Preparations for the unity challenge consume every waking moment.
Silverfang is heavily favored, and everyone knows it.
A leader and mate work in perfect harmony, and their bond gives them an undeniable advantage..
That should’ve been us. Siena should’ve been by my si
matters
sille. But instead, I’m standing across from her, acting like none of this
Pretending that my heart isn’t pounding in my chest every time she’s near.
Pretending that my wolf isn’t restless–agitated and clawing beneath the surface because of the distance I’ve forced between
We train together out of necessity. We are both too experienced to let personal feelings interfere with the task at hand.
I keep my distance, my touch impersonal, my words clipped. But Siena… she’s different.
Focused
Determined.
Her movements are sharp, precise, but I see beyond the mask she wears. I notice the subtle tremor in her hands when she thinks no one’s watching, the fatigue weighing down her usually graceful steps.
She’s pushing herself too hard, and it’s taking its toll.
1 tell myself it’s not my problem. Siena made her choice. She chose her pack, her independence.
She walked away from me, and I let her go.
But when she stumbles during a particularly grueling synchronization drill, I react before I can stop myself. One second she’s off balance, and the next, I’m catching her, steadying her before she can hit the ground.
I just want to save her.
The moment my hands touch her, it’s like a jolt of lightning shoots through my entire body.
My wolf surges forward, desperate to reestablish the connection we’ve both been trying to ignore. The bond–weak and frayed but still there–flares to life, sending a sharp ache through my chest.
Siena’s eyes snap up to meet mine, wide and filled with something I can’t quite name. But I know she feels it too.
“Raiden…” Her voice is barely above a whisper, her breath catching as she realizes what’s happening.
“You need rest,” I say, my tone gruff, harsher than I intend. I try to pull away, but for one brief moment, I can’t. My hands linger, my thumb brushing against her skin, feeling the warmth that’s far too familiar.
“I’m fine,” she murmurs, but her voice trembles, betraying her.
She steps back quickly, putting distance between us as if my touch burns her. I feel the loss immediately–like something being ripped away. And it hurts more than I want to admit.
Siena straightens, her expression hardening as she pushes whatever just happened aside.
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Chapter 51
Without another word, she turns back to the exercise, her focus sharper than before, her movements filled with a renewed determinatioOL
The crack in her BFI
Arshit matches the one in mine.
I force myself to step back, to put the distance between us that should’ve been there from the start. I can’t let this happen.
I can’t give in to the pull of the bond.
Not again.
Later, I watch Siena from the shadows as she works with her veterans. Her movements are fluid but purposeful, her instructions clear and steady. They respect her–follow her without question. She’s built something here. Something real. And I hate how much I admire it.
How much I admire her.
She didn’t need me.
Despite my rejection, despite everything. Siena didn’t crumble. She didn’t let my choices define her. She rose from the ashes of what we were and built something stronger.
And it guts me.
Horace growls in frustration, but I push him back, clenching my jaw as I force my gaze away.
“You can’t have it both ways.”
Zion’s words echo in my mind, sharp and unforgiving. And he’s right.
I’ve been living in denial, pretending I can ignore her, keep her at arm’s length, and still somehow expect her to stay the same. But Siena isn’t the woman I left behind. She’s stronger now.
She’s not waiting for me to come back.
And that realization hits harder than I’m prepared for.
Lila approaches me after training, her presence as calculated as ever. I feel her before I see her–her scent laced with lavender and something else, something manufactured to draw me in.
It used to work
Now, it just irritates me.
“Raiden,” she murmurs, slipping into the space beside me with practiced ease. “We need to talk”
I already know where this is going
“We should leverage your influence with the council,” she says softly, her nails lightly grazing my arm. “Secure certain advantages for Silverfang in the next phase.”
I don’t answer immediately. I should agree. It’s the smart play. The logical move
But the idea of winning like that–manipulating the odds–makes something inside me recoil
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Chapter 31
“We’ll win fairly.” I say, my tone flat, leaving no room for argument. “Or not at all”
Lila’s fingers still against my arm, and I feel the tension ripple through her. She wasn’t expecting that
“Raiden,” she tries again, her voice taking on a sharper edge, frustration creeping into her carefully composed tone. “You’re being too-
“I said no, Lila.”
The words come out harder than I intended, but I don’t take them back.
Her eyes narrow, and for a brief moment, I see the real Lila beneath the surface–the one she hides so well. But then she masks it, her expression softening as she leans in closer.
“I’m only trying to help you, she murmurs, her voice a silk–covered dagger. “We’re stronger together, Raiden. You know
that
But her words ring hollow.
I used to believe them. I used to think choosing her was the right decision–the safe decision. But now, all I can think about Is Siena.
Siena and I were the strongest together.
The days pass in a blur, and the weight of everything presses down on me harder than ever. I try to focus on the challenge, on maintaining the illusion of control, but Siena is always there–just out of reach.
I can’t escape her, no matter how hard I try.
Every time I see her, I’m reminded of what I lost.
And it the.
Horace is restless, pacing beneath my skin, pushing against the walls I’ve built to keep him contained. He wants Siena He doesn’t understand why I keep denying what we both feel–what’s still there, lingering like a phantom pain.
But I can’t give in.
I won’L
Siena’s moved on. She’s thriving without me. She doesn’t need me, and I can’t afford to let my feelings–my weakness- cloud my judgment.
The unity challenge approaches faster than I expect, and the tension in the air is thick enough to choke on. I watch Siena from across the training grounds as she coordinates with her team, her confidence.
She has been reborn; a force to reckon with. Formidable, with a strength so profound I will never know,
She’s ready.
And for the first time, I realize… I’m not.
I’m not ready to face what happens after this challenge.
Because once it’s over, there will be no reason to keep Siena close. No reason to see her.
And that
That might destroy me.
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Chapter 51
But maybe maybe that’s what I deserve.
Because Siena deserves better than a man who couldn’t see her worth until it was too late
And I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive myself for that.
