He swallowed hard. “The day of the mating ceremony… it didn’t happen the way it was supposed to. My father forbade Elaine and me from rejecting each other before the ceremony. He feared Council Lucius would discover that Kathy wasn’t my mate.
To cover it up, he ordered us to proceed as if everything was normal. It was also decided that Kathy and I would not mark each other that night-to spare Elaine from the pain. Kathy and I made that one condition, and he agreed.”
Michael’s voice cracked as he continued. “But during the ceremony, Council Lucius demanded that tradition be followed. He insisted we mark each other publicly, to seal the union before the pack. We were cornered, Roselyn. If we refused, my father would lose his standing.
Something my father would never want to happened. So… we did it.”
Silence filled the room. The air felt heavy, suffocating.
“And Elaine paid the price,” Michael said, his voice a mere whisper now. “She lost our pup. The shock, the pain-it was too much for her. Knowing that I was the cause… that my choices, my weakness, led to the death of our pup-it kills me every single day.”
Tears glimmered in his eyes, but he didn’t wipe them away. “I hated my father for what he did to her, to us. For what he forced us all to become. So, the moment I became Alpha, I exiled him-and Kathy’s parents as well. They live at the edge of our territory now, far from the pack house.
We’ve had no contact since Elaine left. They have been trying to connect with us again, but we couldn’t do it”
No one spoke for a long while. The only sound was the faint crackling of the fire and the steady rhythm of breathing. The weight of the truth hung thick in the air, pressing down on all of them.
Roselyn finally turned her gaze toward Calvin, who had been silent all this time. “What about you?” she asked quietly. “Why didn’t you do anything?”
Calvin flinched slightly, guilt flashing across his features. He lowered his eyes. “I wasn’t in the pack when it all happened,” he said slowly. “When I returned, I found out what had happened -how Elaine had been forced to watch everything-and I was livid.”
He looked up, shame darkening his expression. “I confronted Alpha Efrein. I wanted to challenge him for what he did. But just like Michael and Kathy, I was given a direct order to stand down. An alpha command.
I couldn’t disobey. Even now, I can still feel the weight of that command.”
Calvin’s hands clenched into fists on his knees. “I failed her too. We all did. And no matter how much time passes, I don’t think any of us will ever forgive ourselves for that.”
The room fell silent again, thick with unspoken regrets and the ghosts of the past.
Roselyn’s eyes moved from Michael to Kathy, then finally to Calvin. The room was heavy with silence, the kind that carried the weight of years of secrets and pain. She saw the truth behind their actions-the conflict, the helplessness, the shame. They had been trapped by duty and command, forced to stand by while the person they all loved suffered.
She understood that now. But understanding didn’t erase the hurt.
Roselyn’s gaze lingered on Calvin. The man who was supposed to be her fated mate. The one whose loyalty had once been commanded away from love itself.
“I understand that you were forced to abandon Elaine, Calvin,” Roselyn said quietly, her tone steady but her voice trembled just slightly at the edges. “I can see that you had no choice back then. But…” she swallowed hard, eyes glistening, “…how can I be sure that you won’t abandon me too?”
Calvin’s head snapped up, his eyes filled with regret and pain.
“What will happen to me,” Roselyn continued, her words spilling out faster now, “if Michael orders you to leave me? To turn your back on me for the sake of the pack, just like before? How can I trust that you’ll do something different this time?”
Her words hit him harder than any physical blow could.
Calvin tried to reach her but, then stopped, afraid that getting too close might push her away. “Roselyn,” he said softly but firmly, “I already spoke with Michael. If what it takes for you to trust me-if what it takes for you to believe in my commitment-is for me to leave this pack, then I will. I’ll request to be transferred to Crescent Moon.”
Roselyn’s eyes widened. She blinked, trying to process his words.
“What?” she whispered, stunned. “Calvin, you can’t… I couldn’t ask you to do that. You’re the Beta of Silverblade.
This is your home, your life, your duty-“
“That doesn’t matter,” Calvin interrupted gently but with a fierce conviction in his tone. “None of that matters compared to you. You are what matters, Roselyn.”
He took another step closer, his voice low but steady. “I was forced to stand by while my sister-my own sister-was destroyed by the choices made in this pack. I was ordered to stay silent, to do nothing, and I obeyed. That obedience became my greatest shame. I will never feel that kind of regret again.
Not ever.”
He looked at her with eyes that burned with sincerity and remorse. “If I had been stronger,
Elaine wouldn’t have felt so alone. I would’ve been there for her-supporting her, protecting her, even if it meant defying orders. But I didn’t. I failed her. I will not fail you too.
I swear it, Roselyn. I’ll never turn my back on you, not for anyone, not for anything.”
His words struck something deep inside her-a warmth, a longing-but it was tangled in the thorns of fear. Roselyn’s eyes softened, but tears welled up as she spoke.
“Calvin, I…” she exhaled shakily, looking away for a moment. “I need time to think about it. I understand what you’re saying, and maybe I even believe that you mean it right now. But you have to understand something too.
It’s not easy for me to just blindly trust.’
Her voice faltered, filled with quiet pain. “You said you were forced to abandon Elaine. You didn’t choose it, I know that. But that doesn’t erase what happened. How can I believe that if someone-anyone-orders you again, you won’t obey?
There will always be that fear in the back of my mind, whispering that when the time comes, you’ll walk away.”
Calvin’s jaw tightened as he fought to steady his emotions. The sight of tears glistening on her lashes cut through him like a blade.
“I understand,” he said finally, his voice low but resolute. “You have every right to doubt me. You have every right to take your time. I just want you to know one thing, Roselyn-there is nothing I won’t do to earn your trust. Nothing.
You don’t have to decide now. I’ll give you all the time you need.”
He slowly lifted a hand and gently cupped her face. His thumb brushed away a tear that had escaped down her cheek.
“I’ll prove it to you,” he whispered.
Then, without another word, Calvin stood up and walked toward the door. Roselyn stood frozen, watching him go. Each step he took felt like a pull in her chest, like something fragile was breaking inside her. When the door closed softly behind him, she finally let her tears fall freely.
“Shh, Roselyn… it’s okay. I’m here,” Darius murmured, wrapping his arms around her. She leaned into her brother’s chest, burying her face against him as she sobbed quietly.
Kathy watched them, her heart twisting painfully. Seeing Roselyn in tears tore at her because it reminded her of Elaine-of the night she couldn’t comfort her own sister, the night she had to turn away. She had been one of the reasons Elaine suffered, and no amount of remorse could change that.
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.