the Joint Alphas
19:20would make of this news?
19:22A misunderstanding
19:23or an insurrection
19:27requiring a purge?
19:29He turned and sat in the car,
19:31giving orders into the comms unit.
19:33His voice was cold as ice.
19:35Convoy, move out.
19:36Going home.
19:38By the time the ceremony ended,
19:40the sky was already dark.
19:41The private estate was brilliantly lit.
19:44Wolfpack leaders and guests
19:45from all sides had gradually disperred.
19:47The master bedroom door was pushed open.
19:52In the mirror,
19:53the corner of his mouth
19:54curved into an arc,
19:55gentler than any expression
19:56I had ever seen on his face.
19:58Liam is outside.
19:59He wants to see you.
20:01I looked at him through the mirror.
20:03I don't want to see him.
20:04Nicholas flashed me
20:05a tactical hand signal.
20:07Short, sharp.
20:08The curve of his lips didn't fade.
20:10Do you want to see him now?
20:11He asked.
20:13I slowly nodded.
20:15Now I can see him.
20:16The basement.
20:17A reinforced room.
20:18Guards posted outside the door.
20:20When I walked in,
20:20there was a group of people
20:21standing in the room.
20:22Liam in the center.
20:23Those few interduccal members
20:24were there too.
20:25Zoe was there too.
20:25The moment that group saw me,
20:27the most submissive posture
20:29would a werewolf assume
20:30to show surrender.
20:31Luna!
20:32Please give Alpha Liam another chance!
20:35Luna, Alpha Liam does care about you.
20:37He talked about you
20:38every day in the territory,
20:39said he'd come back and marry you
20:40as soon as the war was over.
20:42Said it for three years!
20:43Luna, you and Alpha Liam
20:45grew up together.
20:45All those years of history,
20:46you can't just-
20:47They scrambled over each other
20:49listing all the ways
20:50Liam had been good to me.
20:51My heart felt nothing at all.
20:54Enough!
20:55Zoe suddenly spoke up.
20:56The only one among them
20:58who hasn't lowered her head.
20:59She stood there,
21:00chin held high.
21:01What are you begging for?
21:02What's so special about her?
21:04Zoe looked at me.
21:05A smirk pulled at the corner
21:06of her mouth.
21:07Natalie,
21:08I underestimated you.
21:09Yesterday you were here
21:10playing the victim
21:10and today you've lashed
21:11onto Nicholas.
21:12Playing the victim
21:13while grabbing benefits
21:14for yourself.
21:15I didn't think a sheltered flower
21:16like you would be so calculating.
21:18I said nothing.
21:21Liam spoke up.
21:23That voice was so,
21:24so harsh.
21:25I had never heard
21:26anything like it from him.
21:27Zoe!
21:28Shut your mouth!
21:30Zoe froze.
21:31She turned her head
21:32to look at Liam.
21:33What did you say?
21:34Liam stared her down
21:35with deadly intensity.
21:37His golden alpha eyes
21:38were bloodshot.
21:39I said shut your mouth.
21:41Bow your head.
21:42Zoe's face
21:43instantly flushed red.
21:44Liam, have you lost your mind?
21:46You're using alpha command on me?
21:48You're making me bow my head to her?
21:50Liam roared,
21:51releasing his dominance.
21:53Bow your head!
21:54Zoe's knees buckled.
21:55Her neck finally dropped.
21:57The expression on her face
21:58was anger
21:58and even more so defiance.
22:00Liam,
22:00you're yelling at me
22:02for her?
22:03Who am I?
22:04I'm your second in command.
22:05She turned around
22:06and bonded with Nicholas
22:07just like that
22:07and you're making me bow to her?
22:09Liam ignored her completely.
22:11He turned his head
22:11to look at me.
22:12His eyes were red.
22:13His voice was shaking.
22:14Nate,
22:15I was wrong.
22:16I didn't respond.
22:17He moved closer,
22:18trying to touch me.
22:19I stepped back.
22:19I know I screwed up.
22:20The hair thing,
22:21those things I said,
22:22but Nate,
22:23Zoe did save my life.
22:25Up north,
22:26when I was nearly torn apart
22:27by feral wolves,
22:28Zoe dragged me out
22:29of the wreckage.
22:30She said she wanted
22:31to test your alertness
22:32and I just,
22:33I just didn't stop her.
22:34The inner circle members
22:35kept their heads down
22:36and chimed in.
22:38Luna,
22:39Zoe saved the Alpha.
22:40The Alpha owes her his life.
22:42He couldn't just slap her
22:43in the face.
22:43The Alpha has you in his heart.
22:45He just didn't know
22:45how to refuse Zoe.
22:46Liam spoke again.
22:47The pleading in his voice
22:48was almost overflowing.
22:49Nate,
22:51you can hit me,
22:52yell at me,
22:52anything.
22:53Just don't abandon me.
22:55I'm begging you.
22:57Please,
22:57don't leave.
22:58I pulled a small lockbox
23:00from my handbag,
23:01opened it.
23:01I tossed that herbal-scented
23:03zacho at his feet.
23:04Then why did you do this to me?
23:05Liam looked down
23:06at the sashes.
23:07He couldn't say another word.
23:11The day before yesterday,
23:12you came to my apartment.
23:14I wanted to tell you in person.
23:16I was dissolving
23:17our chosen mate contract.
23:19Six years.
23:20I was done waiting.
23:21I paused,
23:22but you didn't let me finish.
23:24You just hung this sanshin
23:25over my bed,
23:26said something about it
23:27being the best thing for sleep,
23:29told me to rest well.
23:30Then you left.
23:31You didn't even leave me
23:32the chance to open my mouth.
23:34Liam's face went pale.
23:36Nate,
23:36I really didn't know Zoe would-
23:38Didn't know.
23:38I cut him off.
23:39You knew exactly
23:40the kind of person Zoe is.
23:41You knew she was waiting
23:42in the hallway.
23:43You knew she turned
23:43your indulgence
23:44into her hunting ground.
23:45You just never asked,
23:46because if you asked,
23:47you'd have to make a choice,
23:47and you were never willing
23:48to choose for me.
23:49I looked down
23:49at the satches at my feet.
23:51Liam,
23:52my voice was calm,
23:53like I was recounting
23:54in an old story
23:55from a long time ago.
23:56You told me it was moonflower
23:58from the Scottish Highlands
23:59inside there.
23:59The best thing for sleep.
24:01I raised my head
24:02and looked directly
24:02into his eyes.
24:03But it was wolf bone.
24:05You knew that.
24:06You hung it there yourself.
24:09Liam's lips moved.
24:10No sound came out.
24:12You said you didn't know
24:13what Zoe was going to do.
24:14But Liam,
24:16what was inside that sanshin
24:17you knew perfectly well.
24:19You just chose not to ask
24:20what would happen next.
24:22Because if you asked,
24:23you'd have to stop her.
24:25And you never,
24:26ever intended to stop her.
24:27The basement went silent.
24:29Even the sound of breathing
24:29seemed to stop.
24:30Liam knelt on the floor.
24:32Sweat slid down
24:32the side of his face.
24:33His mouth opened.
24:34Those defensive words
24:35rolled around on his teeth.
24:36And in the end,
24:37they crumbled into a puff of air
24:38that was nothing at all.
24:39He didn't deny it.
24:40That was the final answer.
24:41Nicholas walked in.
24:43No suit jacket.
24:44The sleeves of his white dress shirt
24:46were rolled up to his forearms.
24:47His collar was open two buttons,
24:49revealing the edge
24:50of an old scar.
24:51Those golden eyes
24:52burned in the basement.
24:53He didn't look at anyone.
24:54He looked at me.
24:56In that single glance
24:57was no question,
24:58no hesitation,
25:00only the silent confirmation
25:01that exists between true mates.
25:03Are you okay?
25:04What else do you need me to do?
25:06Then he turned
25:07and faced the room
25:08full of people.
25:10He didn't say a single word.
25:12He simply released
25:13his alpha horror.
25:14That force rolled over
25:16every corner of the room
25:17like a black tidal wave.
25:19No one could raise
25:19their head.
25:20No one could breathe.
25:21The inner circle members
25:22lay sprawled on the floor
25:23like prey
25:24with their throats seized.
25:26Even their groans
25:26were crushed in their throats.
25:28Zoe's knees slammed heavily
25:29onto the stone floor,
25:31the crisp sound
25:32of bone hitting rock.
25:33Liam was still standing.
25:34Every muscle in his body
25:36was spheasant.
25:37Veins bulged
25:38on his forehead.
25:39His jaw was clenched
25:40so tight,
25:41it creaked.
25:42He was resisting,
25:43using that third-rate
25:44alpha bloodline of his
25:45to resist Nicholas's dominance.
25:47Nicholas looked at him,
25:48like looking at a bug
25:49still twitching its legs.
25:53Neil.
25:55His voice was calm.
25:56No roar.
25:57No threat.
25:58Just two words.
25:59Alpha command,
26:00the most primal,
26:00most unbreakable
26:01physiological domination
26:02of a higher-ranking alpha
26:04over a lower-ranking werewolf.
26:05Liam's knees shattered.
26:06The bones of both legs
26:07dislocated under the weight
26:09of that command.
26:09A dull,
26:10muffled snap.
26:11Liam collapsed to his knees,
26:13like a puppet
26:13whose strings had been cut.
26:15His knees hit the stone.
26:16Blood seeped
26:16through his pant legs.
26:18He let out
26:18a piercing wolf howl.
26:21It was no longer
26:22a human sound.
26:23It was the wimp
26:23of a beast being subdued.
26:25The people in the room
26:26trembled on the floor
26:27in a heap.
26:28Nicholas stood before them,
26:29one hand casually tucked
26:31into his pants pocket.
26:32All of you,
26:34raise your heads.
26:35The necks of those people
26:36were yanked up
26:37as if by invisible threads,
26:38forced to lift their faces.
26:40Their eyes were filled
26:40with pure terror.
26:42Take a good look
26:42at your handiwork.
26:43Look clearly at her face.
26:45Remember this face.
26:46Remember this basement.
26:47Remember what you did
26:48to a she-wolf.
26:49Because from today on,
26:50you won't have the chance
26:51to forget.
26:53Zoe knelt on the ground,
26:54trembling all over.
26:56Her lips quivered,
26:57trying to say something,
26:58but no sound came out.
27:00Nicholas's gaze
27:01landed on her.
27:02Without a single
27:03extra movement,
27:04he just precisely crushed
27:05his alpha aura down on her,
27:06like a giant palm
27:07pressing down on Zoe's spine.
27:09Zoe's entire body
27:10was sent flying sideways,
27:11smashing heavily
27:12against the cold stone wall.
27:18That sound was no longer arrogance,
27:20no longer promotion.
27:21It was the expression
27:22she had never worn
27:23on her lace before.
27:24Absolute fear.
27:27Zoe Miller.
27:28His voice was neither loud
27:30nor soft,
27:30like he was confirming
27:31a name on a file.
27:32Former second-in-command
27:33of the Northern 7th
27:34defense line abs
27:35without leave.
27:35Deliberate use of wolf's pain.
27:37A premeditated assault
27:38and destruction
27:39of bloodline mark
27:40against the lunar
27:41of the Lycan family.
27:42I won't kill you.
27:43A pause.
27:44Not because your combat record
27:45deserves respect.
27:46It's because dying
27:47would be too easy for you.
27:48Zoe's pupils
27:49violently contracted.
27:50She opened her mouth,
27:51wanting to say something.
27:52No sound came out.
27:54Her lips were trembling.
27:55Not from cold,
27:56not from pain,
27:56but from the primal terror
27:58of an apex predator
27:59finally catching up
28:00with her mind.
28:01The terror carved into the bones
28:02of every werewolf.
28:03Nicholas didn't look at her again.
28:05He turned to those few
28:06Inner Sunny members
28:06still spalled on the ground.
28:08As for the rest of you...
28:09Those people were completely
28:10terrified out of their minds.
28:11Alpha Span...
28:12Whales echoed
28:13through the basement.
28:14We were just following orders.
28:15We didn't know
28:16what Zoe was going to do
28:17to the Luna.
28:18We swear we didn't know.
28:21You laughed.
28:22His voice was light
28:23as a snowflake
28:24landing on a blade's edge.
28:26The night she was stripped
28:27of her bloodline marker
28:28in that apartment,
28:30after Zoe finished her speech,
28:32You laughed.
28:33Every single wolf laughed.
28:35Those people trembled violently.
28:37If someone humiliated
28:38your Luna right in front of you
28:40and you laughed,
28:42what do you think
28:43I should do with you?
28:44He didn't wait
28:45for their answer.
28:46The bonds...
28:47severed simultaneously.
28:49A chorus of wails
28:51erupted in the basement.
28:52Some thrashed desperately.
28:54Some reached out
28:55trying to grab
28:56the hem of my dress.
28:57Some slammed
28:58their foreheads
28:59against the floor
29:00until they bled.
29:01It was useless.
29:02The speed of the bond severance
29:03was as precise
29:04as a surgical procedure.
29:05One by one,
29:06they collapsed on the floor.
29:07Selding spawning mammoth.
29:08Golden pupils faded
29:09into murky gray.
29:10Elite warriors
29:11who had once followed Liam
29:12into battle
29:13on the northern battlefields
29:14now turned into
29:14a pack of strays
29:15sprawl on the ground.
29:16They didn't even have
29:17the strength to stand.
29:18The basement fell silent.
29:19Only the ragged breathing
29:20of Liam sprawled
29:21on the floor.
29:22The faint pulse of Zoe,
29:24still unconscious.
29:26But it wasn't over.
29:28Nicholas turned around
29:29and gave a single nod
29:31to the enforcers
29:31at the door.
29:33The branding iron.
29:35Two armored elites
29:36stepped inside.
29:37They were carrying
29:38a portable silver furnace.
29:40Inside the furnace
29:41burned the shorthand
29:42of a silver branding iron.
29:43The iron glowed
29:44white hot in the coals,
29:46emitting a blinding silver light
29:47in the dim basement.
29:49Silver was lethal
29:50to werewolves.
29:51Contact with skin
29:53caused burns
29:53that could never heal
29:54on their own.
29:55The scars would remain
29:56on the body forever.
29:58Like a shame
29:59that would never fade.
30:01The enforcers
30:02moved toward Zoe.
30:03She was already unconscious.
30:05But the moment
30:06the searing silver branding iron
30:08touched her neck,
30:09she still let out
30:10a piercing scream.
30:11That sound tore
30:12through the basement,
30:13tore through the estate,
30:15echoing long
30:15into the night.
30:16The iron was lifted.
30:17A palm-sized scar
30:18was left on her neck.
30:19A broken wolf head,
30:20the mark of a rogue.
30:22In the world of wolves,
30:23this means
30:23this person has been expelled
30:25from all packs.
30:25Any werewolf who sees her
30:27has the right to attack her.
30:28Any werewolf who shelters her
30:29shares her crime.
30:31True fear finally appeared
30:32in Liam's eyes.
30:33He scrambled backward
30:34with his shattered legs.
30:36Broken sounds
30:36escaped his mouth.
30:38No, no, not that.
30:40The enforcers
30:41didn't look at him.
30:42They simply carried out
30:44the order.
30:44A second iron fell.
30:47Liam's howl
30:48shattered
30:48into sobs in his throat.
30:50Then the inner circle members,
30:52one by one,
30:52the iron fell.
30:54The stench of burning flesh
30:55permeated the entire basement.
30:57Wailing,
30:57pleading,
30:58the sizzle of silver searing skin
30:59all blended into one.
31:01It was over.
31:01I stood in the corner of the room
31:03and watched it all in silence.
31:04I didn't open my mouth
31:05to plead for anyone.
31:06They didn't deserve execution.
31:07That would be too easy.
31:09They should live.
31:10Live as the lowest form
31:11of existence.
31:12Waking up every morning
31:13and remembering
31:14in that silver scar
31:15that would never heal
31:16exactly who they were.
31:18A discarded wolf.
31:19The fringes of any pack
31:21would be their fate.
31:22Expulsion by any werewolf
31:24would be their daily life.
31:25Death was release.
31:27I didn't intend
31:28to give them release.
31:30Nicholas turned around
31:31and looked at me.
31:31In those golden pupils,
31:33that overwhelming
31:33killing inverse
31:34was slowly receding,
31:35replaced by a quiet inquiry
31:37meant only for a mate.
31:38He mouthed two words to me
31:40without making a sound,
31:41but I read them clearly.
31:42Enough?
31:43I nodded.
31:44He reached out,
31:45gently picked up the wig
31:45I had taken off
31:46and left lying on the table,
31:47and placed it back
31:48into my hands.
31:49His fingertips
31:49didn't touch my scalp.
31:50Let's go.
31:51Leave this to the enforcers
31:52to clean up.
31:53I didn't look back.
31:54Every step walking
31:55out of that basement
31:56with the stone steps
31:57beneath my feet
31:57ground the past six years
31:58into the powder.
31:59Left behind.
32:00No longer belonged to me.
32:02By the time we returned
32:04to the main hall,
32:06Alexander's figure
32:06had already disappeared
32:07down the estate corridor.
32:09He really was here tonight.
32:11Nicholas had told me
32:12using tactical hand symbols
32:13in the car,
32:14he came as a witness,
32:15to bear witness
32:16to a high-ranking bonding
32:17registered with the Alliance.
32:18One of the three
32:19founding family heads
32:20of the North American Alliance,
32:22Alexander Koval.
32:23But in the end,
32:25Nicholas didn't let him
32:25enter that basement.
32:30This is my personal matter.
32:33I don't need anyone else
32:34to adjudicate for me.
32:35I looked at him.
32:37You could have let
32:38Alexander handle it for you.
32:40That would have been
32:41too clean.
32:42He pulled his cuffs down,
32:44covering that old scar.
32:46His tone was casual.
32:47Some debts.
32:49You need to settle
32:50with your own hands.
32:52He turned and walked
32:53into the night.
32:55I watched his back
32:56for a long, long time.
32:59Over the next few days,
33:01the estate gates
33:02remained tightly shut.
33:03Liam's family sent people
33:04to plead with me
33:05several times.
33:05I didn't see any of them.
33:07This day,
33:07I was on the terrace
33:08basking in the sun.
33:09The maid came to report
33:10that Liam's mother
33:10was waiting outside
33:11the estate's
33:11weren't iron gate
33:12and refused to leave.
33:13I got up and went
33:14to the gate.
33:15Liam's mother stood
33:16on the stone steps.
33:17Her hair was disheveled.
33:18Her eyes were red
33:19and swollen.
33:20Seeing me come out,
33:20she crawled forward
33:21on her hands and knees
33:22and prostrated herself
33:23at my feet.
33:24Luna, please.
33:25You grew up with him.
33:26You know his true nature.
33:28When you were kids,
33:29he always saved
33:29the best prey for you.
33:30That was real.
33:31You can't say
33:32none of that counted.
33:33I looked down at her.
33:34I haven't forgotten.
33:36But I also haven't forgotten
33:37he knew full well
33:39Zoe was waiting
33:40in the hallway
33:40and he still hung
33:41that sashy over my bed,
33:43closed the door,
33:43and left
33:44without leaving me
33:45a single word's worth
33:46of time.
33:47Liam's mother froze.
33:48I also haven't forgotten
33:50what he said
33:50when he told me
33:52I'd enter his family
33:53as an unranked stray.
33:54Her face turned ashen.
33:56Madam,
33:58we're done here.
33:59Tears poured
34:00from Liam's mother's eyes again.
34:01But Natalie,
34:02he does care about you.
34:03He was just blinded by Zoe.
34:05It was a judgment
34:06personally handed down
34:07by Nicholas.
34:07No one can change it.
34:09I took a step back,
34:10pulling the hem of my dress
34:11out of her grasp.
34:11Don't let the gate
34:12hit you on the way out.
34:13I turned and walked
34:14back into the estate.
34:16Liam's mother's cries
34:17came from behind me.
34:18I didn't care anymore.
34:20The estate's wart iron gate
34:21slowly closed behind me.
34:23Those cries would never
34:24reach inside again.
34:25That night,
34:26Nicholas came to my bedroom.
34:28He sat across from me,
34:30watching me remove
34:31the lace wig,
34:32revealing my scalp,
34:33now covered with a layer
34:34of short, dark stubble.
34:37You're quite unfazed.
34:38I touched my scalp,
34:40smiled a little.
34:42It'll grow back eventually.
34:44I've always been curious.
34:45Nicholas' tone carried
34:46a casual probing.
34:47How did you become
34:48completely dead set
34:49against Liam overnight?
34:51My hand paused.
34:52I thought I'd have to wait
34:54for you a lot longer.
34:55He continued.
34:56I turned around
34:57to look at him.
34:58Wait,
34:58what do you mean longer?
35:00There was no trace
35:01of a joke
35:01in his golden eyes.
35:03It means
35:05my wolf claimed you
35:06a long time ago.
35:08I couldn't speak.
35:10Do you remember
35:11your awakening ceremony
35:12when you were 15?
35:13I blinked.
35:14That day,
35:15your scent rushed
35:16into my senses.
35:17My wolf roared
35:18the same word
35:18over and over
35:19in my mind,
35:20mate.
35:21I knew.
35:22That was the soul bond
35:23the moon goddess
35:24personally tied for us.
35:26A self-dificated curve
35:27tugged at the corner
35:28of his mouth,
35:29but his golden pupils
35:30were startlingly dark.
35:33But the very next day,
35:34Liam proposed
35:35a chosen mate contract
35:36to you,
35:36and you said yes.
35:38True mate.
35:39Not chosen.
35:40Not pledged.
35:41Not a choice
35:42that could be taken back.
35:44A knot the moon goddess
35:45tied between his soul
35:46and mine
35:46with a thread
35:47I couldn't see.
35:49Tied tight
35:49since I was 15 years old.
35:51He knew.
35:53He had always known.
35:54And he waited
35:55six years.
35:57Not because
35:58he didn't want me.
36:00Because he respected
36:01my right
36:02to choose
36:02the wrong person
36:03for myself.
36:04You have no idea
36:06how much strength
36:06it took me
36:07to force down
36:07the wolf inside me
36:09that wanted
36:10to tear his throat out.
36:12You waited for him
36:13in New York
36:13for three years
36:14and then three more.
36:15As the alpha
36:16of the Lycan family,
36:17I could have leveled
36:17the Northern Territory
36:18and take you by force.
36:20But the one thing
36:21I could never trample on
36:22was the free will
36:22the moon goddess
36:23granted you.
36:25I thought you loved him.
36:27Until a few days ago
36:28when Alexander
36:29relayed to me
36:29that you intended
36:30to dissolve the contract.
36:31Nicholas smiled
36:32with a fervent
36:33that had been suppressed
36:34for six years
36:35finally tearing
36:36through the disguise.
36:37In that moment
36:38I knew
36:39no need to wait
36:40any longer.
36:41The moon goddess
36:42returned my Luna
36:43to me.
36:45The night
36:45I got the news
36:46I shifted into wolf form
36:47in the forest ort
36:48and ran for an entire night.
36:49I opened my mouth
36:51so if I had never
36:52seen clearly
36:53if I had insisted
36:54on binding myself
36:55to Liam
36:57wouldn't you have
36:58just waited for nothing?
37:00Then I would have
37:01just leveled his territory
37:02and taken you anyway.
37:03I choked on his words
37:03you're impossible.
37:04He laughed.
37:05His eyes crinkled
37:06with a wild grin.
37:07My pack's strength
37:08is God knows
37:08how many times greater
37:09than his pathetic
37:10little territory.
37:10Stealing a mate?
37:11Was Alexander gonna
37:12blow my head off
37:13with a silver bullet?
37:13I shot him a helpless look.
37:15Nicholas put away
37:15his smile.
37:16Looked at me.
37:17His gaze was steady.
37:18Natalie,
37:18no one will ever
37:19make you wait again.
37:20He reached out
37:20and touched my short
37:21bristly hair
37:21with extreme gentleness.
37:23His fingertips
37:23carried the scorching heat
37:25unique to the lichen bloodline
37:26but the pressure
37:26on my scalp
37:27felt like touching
37:28a berry freshly picked
37:29from a branch
37:29still wrapped
37:30in morning dew.
37:31This is more proof
37:32of your strength
37:33than any silver hair
37:34could ever be.
37:35He pulled a bloodstained
37:36wolf fang
37:36from his pocket
37:37and gently placed it
37:38in my palm.
37:38The enamel of the fang
37:39was cold.
37:40The dried blood
37:40was a dark rusty color.
37:42This is the fang
37:43of the enemy leader
37:43who killed my uncle.
37:44I kept it to remind myself
37:45what hatred
37:46and strength are.
37:47His fingers lifted
37:47the back of my hand
37:48folding my curled
37:49nubbles together
37:50wrapping the wolf hail
37:51inside my palm.
37:51Now I'm giving it to you.
37:53His golden pupils
37:53contracted slightly
37:54under the lamplight
37:55reflecting my bald head.
37:56Because you taught me
37:57what is more powerful
37:58than hatred.
37:59Outside the window
38:00the roses his mother
38:01had planted
38:01with her own hands
38:02swayed gently
38:03in the night breeze.
38:04I looked down
38:05at the wolf fang
38:06in my palm.
38:07The bloodstains
38:07touched my fingerprints.
38:10Those dried traces
38:11of blood
38:11had once been
38:12one person's hatred.
38:14And now
38:15they had become
38:15another person's promise.
38:19I raised my head
38:20and looked at him.
38:21Nicholas stood before me
38:22his golden pupils
38:23reflecting the image
38:24of my bald head.
38:25The smile still
38:26languid at the corner
38:27of his mouth
38:28but the depths
38:28of his eyes
38:29were serious.
38:30He had long since
38:31grown into a forest
38:32within my heart
38:33one that could never
38:34be shaken again.
38:35From that night on
38:36every lamp in the estate
38:37was lit for me.
38:39A photo of me
38:40appeared on his study desk
38:41not the silver-haired girl
38:43from the awakening ceremony.
38:44It was a bold woman
38:46with calm eyes.
38:47He said that one
38:48was better.
38:50I asked him why.
38:52Because this one
38:53you chose for yourself.
38:56Some strength
38:57doesn't need long hair
38:59to prove it.
39:01I strung the wolf fang
39:03onto a chain
39:04and wore it
39:04close to my chest.
39:06Not as a warning
39:08as a token.
39:09The silver hair
39:10grew back slowly
39:11over the following months.
39:13Still a moonlit silver.
39:15Still flowing
39:15with the power
39:16of the Warwick bloodline.
39:17But this time
39:18when I extended
39:19my senses
39:19and reached out
39:20the window
39:20that sensory domain
39:21once sealed solid
39:22with cement
39:23was flowing again.
39:24Clearer than before.
39:26Reaching further.
39:27I could even sense
39:27the lost heartbeat
39:28of a stray pup
39:29crossing Central Park
39:29two blocks away.
39:30I was a little stunned.
39:32Nicholas walked
39:32into the study
39:33and saw me spacing out.
39:35What's wrong?
39:36He asked.
39:37I thought after
39:37it was shaved off
39:38even if it grew back
39:40the senses wouldn't return.
39:42He sat down
39:43beside me.
39:44The silver hair
39:45is a vessel
39:45but what fills
39:46that vessel
39:47is your own.
39:49Zoe shaved off
39:49your vessel
39:50but no one
39:51can shave away
39:52your power.
39:53It was always there
39:54it just temporarily
39:55couldn't find an outlet.
39:58I looked at him.
40:00He knew all along
40:01it would grow back.
40:02I've always known.
40:03He shrugged dismissively.
40:05That look on his face
40:06made me want to laugh.
40:07The Alliance sent
40:08several inquiries
40:09about the follow-up
40:10to the exile of Liam
40:11and his former subordinates.
40:13Nicholas replied
40:13with only one line
40:14handled per the code.
40:16He didn't say
40:17another word about it.
40:18Zoe was reportedly
40:19sighted by someone
40:19on the western border.
40:21The silver scar
40:22on her neck
40:22made it impossible
40:23for her to stay
40:24in any pack
40:24for more than three days.
40:26She never came
40:27looking for me.
40:28Probably knew
40:29it was useless.
40:30Liam's mother
40:30still occasionally
40:31had letters delivered.
40:33Each letter
40:33was shorter
40:34than the last.
40:35The final one
40:36had only one line.
40:37On the old
40:38northern battlefield
40:39he wowed it
40:39all night long alone.
40:41I folded the letter
40:42and placed it
40:43in the deepest part
40:44of a drawer.
40:46No reply.
40:48Some wounds
40:49no apology can heal.
40:51When winter came
40:52all the roses
40:52on the back hill
40:53of the estate bloomed.
40:55Nicholas said
40:55his mother planted them
40:56when she was alive.
40:57They hadn't bloomed
40:58in decades.
40:59This year
41:00for some unknown reason
41:01they all bloomed
41:02overnight.
41:03I stood among
41:04the flowers.
41:05My newly grown
41:06silver hair
41:06had it already
41:07reaches the waist.
41:08Moonlight spilled
41:09over it
41:10flowing with living silver.
41:12Nicholas walked up
41:13from behind
41:13and draped a wool shog
41:14over my shoulders.
41:16Cold?
41:16I shook my head.
41:18He rested his chin
41:19on the top of my head
41:20and stood there
41:20quietly for a long time.
41:22There's one thing
41:23I've never asked you.
41:24He suddenly spoke.
41:27What?
41:28That morning.
41:29The moment you sent
41:31that signal along
41:31the true mate bond.
41:33Were you afraid?
41:35I thought about it.
41:37I was.
41:39Afraid you wouldn't respond.
41:41He turned me around
41:42and looked at me.
41:43His golden pupils
41:44were so gentle
41:45under the moonlight
41:46that they didn't belong
41:47to an alpha.
41:48I would never not respond.
41:49He said,
41:50I waited six years.
41:52Wait another six.
41:53Wait another sixty.
41:54As long as you call
41:55I will always answer.
41:56I looked at him
41:57and smiled.
41:58The wind blew in
41:59from the back hill.
42:00The roses all across
42:01the garden swayed
42:02gently under the moonlight.
42:04Those flowers
42:04were white as snow.
42:06White as my silver hair.
42:08White as everything
42:08that starts over
42:09from the beginning.
42:10I placed my hand
42:11in his palm.
42:12Let's go home.
42:15He squeezed
42:16my hand tightly.
42:17Okay.
42:18Okay.
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