claimd and

Rygan’s POV

My head throbbed like a sore blow Taz gives from a sparring gone wrong. One moment, I was lost in a blissful dream with Elise, finally free from Alvira’s clutches. We’d spent the night tangled in a joyous mess, whispering promises of forever from our lovemaking.

Now, a suffocating dread coiled in my gut. A scent, not the familar lavender that usually lingered by my side, jolted me awake. Panicked, I scrambled away from the warm weight of my chest. A peek revealed Alvira, sprawled naked across my bed. The mix of our scents in the air confirmed the horrifying rith.

“What the hell is this?” 1 choked out, fury battling disbelief.

A ghost of a smile played on Alvira’s lips as she stretched. “Good morning, Alpha,”

Before she could reach for me, I snarled, “Don’t you dare. Her smile faltered.

“Why the sudden coldness, Rygan? We had a wonderful night, she purred.

“What did you do to me?” I roared, grabbing her shoulder with a bruising grip. Her eyes widened in fear as she stammered, “We we slept together. You called for me.”

The absurdity of it all burned. This night, the one etched in my memory with Elise, was a lie Alvira spun? “I remember last night with Elise.” I explained, desperation coloring my voice. “We confessed our love, and-”

Just a silly dream, Rygan,” she interrupted, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. “You were lusting after her, but it will fade. You’ll see. Besides,” she added, a cruel glint in her eyes, “it’s already done.”

“Get out!” I bellowed. But a chilling realization dawned on me. “You knew,” I accused, staring into her now hardened “You knew I wanted Elise all along”

gaze.

“Greedy emotions like that is fleeting, Rygan. This, she gestured between us, “is a bond. A betrothal. Tell the pack you want to break it, and they’ll see you for the weak fool who throws away his future mate for a silver night reject.”

A silver night reject. The sting of those words fueled my anger. “So you used me, I should f**ki***A sly smile stretched across Alvira’s face. “No I know you wouldn’t, Alana wouldn’t *want that, and we are meant for each other, darling. But ultimately, I win and the whole pack knows you are mine.”

With a final glare, she sashayed out, leaving me reeling. Bile rose in my throat. I hurled a glass across the room, the shattering a pathetic echo of my shattered hopes.

How could I explain this to Elise?

Driven by a desperate need for answers, I raced to the bathroom, A cold splash offered no solace. As I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, a new wave of fury surged. Clawed marks, Alvira’s cruel mark, marred my skin.

I betrayed Elise.

The wolf within me snarled in unison. My fist connected with the mirror, shattering it and sending shards raining down. Ignoring the throbbing pain in my hand, I s***ed clothes and bolted towards Elise’s chambers, praying the moon gods would allow me to wash away the stench of Alvira’s betrayal.

Empty. Her room was empty. Panic clawed at me. Below, hushed voices drifted from the dining room. There, Alvira sat smugly beside Kaide while Tazmin munched on fruit.

15:35 Sun, Sep 1 GB G.

“Gods.” The boomed, eyeing my disheveled state. “You look like you saw a ghost.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Alvira’s triumphant smirk confirmed my fear. My scent on her was a dead giveaway.

“Let’s eat.” Kaide announced, oblivious to the storm brewing within me.

My gaze darted around the table, landing on the empty chair beide Alvira. “Where’s Elise?”

“Sparring. Seems her hand healed faster than expected, Taz said, oblivious to the undercurrent of tension.

Sparring Relief battled with a deeper worry. My stomach churned.

Ignoring Alvira’s victorious smirk, I muttered, “I need some air. See you all at the arena

Ignoring Alvira’s attempt to touch me, I stormed out, the weight of Alvira’s deceit threatening to crush me.

Reaching the arena, I found a handful of wolves training, but only one figure remained: Elise, focused on pummeling a punching dummy. Her every move resonated with a raw, primal fury that mirrored

my own.

The sight of her, so strong, so beautiful, ached. I yearned to hold her, to apologize, but fear kept me rooted to the spot. I felt my pounding heart calm the instant I laid my eyes on her; she had not noticed me at all, but I quietly signaled for the rest to leave.

From her s**ed scent, I could tell it was barraged with wrath and something so intense that I felt like I couldn’t! breathe the closer I got.

My promises from last night to her made me feel like s**m, knowing I broke them. I just hoped I could salvage our relationship if she didn’t know yet.

*Elise” I call to her telepathically; she freezes in return but continues immediately, not even addressing me.

“Elise,” I say out loud this time. I reached to tug on her hand, but she pulled away from me so roughly that she snarled and her lips quivered.

*Don’t you touch me!*

Her hands pushed on my chest; it felt so sudden as my body hit the wall from her sheer strength. I was more broken by her gaze on me.

I could see something in her eyes break when she glimpsed at me, and my body froze. From the betrayed gaze in her eyes

could tell at that instant that she knew,

She knew everything, but what shocked me the most was that Elise’s lips hadn’t moved; she had spoken back to me telepathically. A shocking sight that Elise is a gifted.

And no one had ever done that.

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