Darius hesitated for a heartbeat, then answered evenly. “Her name is Elaine. She’s the daughter of the
Silverblade Pack’s Beta.”
His father’s sharp eyes narrowed. “Daughter of a Beta? Then how is she here? Is she your mate?”
“No,” Darius said firmly. “She asked for a transfer. I agreed.”
“A transfer?” Blaine’s voice carried disbelief, edged with suspicion. “Impossible. The daughter of a Beta
More Rewards doesn’t leave her pack unless… unless her Alpha agrees under very specific circumstances. And the only reason an Alpha would agree is if you are her mate.”
His father’s gaze bore into him, testing, demanding.
Darius’s patience frayed. He knew his parents would not stop pressing until they had the full truth. So, with deliberate calm, he told them what had happened in Silverblade. He spoke of Elaine’s suffering, of the betrayal she had endured at the hands of her Alpha, Luna, her family, even her own sister. He kept his voice steady, though every word rekindled the rage simmering inside him.
Seline gasped softly, her hand flying to her lips, tears pooling in her eyes. “Oh, my Goddess… How could they do such a thing?”
“I don’t know,” Darius admitted, his tone low and sharp. “They claim it was for the peace and unity of their pack. Perhaps they convinced themselves of that. But to spit on the Goddess’s blessing?”
His fist clenched against the desk, the wood groaning under his strength. “It is unforgivable.”
Blaine’s expression darkened with fury.
“Then you know what must be done. You need to cut our alliance with them. We do not stand beside packs who dishonor the bond of mates, who disgrace the will of the Moon Goddess!” His voice thundered with righteous anger, the Alpha in him still alive.
But Darius shook his head. “Elaine asked me not to.”
Both his parents stared at him.
“She does not want the alliance to end,” he explained quietly. “She said there are innocents in Silverblade- children, families who had no part in her suffering. She does not want them to suffer consequences meant for others.”
Blaine bristled, his fists tightening at his sides. “You would allow her wishes to outweigh what is best for this pack?”
Before Darius could respond, Seline spoke, her voice calm yet resolute. “She is speaking as a true Luna.”
Darius blinked, startled. “How can you say that, Mother?”
“Because I know what it means to carry the weight of both strength and compassion,” Seline said softly.” An Alpha thinks of protection, of defense, of alliances forged and broken to keep the pack safe. But a Luna … a Luna sees deeper. She sees the children who would go hungry, the families who would suffer quietly under punishment they do not deserve.
Yes, Elaine’s pack betrayed her. Yes, they are guilty of cruelty. But her heart still considers those untouched by that betrayal.”
Her words struck him like a bell. It was exactly what Elaine had said. He remembered the fire in her voice, the quiet pain, but also the strength of her conviction.
“That is what she said to me.” He admitted, almost in wonder.
Seline smiled faintly, her eyes glistening. “Then I was right. Spoken as a true Luna.”
More Perwards
Silence stretched across the room, heavy with meaning. Darius leaned back, his thoughts tangled. His parents’ presence, their questions, their judgments-they all seemed far away for a moment, drowned out by the echo of Elaine’s voice in his mind. A woman betrayed, wounded, yet still thinking of others.
“So what did Dr. Grey say about Elaine’s health?” Seline asked gently, her hands clasped tightly together on her lap.
Darius let out a slow, weary sigh and sank back into his chair. For a brief moment, the Alpha mantle felt unbearably heavy on his shoulders.
His mother’s eyes searched his face, waiting, bracing herself for his answer.
“Her wolf… and Elaine herself,” he began quietly, his voice rough, “they’ve both lost their will to live. All she did during the trip was sleep, almost as if she were retreating from the world. When I left her just now, she was still sleeping. Dr. Grey said to let her rest for now, to give her body and spirit the time they need.
Tomorrow, he and I will speak with her. We’ll try to encourage her… to remind her there is still life worth living. That here, in this pack, she has the chance to heal… to be happy again.”
Seline’s lips trembled, and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
“That is… understandable. I cannot even imagine the pain she has endured. To be cast aside by one’s mate, by one’s own blood… it is a wound that does not fade easily.” She shook her head, voice breaking.”
The cruelty of it… the loneliness.”
The room fell silent, filled only with the soft tick of the old clock on the far wall. Darius’s gaze drifted toward the window, where the night stretched endlessly and darkly over the territory. His chest tightened as he thought of Elaine lying motionless in the sterile white of the hospital bed, her spirit dimmed to embers. He had seen broken warriors before-men and women torn apart by battles or betrayals, but there had always been a spark left in them, something to cling to.
Elaine… she was different. She was fading before his eyes.
“I cannot allow her to slip away,” he muttered, more to himself than to his parents. His voice was low, but the conviction behind it was unyielding. “Not when the Goddess herself tied her fate to another, only for them to betray her. She deserves more than this.”
His father shifted, the scrape of his boots against the floor breaking the momentary stillness. Blaine’s tone carried both authority and warning. “Be careful, Darius. Compassion is necessary, yes-but do not lose yourself in another’s despair. You are Alpha. Your first responsibility is to this pack.”
“I know my responsibility,” Darius replied sharply, his gaze snapping back to his father. His voice carried the edge of command, the growl beneath his words unmistakable. “But part of protecting this pack is recognizing strength when it is nearly lost, and refusing to let it vanish. Elaine has endured the worst kind of betrayal. If she can rise from it, if she can find her footing again, she will not only survive-she will thrive.
And in turn, this pack will thrive with her.”
Seline’s tears finally spilled over, but she smiled faintly through them.
“Spoken like a true Alpha,” she whispered. “But even more… like a man who understands the heart of a
Luna.”
Her words lingered in the room, soft yet powerful, as if carried by the Goddess herself.
More Rewart
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.