Calvin’s eyes softened briefly as he looked at her, but his resolve didn’t waver. “Kathy, you don’t understand. I want to be with my mate. And if leaving is the only way for me to be with her, then I will leave.”
“Calvin…” Kathy whispered helplessly, her sobs muffled by her hands.
Michael stepped forward, his tone firm but pleading. “You’re my Beta. Don’t make hasty decisions. You know how important you are to this pack-how important you are to me.”
“I don’t care if I’m the Beta,” Calvin interrupted, his voice rising again. “Do you think that title means more to me than my mate? I will not lose her, Michael. I will not make the same mistake you made. If leaving this pack is what it takes to be with Roselyn, then I will do it.”
“Calvin, please-” Michael began, trying to reason with him.
“Michael,” Calvin cut him off coldly, his tone like a blade. “I’ve already told you what I will do. And I asked you a simple question-are you the same as your father? But you haven’t answered me yet. That silence tells me everything I need to know.
Maybe you are just like him.”
Michael flinched at his brother’s words, guilt flickering in his eyes.
“But I,” Calvin continued, voice trembling with both anger and pain, “I am not like you. I will never sacrifice my mate-not for rank, not for duty, not for this pack.”
The air was thick with tension. Michael wanted to argue, to defend himself, but part of him knew Calvin was right. He had once sacrificed love for responsibility, and the wound from that decision had never healed.
Calvin looked into Michael’s eyes and saw the turmoil there. He knew Michael wasn’t heartless like their father-but he also knew that if he stayed, the same chains that bound Michael once would eventually bind him too.
Michael finally exhaled slowly, trying to ease the heaviness in the room. “Let’s not make any hasty decisions tonight,” he said carefully. “I’ll send a message to Alpha Darius and Roselyn. We’ll request to meet with them tomorrow. We’ll answer whatever questions Roselyn has.
Maybe… maybe if she understands everything, she’ll give you a chance-and she’ll stay.”
Michael’s tone was hopeful, almost desperate. But Calvin’s expression didn’t change.
Deep down, Calvin already knew that was impossible. Darius had told him the night before that Roselyn and Elaine were like sisters-inseparable, loyal to the core. If Elaine had been wronged by this pack, then Roselyn would never allow herself to stay here.
And if staying meant losing her… Calvin knew exactly what he had to do.
The soft light of dawn filtered through the curtains, painting faint gold lines across Roselyn’s room. She had barely slept; her mind had been consumed by fragments of dreams and the steady ache in her chest. Every time she closed her eyes, Calvin’s face appeared – that unmistakable pull of the bond, the one her wolf yearned for yet her heart couldn’t accept.
A knock echoed through the silence. It was firm but gentle.
Roselyn’s pulse quickened. “Who is it?” she asked, her voice still rough from sleep. A part of her prayed it wasn’t Calvin. She wasn’t ready for that-not yet.
“It’s me, Roselyn,” came Darius’s voice from the other side.
Roselyn exhaled in relief, shoulders sagging slightly. She rose from the bed, brushing her tangled hair back and tugging her robe tighter around her. When she opened the door, Darius stood there, tall and composed as always, though she could see the worry in his eyes.
“Darius, what happened?” she asked quickly.
“Alpha Michael requested a meeting,” Darius said, his tone neutral, carefully measured. “He wants to see us in his office.”
Roselyn’s stomach twisted. “Darius, I’m not sure if I want to,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “I don’t think I can face them right now.”-
Darius’s expression softened. “Roselyn, you have to face this. Calvin is your mate and no matter how unfair it feels, this bond won’t fade by hiding from it. We’ll be heading home in a couple of days once the joint training and rogue containment are over. You don’t have much time, and you deserve to have clarity before we leave. Whatever decision you make, I’ll stand by you. But you still need to make one.”
She looked away, eyes glistening. “But Darius… what will I even say? How do I look him in the eye after knowing everything he’s done or let happen?”
“You start by asking for the truth,” Darius said gently. “Don’t you want to know his reason for abandoning Elaine? You know what she went through here, how broken she was. But still – you need to know why. You need to hear it from him before you decide the rest of your life.”
Roselyn’s chest tightened, anger and sorrow clashing inside her. “How can you say that? What they did was unforgivable. No reason could ever justify the pain they caused.”
“You’re right,” Darius agreed. “What they did was unforgivable. But that forgiveness isn’t yours to give, Roselyn – it belongs to Elaine. You can’t decide her healing, and she can’t decide your fate. This is about you and your mate bond. Whatever happens, you’ll be the one. who has to live with the consequences of your choice. So make that choice with all the facts in front of you, not just anger.”
Roselyn blinked back tears, a small, broken smile tugging at her lips. “When did you become this smart, brother?”
Darius chuckled softly, the sound low and comforting. “Being Alpha teaches you to think twice before you act. Every decision I make affects the entire pack. I can’t afford to be reckless. And as your brother, I won’t let you be either.
If I let you walk into a future blinded by pain or regret, I’d fail you and I love you too much for that.”-
That was all it took for her tears to fall. Darius had always been her protector – her anchor. Even when they were young, he had never wavered. He was the one constant in her world.
“I wish you could just make the decision for me,” she whispered.
Darius gave her a small, bittersweet smile. “If I could, I would. But this is your life, Rosie. Only you can decide what to do with the bond the Moon Goddess gave you.”
Roselyn nodded slowly, though her heart felt like it was shattering all over again. Of course she wanted to be with her fated mate. Who wouldn’t? She had dreamed of having what their parents shared – a love built on trust, loyalty, and respect. A bond where both hearts beat as one.
But how could she trust Calvin, the man who stood by while Elaine was torn apart by betrayal? How could she respect a Beta serving the Alpha and Luna who caused her best friend’s deepest pain?
Her wolf whimpered inside her, restless and aching. The bond was strong, its pull undeniable. Her wolf longed to be near Calvin, to touch him, to feel whole again. But Roselyn’s human heart wasn’t ready. It was still bleeding from the guilt of being tied to the man her best friend once called family.-
Last night, talking to Elaine had eased a bit of that heaviness. Elaine’s voice had been steady, full of grace Roselyn didn’t think possible. Elaine didn’t blame her she made sure Roselyn knew that. And now Elaine was coming here, to Silverblade, just to support her. That alone gave Roselyn a strength she didn’t think she still had.
Darius was right. She needed to face this to hear the truth from Calvin, Michael, and Kathy. She couldn’t make a decision blindfolded by fear or emotion. Whatever she chose would hurt, that much was certain. But she would rather face the pain of truth than live with the regret of not knowing.
Roselyn took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and finally looked up at her brother. “Give me a few minutes to get ready,” she said quietly. “Then we can go.”
Darius nodded approvingly. “Take your time. I’ll wait for you outside.”
As the door closed behind him, Roselyn stood still for a long moment. The mirror reflected a woman torn between destiny and loyalty a sister, a friend, and a mate all at war within the same heart.-
“Moon Goddess, give me strength,” she whispered softly, before turning to get dressed for the confrontation she could no longer avoid.
??/p>
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.