And he, Michael, had been the hand that delivered that loss. He had killed his own child, the life he should have protected above all else.
Since the day of the marking ceremony, he had not been able to look at Kathy’s mark. Elaine’s words haunted him: it will be a remembrance of our dead pup. She had been right. The mark that should have been a symbol of love and unity had become a scar of guilt. Even Kathy could not bear to look at it.
She had tried to remove it once Elaine left, desperate to erase the evidence of that day, but no effort could undo it. Her love for her sister had not vanished, but like him, she had chosen the pup over blood, over bond, over the Goddess herself.
Their parents spoke often of patience, of time, urging that Elaine would eventually heal. “She just needs to recover,” they said. “One day she will forgive us.” But Michael knew forgiveness could not be demanded, and healing did not always bring reconciliation. All he wanted was the chance to speak to Elaine again-to tell her the truth.
That it had not been his choice to mark Kathy that day. He and Kathy in agreement and they both wanted to wait, to allow time for his bond with Elaine to dissolve completely. But Council Lucius had left them no room to resist. Tradition had bound their hands, forcing the mark before they were ready, before their hearts could accept it.
So many regrets. His bond with Kathy, though born of love, had been built on a foundation of pain and sacrifice. Every step forward with her came with the echo of Elaine’s absence, every smile with Kathy shadowed by the child he had lost. He loved Kathy with his whole heart, but that love was stained. It came with a price that could never be repaid: the loss of his fated mate, the betrayal of the Goddess’s gift, and the death of his pup.
The only consolation he could cling to was the pup he had with Kathy-their living child, the heir to Silverblade, the future of the pack. But even that joy was hollow at times, for the hole in his heart remained. Nothing could fill the emptiness left by Elaine and the pup they lost.
Goddess, what a mess I have made of myself, he thought bitterly. Alpha Darius’s words came back to him with cruel accuracy: he had spit on the blessings of the Goddess, and now he lived with the consequence every day.
He could only hope that time, in its mercy, would grant Elaine the strength to heal. And in his quietest, most desperate prayers, he wished that one day she might find it in her heart to forgive them-not for their sake, but so that she might finally be free of the pain they had caused her.
For Kathy, the mark was more than just a brand upon her skin-it was the reminder of a choice she could never undo. She had loved Elaine, truly, as a sister. They had grown up together, shared secrets and laughter, fought like siblings do, only to return to each other with unshakable loyalty. Kathy had been the one to hold Elaine when she cried as a pup, the one to encourage her dreams. And yet, when the moment of decision came, she had chosen the pup in her womb and the future of the pack over her sister’s heart.
She told herself, again and again, that she had done what any Luna must. That the survival of the pack outweighed personal bonds. But those words were hollow in the quiet of night. When the hallways were empty and her child slept, Kathy’s thoughts turned back to Elaine. She remembered the look in her sister’s eyes when the truth came out-not anger, not hatred, but heartbreak so deep it nearly split Kathy’s own chest open.
And still, she had stood by Michael. Still, she had pressed forward.
There were times she pressed her hand over the mark on her neck and hated it. Hated what it represented. She had begged Michael to mark her only after he was free of Elaine, after the bond had dissolved, so no shadow would linger between them. But Council Lucius had demanded it immediately, in front of everyone. Duty had chained them, and obedience had sealed the wound.
Even now, with Michael’s child in her arms-their child, the heir she had fought so desperately to protect-her joy was not complete. Every time she looked into her baby’s eyes, love swelled in her chest, fierce and protective. Yet, behind that love was a thread of guilt that whispered, This child was born of sacrifice. Born of Elaine’s loss. She knew, in ways Michael never voiced, that part of her happiness had been stolen from her own sister.
And Kathy carried that shame in silence. She loved Michael-she truly did-and he loved her back. But she also saw the way his gaze sometimes drifted toward the horizon, as though searching for something that could never return. She saw the pain he carried, the guilt he buried, and she knew it mirrored her own.
Their parents told them both to give Elaine time, that one day she might forgive them. Kathy did not dare hope for that. She knew Elaine’s forgiveness, if it ever came, would not erase what had been done. Nothing could bring back the pup she had lost, nor mend the betrayal of blood and bond.
Kathy’s only prayer now was that her child might grow unburdened by the sins of its parents. That, perhaps, this new life might heal where she and Michael had only broken.
Michael clung to the hope of forgiveness. Kathy clung to the hope of peace. And both knew that what had been shattered with Elaine could never truly be made whole again.
“Alpha, there is an increase in rogue attacks along our northern border,” Calvin, his beta, reported gravely, laying down the patrol logs on Michael’s desk. His voice carried the weight of both urgency and frustration.
Michael leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples, releasing a slow sigh. It wasn’t just their pack. For weeks now, the reports had been growing-an uptick in rogue activity, not just in Silverblade, but across several neighboring packs. Only an hour ago, he had ended a tense phone call with Alpha Raymond of Ironclaw, who confirmed his warriors had also been engaged in more skirmishes than usual.
“This isn’t isolated anymore,” Michael muttered, his brows furrowed. “It’s spreading. If we continue to deal with this alone, we’ll be stretched too thin.” He paused, then added firmly, though with visible reluctance, “I think we cannot delay any longer. We need to contact Crescent Moon for help.
Not only with suppressing these rogues, but in training our warriors properly.”
Calvin shifted, studying Michael carefully before speaking. “I know you’ve avoided that route for as long as possible, but what choice do we have? They’re the warriors’ pack for a reason. This alliance wasn’t created just for show-it was built for moments like this.” His tone softened as he leaned forward slightly.
“And you know as well as I do, Alpha Darius and his wolves are unmatched in combat. If anyone can prepare us for rogue continues attack, it’s them.”
Michael’s jaw tightened at the mention of Darius. Even after all these years, the name still stirred a dull ache and bitter unease in his chest. He stared at the stack of unfinished documents on his desk, not really seeing them. His last conversation with the Crescent Moon alpha replayed in his mind-the stiff formality, the cold civility, and the sharp shift in Darius’s gaze when Elaine’s name was spoken. Michael had shut the topic down immediately, shaking his head, unable-or perhaps unwilling-to explain.
“The last time I spoke to Darius was during my Alpha ceremony,” Michael said quietly, almost to himself. “That was three years ago. He was civil, yes… but his resentment still lingers. I could feel it.
He may not say it outright, but I know what he thinks of me. Of us.”
Calvin didn’t argue. He knew too well why his alpha hesitated. The history between Silverblade and Crescent Moon wasn’t just about strained alliances-it was personal. Calvin could see the way Michael carried it like a shadow that never left.
“I’ll make the call,” Michael finally said, forcing the words out with a heavy exhale. “I’ll ask for their assistance. Perhaps we can arrange for them to come here a week before the mating ball. That gives us three weeks to prepare.” He looked up, his expression hardening with resolve. “But I want you to make sure my parents don’t interfere when Crescent Moon arrives. No questions. No provocation. Especially not with Alpha Darius.”
Calvin nodded immediately. “Understood. I’ll see to it.”
A silence fell between them, both men lost in their own thoughts, Calvin broke it after a moment, his tone gentler. “Michael… you know our friendship has been… strained since Elaine left. I didn’t agree with what was done.
But when your father gave his order, I had no choice but to stand down. I regret that every day.”
Michael’s gaze flickered, the guilt he often buried rising to the surface. “I know,” he said quietly. “I know you wanted to comfort her, to reach out. But the alpha’s command left you no room to move. You’re not the only one who carries regret, Calvin.”
When Elaine had left for Crescent Moon, Calvin had felt to follow her. But again, his father’s hand had closed around his decisions like iron shackles. He is the future beta and cannot just leave his duty to his pack, his obligation to the pack.
Calvin’s relationship with his own family had suffered too. His parents, his sister-they had all taken sides, and he had found himself caught in the crossfire of loyalty and morality. Even now, years later, the wounds hadn’t fully healed.
“I’ve tried,” Calvin admitted, his voice low. “I’ve tried to get news of her from Crescent Moon, but it’s as if their entire pack shields her from us. No one will speak. No whispers, no letters… nothing.
It’s like she’s beyond our reach entirely.”
Michael’s chest tightened. That silence was its own message. Elaine didn’t want to speak or even see them.
For a moment, the weight of the past threatened to drown them both. But then Calvin straightened, forcing a steadier expression. “At least now, we’re moving forward again. Not as just alpha and beta-but as friends. We both made mistakes, but we’re still here.
And maybe this is our chance to start mending what’s been broken.”
Michael met his eyes, and for the first time in a long while, he allowed himself a faint, tired smile. “Perhaps it is.”
Outside, the winds shifted, carrying the faint warning howl of a distant patrol. The rogues were pressing harder.
Michale is not looking forward to that awkward call with Alpha Michael. But as an Alpha himself, he needs to prioritize the safety of his pack.
He needs to inform Kathy as well. As the Luna she will have to prepare rooms for the Crescent Moon Alpha and his soldiers.
Kathy has been hoping that Elaine will come and attend the mating ball this year. For the past two years, we have been attending mating balls hoping to see her but… on the first time they attended a maying ball they made a mistake to asked Darius why Elaine is not attending since she is not mated. Darius just look at them and said Elaine will never attend a mating ball, then he just left.
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.