SYLVARA POV

The corridor outside the Moon Hall was almost empty when I finally forced myself to leave. My shoes clicked softly against the marble floor; every step echoed like a reminder that I was walking alone now.

The torches burned low along the walls, throwing long stripes of gold and shadow across the floor. I was halfway to the guest wing when a low voice came from the dark corner near the stairwell.

“You shouldn’t cry over scum like him, bunny.”

I stopped.

The word bunny caught me first…soft, teasing, completely unfamiliar. I turned slowly.

He leaned against the stone wall as he belonged there, one boot crossed over the other, the firelight catching on the edge of a black coat. I had never seen him before.

He didn’t wear any crest or color that marked him as part of our pack.

His face was half hidden by shadow, but what I could see made my breath catch. Sharp jaw, dark hair falling carelessly over his forehead, eyes the color of storm clouds…steady, unreadable, dangerous in a quiet way.

I straightened, brushing my hands down the front of my ruined dress. “I’m not crying,” I said.

He smiled a little, still leaning against the wall. “Really? Could’ve fooled me.”

“I don’t even know you,” I muttered. “You shouldn’t be here.”

He shrugged. “Maybe I shouldn’t. But you looked like you needed someone to say it.”

“Say what?”

“That he’s an arse.” His mouth curved into a slow grin. “You're pretty Alpha. The one who tossed you aside like a broken toy.”

The words stung because they were true. I folded my arms over my chest. “You shouldn’t talk about him that way.”

He raised a brow. “Still defending him, bunny?”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Why not? It suits you.”

Something about the lazy warmth in his voice made my pulse jump. “You don’t even know my name.”

He pushed off the wall, walking toward me with easy, unhurried steps. I took a small step back before I realized I was doing it.

He stopped a few feet away, enough that I could see his face clearly now. His features were sharp but not cruel, the kind of handsome that felt a little dangerous…like fire that didn’t know it could burn.

“Then tell me,” he said quietly. “What’s your name, bunny?”

“Sylvara.”

He said it once, testing the sound. “Pretty. But I think I’ll keep bunny.”

I should have been angry. Instead, I found myself almost smiling. “You really don’t listen, do you?”

“Not when I’m right.”

I shook my head and looked away, toward the open archway that led to the courtyard. “Why are you even talking to me?”

“Because you look like the world just ended. And you need a companion”

A laugh escaped me, small and bitter. “It did.”

He didn’t say anything. Just waited.

Maybe it was the way he stood…silent, patient, or maybe I was too tired to keep the words inside anymore. “He was supposed to be my mate,” I whispered. “We grew up together. Since we were six. He was the only one who ever talked to me. The one who truly knew me. My first love.”

The man’s expression softened a little. “And now?”

“Now he’s marrying someone else tomorrow evening.” My voice cracked on the last word. “A Frostmoon princess. He said he had no choice. That it was for the good of the pack.”

“Ah.” He tilted his head. “Politics. The oldest curse of our kind.”

“I would have followed him anywhere,” I said. “Even if I was the unshifted wolf every mocked. Even if the others laughed. I thought love mattered.”

He studied me quietly for a long moment. “It does. He just doesn’t know what the word means.”

Something inside me loosened at that, a thread pulling free. I hadn’t realized how much I needed someone…anyone….to say it wasn’t my fault.

“Thank you,” I said softly feeling a bit light.”

“Do you have a name?” I asked.

He smiled, slow and unreadable. “Names make things complicated. Let’s keep it simple.”

I frowned. “You’re strange.”

“I’ve been called worse. But strange..not really”

For a few heartbeats, neither of us spoke. The wind slipped through the open arch, cool against my face.

“I wish I could leave this place,” I said suddenly. “The pack, the whispers, everything. Just… go somewhere no one knows me.”

“Then why don’t you?”

“Because I have nowhere to go.”

He studied me with those dark, steady eyes. “Everyone has somewhere. They just haven’t found it yet.”

I laughed softly. “You sound like you’ve done a lot of running.”

“Maybe.” He looked away, as if something far away had caught his attention. “Maybe I just know what it’s like to be unwanted.”

That hit too close. I wanted to ask more, but he stepped back, the shadows wrapping around him again.

“Don’t waste your tears on men who don’t see you, bunny,” he said quietly. “Save them for something worth breaking.”

Before I could ask his name again, he turned and disappeared down the corridor.

I stood there for a long time, the echo of his voice following me like a heartbeat. I didn’t even realize I was smiling a little through the ache.

The corridor felt emptier after he left.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring at the place where he’d been. The air still held a trace of him… something dark and clean, like smoke and pine. My heart beat faster than it should have.

I told myself it was just from the shock of everything. From the humiliation. From losing everything I thought I had. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t only that.

No one had ever spoken to me like that before, honest, kind. It didn’t make sense, but somehow, that stranger had made the weight on my chest feel lighter, even if just for a few moments.

“Bunny,” I whispered to myself, shaking my head. “What kind of name is that?”

Still, it made me smile a little.

I turned and started walking again, my footsteps soft against the stone floor. The torches hissed in their brackets, throwing trembling light across the walls. Every echo reminded me how alone I was.

By the time I reached my room, most of the hallways were empty. I pushed the door open and slipped inside. The scent of lavender filled the space…one of the maids must have lit the candles earlier, thinking I’d be coming back with Aedric.

That thought made my throat tighten again. I looked around the room, at the white flowers by the window, the folded robe at the end of the bed, the silver hairpins arranged neatly on the dresser. All of it had been prepared for a mated pair.

Now it just looked like a stage for a play that had ended before the first act.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, my hands resting in my lap. For a long time, I just stared at them. The marks where the ceremonial ribbon had been tied were still faintly red on my skin.

I rubbed them absently, wishing the memory could fade as easily.

Outside, I could hear laughter…soft, distant, coming from the main courtyard. Wolves are celebrating the new alliance. Maybe even Aedric himself, smiling beside her. The thought burned worse than anything.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to cry.

But mostly, I wanted to forget.

Instead, I stood up and walked to the small mirror by the wall. My reflection stared back…pale, tired, eyes swollen from the tears I refused to let fall. The girl looking back at me didn’t look like an omega ready for a bond ceremony. She looked like a ghost wearing someone else’s happiness.

“Tomorrow, I’ll leave,” I said quietly to my reflection. “I’ll find somewhere new. Somewhere I don’t have to see them.”

The words sounded brave, but my chest ached when I said them. I didn’t know where I would go. The world beyond the pack lands was cold, and for someone unshifted, it was dangerous.

Still, the thought of staying here was worse.

I blew out the candles one by one until the room was dim. Only the moonlight through the window stayed, soft and silver on the floor.

When I finally crawled into bed, the sheets were cold against my skin. My body felt heavy, my mind refusing to quiet.

I kept replaying the ceremony in my head…the moment Aedric looked at me and said I cannot.

The look in his eyes hadn’t even been guilt. It was… a pity.

That hurt more than anything.

SYLVARA POV

I woke to the sound of birds.

For a moment, I didn’t move. I just lay there, staring at the sunlight bleeding through the curtains. The air smelled faintly of ashes and the wildflowers someone must have placed in a jar by the window days ago.

For half a heartbeat, I almost forgot everything that had happened. Then the memories came flooding back.

The ceremony. The whispers.

Aedric’s voice saying I cannot.

The humiliation.. The pain.

My chest ached as something sharp had lodged there. I pulled the blanket over my head and wished I could sink into the bed and disappear.

But even under the covers, the world pressed in. My heart wouldn’t stop pounding. My mind wouldn’t stop replaying the way everyone had looked at me... the pity, the shame. The way he had walked away without a single backward glance.

Another day, another humiliation.

Another day to be a thing of gossip and ridicule.

I sat up slowly. My throat burned. I hadn’t even realized I’d been crying again. I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand, trying to breathe evenly.

He’d been my dream since we were children. My friend. My protector. My only real family.

And he had thrown me away like I was nothing.

A soft knock broke the silence. Three steady taps against the door.

My stomach turned. I froze, listening. No one had come near my room since last night. Not even the maids.

The knock came again, a little firmer.

“Who is it?” My voice came out hoarse.

A pause. Then a voice I knew better than my own.

“It’s me. Aedric.”

Everything inside me went still.

For a long moment, I didn’t move. Then I got out of bed, pulled a robe over my thin nightdress, and walked to the door. My hand trembled on the handle as I opened it.

He stood there, calm as ever. The morning light caught his face... golden hair, proud jaw, pale blue eyes. He looked like he always had… perfect, untouchable, every bit the Alpha he was raised to be.

“May I come in?” he asked.

I didn’t trust myself to speak, so I stepped aside.

He walked in and looked around, as if the small room was unfamiliar. His gaze landed on the folded white dress from yesterday, the torn silver ribbon on the table. He sighed quietly.

“You didn’t join us last night,” he said.

I bit back a bitter laugh. “Did you expect me to?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous gesture he hadn’t grown out of. “I wanted to make sure you’re all right.”

“All right?” I repeated, the word almost breaking on my tongue. “You humiliated me in front of everyone, Aedric. I don’t think all right covers it.”

“I didn’t mean to humiliate you,” he said softly. “You know how much I respect you.”

“Respect?” I let out a sharp breath. “You rejected me to marry someone else.”

He looked away. “It wasn’t my choice. My father and the council decided. The Frostmoon alliance will strengthen the pack. You of all people should understand that.”

“I understand you made your choice,” I said quietly. “And it wasn’t me.”

He didn’t argue. He only stepped closer. The faint scent of pine and smoke wrapped around me, familiar and cruel.

“You’ve always been important to me, Syl. You were my first friend. You’ll always mean something to me.”

The words cut deeper than I expected.

A friend nothing more

“I don’t want to mean something,” I whispered. “I wanted to be the woman you love and marry.”

Silence.

He reached out, fingertips brushing a stray strand of my hair. “You’re strong. You’ll move on from this.”

“Don’t,” I said, pulling back.

He dropped his hand, jaw tightening. “The wedding’s tonight.”

I stared at him, confused. “Why are you telling me that?”

“I’d like you to be there,” he said.

The words didn’t make sense. “You want me to come to your wedding?”

“It would mean a lot to me,” he said quickly, like he could fix it if he said it fast enough. “It would show the pack that there’s peace between us. That there’s no bitterness.”

I laughed softly, though it didn’t sound like laughter at all. “You don’t want the pack to think you broke me.”

His silence was the answer.

My throat closed. “You really don’t see what you’re doing, do you?”

He took a step forward. “Please, Sylvara. I want to part as friends.”

“Friends?” I repeated, shaking my head. “Friends don’t destroy each other.”

He didn’t say anything. He only looked at me with that same sad expression that had once melted me. And before I could step back, he leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against my forehead.

It was soft. Brief. Final.

I didn’t move. I didn’t even breathe.

When he pulled away, his eyes were bright. “You’ll always be special to me, and I'm sorry again, I didn't mean to hurt you” he murmured. Then he turned, opened the door, and left.

The sound of the latch closing echoed through the room like a bell.

I stood there for a long time, staring at the space where he’d been. Then I lifted a hand to my forehead. The spot where his lips had touched felt cold.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and let the tears come. Quiet, bitter ones that burned my eyes and soaked into my sleeves.

He was gone.

He was really gone.

By tonight, he’d belong to someone else...another woman, another pack, another life.

And I would still be here, the forgotten girl in the empty room.

I looked around at the walls that had never felt like home and whispered to the silence, “I can’t stay here anymore.”

The words trembled out of me like a vow.

For the first time since yesterday, I meant it.

SYLVARA POV

I told myself I wouldn’t go.

All afternoon, I stayed in my room, sitting by the window and staring at the fading light. The sound of laughter, music, and celebration drifted up from the main hall. The whole pack was already gathering for the wedding.

Every voice, every cheer felt like a knife turning in my chest.

I kept whispering, I won’t go. I won’t give them the satisfaction.

But as the sky turned gold, something inside me refused to stay still. I needed to see it with my own eyes. Needed proof that it was really over.

So I got up. I dressed in a plain grey gown, nothing fancy. No ribbons, no flowers. I pulled my hair back and left my room quietly, walking down the long hallway toward the courtyard.

The closer I got, the louder it became. Music. Cheers. The smell of roasted meat and wine. Everything felt like a cruel celebration of my failure.

I reached the edge of the hall and stayed in the shadows. No one noticed me. All eyes were on Aedric who stood beside his new mate, the Frostmoon Alpha’s daughter.… tall, beautiful, dressed in silver.

They looked perfect together.

Perfect in a way that made my stomach twist.

I tried to tell myself I didn’t care, but my chest felt tight. My eyes burned as I watched him slip a silver band onto her wrist, sealing their bond. The crowd clapped and shouted blessings.

And then someone in the back called out, loud and mocking,

“Congratulations, brother!”

The crowd went silent for a heartbeat. My head snapped toward the voice. It was deep, smooth, carrying amusement and something darker underneath.

I recognized it.… though I couldn’t place it.

I’d heard it before, deep... soft and teasing

Aedric’s shoulders stiffened. His face changed from a proud smile to a grim line.

“What are you doing here?” he asked coldly.

The man laughed softly. I still couldn’t see him through the crowd. “Can’t I come celebrate your special day? It's your mating ceremony... I couldn't miss that”

A murmur ran through the guests. Some whispered. Others stepped back like they didn’t want to be too close.

My heart beat faster. I leaned slightly to the side to catch a glimpse, but all I saw was a tall figure dressed in black, standing near the door, half in shadow.

Aedric’s voice was sharp. “Say what you came to say, and leave. You're not welcome”

The man chuckled. “Ouch, that hurts me, brother. Always so serious. Straight to the point, as always. Fine. I came for what you owe me.”

“Owe you?” Aedric frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“The debt, brother,” the man said calmly. “You know which one. It's been six years now… don't tell me your memory got old.”

A hush fell over the room. A few people exchanged uneasy looks.

My stomach dropped. Brother?

My mind froze. That voice. That lazy tone.

No. It couldn’t be.

Aedric’s face went pale. “How do you want your debt to be paid?”

There was a pause... long enough for the air itself to feel heavy.

Then the man’s voice came again, low and deliberate.

“Your former mate Sylvara. The omega. Give her to me.”

I forgot how to breathe.

My eyes widened as I looked toward the sound. The man stepped forward then, out of the shadows.

And there he was.…. the same man I’d met the night last night… the one whose words made me feel better. The one who’d called me bunny, who had leaned against the wall and told me not to cry.

For a moment, I couldn’t move.

Our eyes met across the hall. His gaze was sharp, calm, almost amused, but there was something fierce behind it that made my knees weak.

The hall buzzed with whispers.

Someone nearby spoke his name... and the moment I heard it, my blood ran cold.

Kaelen.

Kaelen Veyr.

The outcast Alpha. The cursed one. Aedric’s brother.

Stories about him had been told to all packs.. Babies for years... stories of blood, rebellion, and power that made even elders speak his name in a whisper.

Aedric stared at him, disbelief flashing in his eyes. “You want who?”

Kaelen smiled, slow and dangerous. “I'm sure you heard me clearly brother. The mate you rejected. Sylvara”

Gasps echoed through the hall. My breath hitched in my throat.

Aedric stepped forward, furious. “She’s not someone you can toy with or bargain with.”

Kaelen tilted his head. “Bargain? Aren’t you too greedy, brother? You don’t want her, but you want to keep her?” He took another step closer, eyes still locked on mine. “Give her to me. Let her join my pack. My harem, I'm going to take her back with me. Except you have a reason for holding onto her?”

Every word burned. My chest felt like it was tearing apart.

The crowd watched, whispering, some looking at me with pity, others with cruel amusement.

Aedric turned to me. Our eyes met for a brief, aching second. There was guilt in his face... guilt and something like fear.

Then he looked back at Kaelen and said quietly, “Fine. She’s yours.”

The world seemed to stop.

My breath caught. My vision blurred.

He had really done it.

Just like that, he’d given me away... like a piece of property. Like I was nothing.

Anger surged through me, hot and sharp. “You can’t just…”

But my words broke off. My voice was shaking too badly.

Kaelen’s eyes stayed on me. Calm. Steady. Satisfied.

And that was when I realized the truth... whatever game this was, I had just become the prize.

I felt betrayed. Humiliated. Furious.

And deep down, a part of me swore that I would never forgive either of them.