Each time a leader bowed in respect and praised their “future Alpha and Luna,” Elaine caught the subtle gleam in Michael’s eyes as he introduced Kathy. “My mate, Kathy.” Always those words. Never chosen mate. He never admitted to what she truly was.
Perhaps he thought concealing the truth would protect the pack’s image, or perhaps the pride in his voice was too thick to allow for shame. Either way, Elaine heard it every time, and every time, her chest tightened until she thought her ribs might shatter. “You don’t have to be here, Elaine. I can stay if they need help.” The voice of her mother-no, not mother, she corrected bitterly-Lucille broke into her thoughts.
Elaine turned to find her standing nearby, worry etching her features. “This is the job required of me, Ms. Lucille,” Elaine replied, her tone polite but clipped, her words deliberately formal. Lucille’s lips trembled. “I know how painful this must be for you. And I am sorry that I cannot do anything to ease that pain.”
Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I am sorry that as your mother, I cannot support or give you comfort.” Elaine turned her head slightly, meeting her gaze with an expression so calm it was almost chilling. “No disrespect, Ms. Lucille, but you do not know how painful this is for me. How could you?”
Her voice was steady, every syllable deliberate. “You have your mate with you. No one has ripped him from your soul while the very family that should have protected you stood by and looked the other way.” Lucille gasped, but Elaine did not stop. Her eyes were clear, void of bitterness, void of warmth, like she was addressing a stranger.
“You are right, Ms. Lucille. As my mother, you gave me nothing. Not supported. Not comfort. The moment you chose duty over your own daughter, you stopped being my mother.”
The words struck like lashes across Lucille’s heart, and she flinched as though each one left a mark. Shame burned her cheeks, but she could not argue. Not when every word Elaine spoke was the truth. She had chosen Kathy. Chosen the child carrying the heir, chosen the pack’s future over her other daughter’s broken soul.
And though her heart ached for Elaine, she did not know how to fix what she had destroyed. At last, her voice trembled, quiet and almost pleading. “You are right, I don’t know the pain you’re enduring. But you can still talk to me, Elaine. I miss our late-night talks.
I miss my daughter. I know you don’t want to stay with us in the pack house, but… we can meet somewhere else, if that would be easier. Or I can come to you.” Her eyes searched Elaine’s, desperate for the smallest sign of hope.
Elaine’s expression did not waver. “Again, no disrespect, Ms. Lucille, but your daughter needs you. Kathy is being mated in a week. She will need her mother’s support. Focus your strength on her.”
She swallowed hard, biting back the words that hovered on the edge of her tongue-and leave me out of it. Lucille’s lips parted, but no sound came. She looked as though she wanted to protest, to insist she could be there for both daughters, but the shame in her eyes betrayed the truth. She had already chosen, and both of them knew it. So Elaine did what she always did.
She stayed. She worked. She smiled when necessary, spoke when spoken to, answered questions with flawless courtesy. To the visiting Alphas and Lunas, she appeared every bit the efficient Beta’s daughter: poised, capable, and professional. But those who truly knew her-those who had watched her light dim over the past three weeks-saw something else.
Not a daughter. Not a sister. Not even a woman in mourning. Just a doll. Hollow.
Painted with a smile that never reached her eyes.
The pack house hummed with energy, laughter, and the constant rhythm of footsteps as more guests arrived each passing day. The air was thick with the mingling scents of neighboring packs, the corridors alive with greetings and voices offering congratulations to Michael and Kathy. For the visitors, this was a joyous occasion, an honor to witness the binding of the Silverblade Pack’s future Alpha and Luna. For Elaine, it was a cage. Every new arrival, every burst of laughter, every word of congratulations felt like another bar locking her inside a prison she could not escape.
She moved quietly through the gathering halls, her notepad in hand, writing down schedules and relaying messages. She served wine, adjusted seating arrangements, and managed the constant stream of requests with practiced precision. To the visiting Alphas and Lunas, she was no one of importance-merely a helpful face, a quiet presence ensuring everything ran smoothly. And that was exactly what she wanted them to see. Her smile was measured, polite, but never warm.
Her words were efficient, clipped, but never rude. Her bow was respectful, but her eyes never lingered long enough to invite conversation. To the outside world, she was a shadow, a silent cog in the grand machinery of the ceremony preparations. But inside, she was breaking. Later that evening, as the pack leaders mingled in the grand hall, Elaine kept herself stationed near the far wall.
She moved gracefully between tables, refilling goblets and scribbling notes as guests spoke to her. The laughter and music swelled around her, mocking her with their cheer. She felt it press against her chest, squeezing the air from her lungs until her breath came shallow and controlled. And yet, she never faltered. She kept moving, one task after another, as if her survival depended on it.
The feast stretched deep into the night. The long tables glowed beneath the flicker of candlelight, the great hall echoing with the sound of voices and goblets clinking in celebration. Visiting Alphas and Lunas leaned close together, sharing stories of their packs, strengthening alliances over food and drink. Every so often, their gazes would shift toward the honored pair-Michael and Kathy-and their smiles would widen with approval. Elaine caught those looks, too.
She saw the way Michael sat tall and proud beside her sister, his hand resting casually on Kathy’s arm. She saw how Kathy’s cheeks flushed prettily when another Luna praised her, how Michael’s lips curved into a proud smile when he introduced her. Each time Elaine passed their table, her chest constricted, a physical ache blooming just beneath her ribs. But her face remained serene, her expression void of everything she truly felt. She would not let them see.
And no one noticed. No one saw the way her hands trembled briefly when she turned away. No one felt the jagged edge of her wolf’s howl inside her chest. No one cared enough to look past the mask. When at last the feast ended and the final guest was escorted to their quarters, Elaine lingered behind.
Her steps were slow but steady as she moved from table to table, gathering goblets and half-empty plates. Her hands folded linens with practiced care, each motion mechanical, as though she were made of clockwork. The exhaustion tugging at her body was not from the long night of work but from the constant effort of holding herself together. As she turned with a tray in her arms, her eyes flickered toward the far end of the hall. Michael was still there.
The future Alpha stood near the head table, his arm loosely around Kathy’s shoulders as he spoke in low tones. But his eyes-his eyes were not on his mate. They were on Elaine. Even across the wide hall, she felt the weight of his gaze trailing her every step. Her heart stuttered, caught between a wild flutter of longing and the sharp sting of betrayal.
For one dangerous second, she almost faltered, almost let herself believe there was something in his eyes that wasn’t pride for Kathy, but regret-for her. But Elaine crushed the thought before it could take root. She tightened her hold on the tray, straightened her shoulders, and walked steadily toward the door. She did not look back. She could not.
She had no room for hope. Not anymore By the time she reached the exit, her lungs burned from holding back the sob clawing its way up her throat. The moment the door shut behind her, she ran. Her feet carried her down the familiar path through the forest, leaves crunching beneath her boots, branches clawing at her arms as though trying to hold her back. But nothing could stop her from reaching the only place where she could breathe-the waterfall.
The roar of crashing water reached her ears before the clearing opened. The sound was a balm, a shield that drowned out the echoes of cruel words and false smiles. She stumbled to her knees on the damp earth, her body finally betraying the strength she had tried to hold. The sob tore free from her chest, raw and unrestrained. Her wolf howled inside her, the sound vibrating in her bones, mournful and furious.
‘This is not right. This is not what the Goddess wanted for us.’ Elaine pressed her palms into the ground, tears spilling freely. “I know,” she whispered brokenly. “I know, but what choice do we have?
They’ve taken everything from us.” Her wolf snarled, restless, aching to fight, to tear apart the injustice. But Elaine had no fight left in her. Not now. Not when every day felt like bleeding slowly from a wound that refused to close.
The water thundered before her, merciless, constant, as if mocking her smallness in the face of fate. For a long time, she let herself break, let the sobs wrack her body until she could barely breathe. Elaine fell asleep from exhaustion, from the whole day of pretending, and from the constant pain of seeing her mate with another. And then- A twig snapped behind her.
When Elaine looked around, her breath caught in her throat.
Just a few feet away stood a massive black wolf, its fur glistening under the faint rays of sunlight that filtered through the canopy of trees. Its eyes-dark and intense-locked with hers, and in that moment she knew without a doubt: this was no ordinary wolf. This was an alpha. His size, the power radiating off him, the quiet authority in his gaze. It was undeniable.
Her mind raced. What is he doing here? No one is supposed to be here. This is my place. My escape.
A flicker of panic surged through her chest, and instinct told her to run, to hide herself before he got too close. But something in his stare stopped her. It wasn’t threatening, not the way she expected from an alpha who stumbled upon someone trespassing.
Instead, his eyes seemed to say, Stay.
Then, without warning, the black wolf padded gracefully behind a tree.
Elaine’s heart hammered as she heard the faint rustle of shifting bones and the soft crack of transformation. She quickly looked away, but not before catching the glimpse of a tall man slipping into his clothes.
Heat flooded her cheeks at the sight of his toned, muscular frame, and she forced herself to turn toward the waterfall, pretending to admire the rushing water instead of staring.
When he stepped back into view, fully dressed, he wore an easy smile that softened the strength of his features. His eyes-warm now, no longer shadowed by the wolf-found hers.
“Hello,” he greeted, his voice smooth but carrying that undeniable alpha weight. “I hope I am not disturbing you. I was told no one comes here.”
Elaine swallowed, trying to steady her voice. “Yes, no one’s coming here, Alpha Darius.”
“Except you,” the alpha replied lightly.
She blinked, confused. “Huh?”
“No one comes here,” he clarified, his smile deepening, “except you.”
“Oh.” She shifted slightly, feeling strangely caught off guard. “Yes, Alpha. I… I like being alone.
“
His eyes studied her, curious yet gentle.
“Am I disturbing you?” He asked, still smiling as though teasing her.
Elaine’s lips parted, caught between irritation and disbelief. Is he teasing me? Alphas weren’t usually playful-at least not with her.
“No, Alpha Darius,” she managed. “I was just shocked someone came here.”
“Yeah,” he nodded, his voice calm. “My wolf needed to run. When I told Alpha Efrein, he said this was a good place since no one usually comes here.”
Elaine nodded, fiddling with her hands. “Well, I’ll leave you to it, Alpha.”
She stood, intending to slip away and give him his space.
But his hand lifted slightly, stopping her. “No, stay. Really. I’m the one intruding in your place. I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone came here.”
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