Chapter 84
(Siena’s POV)
“I’ve already forgotten about her.”
Raiden’s cold dismissal echoes through my mind, each word tearing into wounds I thought long healed, forcing my carefully constructed emotional walls to tremble, to fracture, threaten collapse.
My legs swiftly carry me into the darkened forest, lungs burning as I push deeper into the sanctuary of shadowed trees. Branches claw at my shoulders, catching in my hair, but I barely feel them.
The sharp sting is nothing compared to the agonizing ache spreading through my chest. I stumble forward, gasping for air, desperate for the quiet solitude the forest once freely offered.
I collapse against the rough bark of an ancient oak, its solid strength supporting me as my vision blurs with unshed tears. My fingers press against my chest, willing the frantic pounding of my heart to steady.
Forgotten.
The word feels like a blade twisted cruelly into my soul, mocking every fragile hope I’d foolishly allowed myself to nurture since returning to Windhowl.
What did I expect?
My wolf whimpers mournfully, the pain fresh and raw inside us both.
I grit my teeth, fighting the irrational hurt. Raiden shouldn’t still wield such power over my heart, not after everything he’s done and every wound he’s inflicted. Yet the ache remains stubborn and unyielding, betraying my carefully cultivated independence.
Why do his words still cut so deeply?
The confusion only intensifies the ache. Since my return, Raiden has sent mixed signals–lingering glances, gentle gestures, and fleeting moments of unguarded vulnerability that hint at something deeper.
Yet now, confronted with his blunt albeit familiar rejection, I feel foolish and naïve for daring to believe he might have changed.
Why did I do this to myself?
I tilt my head back, staring up at the moonlight filtering softly through the canopy.
Silver beams dance gently across my face, offering silent comfort.
Slowly, deliberately, I shift into my wolf form, the release of my skin temporarily easing the sharpness of grief. My paws sink into the cool earth as I break into a run, moving swiftly through familiar forest trails, desperate to clear my thoughts.
The rhythmic pounding of my paws against earth soothes my chaotic mind, and the wind whispers gently through my fur. Eventually, I slow to a gentle trot, following a winding path toward a small clearing, bathed in silver moonlight, peaceful and
serene.
A gentle rustling draws my attention.
Shifting smoothly back into form, I turn sharply, senses alert.
Something’s off–I can smell it.
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Chapter 84
From the shadows emerges an elderly pack member: Mira, her silver braid glistening softly in the moonlight, wise eyes meeting mine kindly.
“Siena,” Mira greets warmly, stepping forward carefully. “Couldn’t sleep either?”
I force a polite smile, shaking my head gently. “My thoughts won’t settle tonight.”
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She nods knowingly, sitting beside me on an old, fallen log. “Memories haunt us all sometimes,” she murmurs softly. “Even him.”
My heart tightens painfully. “Raiden?”
Mira nods slowly, eyes distant with memory.
“Before responsibility hardened him, Raiden was different–light–hearted, compassionate, fiercely protective. He laughed freely, loved deeply, wore his heart openly on his sleeve. Losing his parents and inheriting leadership too young changed him and forced him to guard himself tightly.”
Her quiet words stir complicated emotions–curiosity, sadness, even unexpected compassion.
I picture Raiden as Mira describes him: young, carefree, vulnerable.
It seems impossible yet undeniably real. For a moment, my heart aches softly for the man he might have become had loss and pride not shaped him so cruelly.
“Perhaps he has changed,” I whisper slowly, voice filled with quiet pain. “But change doesn’t justify past cruelty. Nor does it help me heal those wounds any faster.
“No,” Mira agrees gently. “It doesn’t. But understanding might help ease the pain.”
Her words linger quietly between us, comforting yet unsettling. Eventually, Mira rises, gently squeezing my hand before slipping quietly into the shadows, leaving me alone once more.
Dawn is breaking gently over the lands, and I return slowly to the main packhouse for Silverfang, preparing myself for the day’s obligations. Today, practical matters demand one final meeting with Raiden–a thought that knots my stomach with quiet dread and lingering hurt.
How I’ll manage to look at him again, after hearing those words, I’ll never know.
Entering his office, I find him already seated, his expression carefully neutral, his eyes guarded. My heart stutters painfully, and my emotions swirl chaotically. Silently, I extend the documents required for my departure. As he reaches for them, our fingers accidentally brush.
“Enter,” Raiden barks as I step into his office, finding him already seated, his expression deliberately cold, eyes like shards of
ice.
My heart stutters painfully, emotions swirling chaotically within me. Silently, I extend the documents required for my departure.
“Took you long enough,” he says, voice clipped. “I expected these yesterday.”
“They’re complete now,” I manage, my voice smaller than intended.
“Let’s hope so,” he replies with a dismissive glance, reaching for them. Our fingers accidentally brush.
An electric current jolts sharply through our damaged bond, intense and undeniable. Our eyes meet briefly.
“Careful,” Raiden snaps, jerking his hand away as if burned.
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Chapter 84
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“Sorry.” I respond automatically, both of us masking surprise beneath practiced facades, though my heart pounds traitorously in my chest.
“Is this signature supposed to be illegible?” he asks, examining the pages with obvious disdain.
“It’s valid,” I reply stiffly.
“Barely acceptable,” he mutters. “Like most of your work recently.”
Frustration swells inside me, fierce and bitter. “Will that be all, sir?” I ask, eager to escape.
“For now,” he says dismissively, not bothering to look up again. “Close the door on your way out.”
After everything–after years of rejection, months of careful healing–how can I still respond to him so viscerally when he treats me with such calculated coldness?
An electric current jolts sharply through our damaged bond, intense and undeniable. Our eyes meet briefly, both quickly masking surprise beneath careful neutrality, pretending not to notice despite the frantic pounding of my heart.
He has not changed, not in any sense of the word.
Frustration swells inside me, fierce and bitter.
Without another word, I leave quickly, desperate to escape the lingering tension.
Outside, the crisp autumn air offers gentle comfort as I move instinctively toward Windhowl’s memorial garden–a refuge created long ago to honor our fallen warriors.
Coming here was a huge mistake.
Stepping carefully into the quiet clearing, peace settles gently around me. Flowers bloom vibrantly, their fragrance sweetly soothing.
My heart swells softly with strangely fond memories as I approach a familiar memorial stone. My fingers brush gently against the smooth surface, tracing my father’s name etched carefully into the granite.
Beside the stone grows the small, delicate plant I placed years ago, now flourishing beautifully. Tears blur my vision gently, grief mingling softly with quiet joy. Here, amidst memories and loss, I finally find clarity and strength in the decisions I’ve made to get myself here.
Siena, remember you are free.
I kneel slowly, breathing deeply, allowing the tranquility of this sacred space to fill me.
Raiden’s words still ache softly, yet here, amidst quiet remembrance, something shifts subtly within me–acceptance. His feelings, his rejection, no longer define my worth, my choices, my future.
Remember who you are.
Rising slowly, I gaze thoughtfully toward the distant horizon, determination solidifying gently inside me. Life moves forward, shaped by choices and defined by strength forged through pain.
Raiden may have hurt me and rejected me, but my worth exists independently of his validation.
He cannot take that from me.
As evening approaches, the sky gently painted with hues of gold and crimson, I pause once more, gazing quietly across Windhowl territory. Despite pain, despite lingering heartache, something hopeful stirs gently inside me.
10:58 Fri, 25 Apr 0.
Chapter 84
Moving forward doesn’t require forgetting the past–only making peace with it.
And for tonight, beneath the beauty of twilight skies, that’s more than enough.
AD
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