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Chapter 19

ELISE POV

“Is it Rygan who marked you, Elisc?” Kaide’s dark voice asked sternly. It felt like the ground under my feet had turned unsteady with the strength leaving my legs.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Kaide had found out I was marked by Rygan, a sign of shame without a mate to claim me. Was he going to see me as a shameless, dirty secret of his alpha now? Was he going to believe that I was shameless enough to be marked but not mated to a male? Now that I’m left with only a half–bond, I could do nothing but hide.

“Elise?” I heard his voice break through the dark void of my thoughts as my eyes glazed over to his now–worrying ones. My vision is blurry with tears.

“Kaide.” I tried to talk, but I stuttered as I pushed him away from me, my hands unconsciously touching my nape as I tried to stop myself from trembling. “Yes, it’s Rygan’s mark; you must see me as a pathetic person now,” I said softly, not having the courage to look at Kaide.

“But he is betrothed to be mated to Alvira soon. Fuck,” he cursed, combing a hand through his wet hair. He looked truly confused about it, but I was still filled with so much apprehension to trust and couldn’t look further into his gaze and see what he meant, not when I’ve been looked at with contempt by my own family and how I’ve been treated in the past.

“Do I disgust you now? That I’m marked without a matė?”

“I did not say that, Elise. You don’t disgust me. Knowing Rygan, he wouldn’t just do that without a justified reason, and I know you wouldn’t have followed him here if he tried to hurt you,” he said calmly.

“Don’t worry, Rygan already said that he will reject me on the next high moon, and then I will be free from this mark and unbound from him,” I explained to Kaide.

I wonder if he could see the panic that was continually swirling in my gaze as he backed away, to give me space to breathe and dress up. I turned away immediately, getting dressed quickly, knowing that he was waiting.

I could barely control my shaking hands; my trembling fingers made it hard for me to button up the shirt, but I tried to calm myself to finish wearing the clothes Kaide provided.

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Chapter 19

When I walked out from behind the trees after I got changed, he was still waiting; his back was turned to me, but I could tell from my line of vision that he was thinking deeply about the situation he just learned about.

“Um, do you mind if we walk down instead?” I asked Kaide, but I didn’t look at him for an answer as I took to my heels. I didn’t want to face him in this situation, but I wanted to tell him what happened.

We walked past a few trees and were on our way down when I mentally gave myself enough encouragement to speak up: “The mark at my nape happened back at the dungeon. As you know, the Darknight and Silver Night packs have a long–standing tradition of killing fledglings that are not powerful enough to be a king’s mate. The day of my mating, I couldn’t shift to my wolf.”

“And they quickly assumed that you were wolfless, a powerless fledgling.” He countered, understanding my words. As I nodded quietly.

“In both packs, there are long–standing traditions to never let the weak live. That’s why our population in the Silver Night pack is the smallest among all packs in the realm. My father made it his absolute power to kill all wolfless pups that don’t change during the turning period of eighteen. My mom argued that I was a late bloomer to give me more time, and I believe that since I was female, there are a few exceptions after being born: a fledgling only given to females who are taken to pleasure houses, sold to serve men, or killed.” I explained.

I felt Kaide halt. The black moon was the only remaining pack that didn’t follow that tradition of killing fledglings; instead, they were left to live normal lives in the pack and seek common jobs. But the black moon had no idea it was that bad for fledglings outside their pack.

It was one of the main reasons they closed off their pack to outsiders because of their resolve not to participate in baseless killings of innocent wolves or humans.

“So my father saw it was best that I face the punishment for deceiving Alpha Kyren; I was taken in as a prized slave, to be owned by the victors of the duel in the Kyren pack, and the sole victor was… Rygen.”

I told Kaide, and I turned to look at him and see the realization dawn on him. For sure, Rygan had told them about most of what he endured back in that hellish dungeon, but it seems he didn’t say a word about me to them, not unless I wanted to.

The rest of the walk back was shrouded in silence. Not until we reached back to the moon house did Kaide walk me back to my room.

I opened the door to walk in when I felt his hand grab me back. “Look, Elise, I don’t see

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Chapter 19

you as different from before; you survived; you did what you had to; and my offer still stands. You can use me as a distraction to forget him if you want, Elise; besides, you already have me cleaning the arena,” Kaide said, making me smile.

“Aren’t I lucky? Um, thank you for listening today, Kaide,” I whispered. I tried to hold back the shiver that passed through me when he tucked my hair behind my ears. “Goodnight, Elise,” he muttered as I walked into my room.

5

Not quickly noticing that someone had been watching our whole conversation since we stepped into the house. But I was far too tired to think as I pulled the Kaide shirt from me, crawling under the covers naked as I closed my eyes, and the activities of the day caught up to me and lulled me back to sleep.

***..

(RYGAN’S POV)

I watched as Kaide escorted Elise back to her room. Something dark and brutal burned in me as I marched out of my room and into the hallway, watching the small touches Kaide gave Elise.

It took control of stopping deadly snarls from leaving my lips as I waited till she stepped into her room, “Alpha.” Kaide spoke quietly the moment I came out of the shadows and into his view.

“You guys are close,” I said

to Kaide, whose brows raised. I knew my brother was far too smart and had figured. something out, but shrugged instead.

“We have been training, if that is what you’re trying to inquire about, El,” he said, flicking over an invisible lint on the wrist of his dark tunic.

“Training should not pass the time given; she is special, and I need her to be safe when I can see her at all times,” I warned him.

“I can protect her, brother,” Kaide retorted, and I could barely hold my irritation this time as I let out a snarl at my beta.

“You know damn well what I’m talking about, so know your place, Kaide,” I warned him. “I know you are interested, so back off.”

“Oh, I might not be interested, but what if I am? I don’t need to lie about my feelings, hide behind duty, or do what society wants. Either spill your feelings or reject her, Rygan, and spare that poor girl a free mind from burden and the bond, you as a

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Chaping to

betrothed man sworn by a blood oath, unless you want her as a concubine,” he warned.

“I do not.”

“Then do what is right,” he said sternly. My head cooled instantly, and I backed down. His last words rang deeply in my head as he passed by.

“Don’t do what you will regret.”

SEND GIFT