SHANE BLACKTHORN

Stupid.

I couldn't believe I stood there like an idiot, watching Leah lead Millie away. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to stop her, to say something—anything. But I didn't.

Not because of Leah. No, stopping her would have been easy.

It was Millie.

I could feel the fragile hope radiating off her—the desperate need to believe Leah was her friend, that Leah was ignorant of Alex's plan. That hope was like glass, delicate and breakable. I didn't have the heart to shatter it. So I stayed silent and let her go.

I knew Leah wouldn't harm her. Hurting Millie wouldn't serve her purpose or win her any favors with me. Leah was cunning, always acting in her own best interest. That's how she fooled me all these years. And it pained me to know that Millie would eventually learn the truth—the hard way.

With Millie gone, my plans needed rethinking. I had to get her out of here before the war with Rafael began. There was no guarantee I'd make it out alive, and if death came for me, I wanted to go knowing she was safe.

I reached out to the only person I trusted with her life.

"Caelum," I called through our telepathic link.

There was no response, but I could feel his presence hovering faintly at the edge of my mind.

"Caelum, I know you can hear me."

Finally, his voice cut through the silence, sharp and steady. "Did she come to you?"

"Yes, she did," I confirmed.

A wave of relief poured through our connection, unspoken but palpable. It irked me, but now wasn't the time to focus on that.

"We need to get her out of here," I pressed.

"She won't leave," he replied, his tone heavy. "Not until she finds her friends. I've been trying locator spells all night—nothing. It's as if they never existed."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. "I tried tracking them too, but even Kygara couldn't sniff them out. Millie thinks Alex is involved, but I don't. Alex may be desperate to see his daughter on the throne, but he's still just human."

Caelum went silent again. I knew that pause; it was the kind that came when he was working through theories in his mind.

"You've got ideas, don't you?" I pressed, narrowing my eyes. "Are you bound by your blood oath? Will telling me violate it?"

Still, no response.

"The letter Millie received—the one calling her a white lotus—I got one too. Same handwriting, but mine was written in blood." I don't tell him that Rafael and the seven were looking for the white lotus too. I would only tell him after he told me what a white lotus meant.

That got his attention. "What did it say?" His voice came fast, sharp with interest.

I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I asked the question that had been nagging at me. "Why did you wipe Millie's memory, Caelum? She won't tell me the details, only that you fought over it. Is that why she doesn't know about your soul knot?"

His response was curt. "Yes. Now, tell me what was in the letter."

I exhaled slowly, then repeated the words that had haunted me since I read them. "The bond is a curse, and loyalty is a lie."

The connection between us grew tense, heavy with unspoken thoughts. I could feel him processing, but he didn't speak.

"Caelum," I pleaded, my tone softer. "I need to know what's going on. It's the only way I can protect her. Not knowing—it's been the biggest obstacle. Every day, I feel like I'm fighting blind, and one day, that's going to cost me everything. I want to trust you but you have to help me, there has to be a loophole to this oath."

There was a pause, and after a few minutes of waiting, I continued. My voice quieter but laced with hesitation. "I saw one of Millie's visions."

That caught him off guard. "You what?"

"She didn't mean to show it to me, but I saw it," I admitted. "She was calling Tristan 'Dad.'"

More silence. "I know I sound insane but is she a Valkera?"

The very idea sounded insane. What were the chances that Esme and Tristan—after everything—had found love, been together, and had a child? And if Millie was their child, where had Tristan gone? Why hadn't he raised her? And more importantly, where did her Celtic powers come from then?

None of it made sense.

Caelum didn't answer. Instead, he severed the connection, retreating back into the recesses of his mind and leaving me with more questions than answers.

I sighed heavily, leaning against the nearest wall as my thoughts churned. One thing was clear: Millie's memory had been tampered with.

But why?

What was in her memory that someone wanted so badly to erase?

And what would be the cost if she regained everything? Would it mend or shatter us completely?

I remember everything like it was yesterday. Millie, Leah, and I used to hang out all the time. During breaks, I'd transform and head to the forest, knowing Millie was waiting for me under our tree. She'd call me Shadow, her voice like a melody only I could hear. I'd lay my head in her lap, and she'd feed me wild berries while humming softly. For a while, it felt like the world outside didn't exist.

Everything changed when my grandfather died.

The news hit me hard, but I still wanted to see her one last time before I left for Lupinmere. That day, I ran from the car and went to school, hoping to catch her. She wasn't in class so I thought maybe she'd gone to the forest early, and I went there, howling for hours, waiting under our tree. But she never came.

Duty called, and I had no choice but to return to Lupinmere for the burial. I thought I'd be able to return afterward, but life had other plans. A war broke out. My parents died. Suddenly, I wasn't just Shane anymore—I was Alpha.

Being Alpha left no room for weakness. Every emotion I felt had to be buried deep, hidden from everyone. But no amount of responsibility could erase the memory of Millie. Her laughter haunted me. Her scent clung to my mind like a stubborn flame. I wanted to hear her voice again, to see her smile, to feel her touch.

So, I ran.

I ran all the way back to Allister, to the only place I felt alive. She was in high school by then, a freshman. When I first saw her, my breath caught. She was even more beautiful than I remembered. Her smile lit up the world around her. But I hesitated. I wasn't sure how to approach her after being gone so long. In her eyes, we had barely been friends—I was just a shadow in her life.

Would it scare her if I told her I was that shadow? The wolf she would feed under trees.

Despite my doubts, I decided to go to her. Mustering my courage, I walked up to her, a smile plastered across my face. "Hi," I said, my voice steady.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry... do I know you?"

Those words broke me.

I stammered out, "Sorry, wrong person," and left before she could see the devastation on my face.

Desperate for answers, I turned to Leah. I hadn't spoken to her in months, but I needed to know what had happened. Leah told me Millie had been in a car accident, that she'd lost parts of her memory. That should have been my cue to walk away. Instead, I let myself spiral further.

I became a ghost in Millie's life, watching her from afar. Years passed, and still, I couldn't let go. One day, she caught me. It happened in the same café where she'd told me she didn't recognize me. Our eyes met, and I saw something different—recognition. Even if it was just a flicker, even if she thought I was nothing more than a creepy stalker, it was enough.

For the first time in years, she knew I existed.

I deluded myself into believing she was my mate. I told myself the connection I felt was real. But that fantasy shattered on Leah's birthday, the day I felt the mate pull for the first time. Leah was my mate.

I couldn't accept it.

I shook my head, pulling myself out of the haze of memories. Now that I knew I couldn't trust Leah, I had to revisit the past with clearer eyes. Was the accident really just an accident? Or was there more to it than Leah had let on?

I needed answers.

Grabbing a change of clothes from Caelum's things, I ran to the palace, following Millie's essence as soon as I arrived. On my way, I passed a group of women gossiping in hushed tones.

"Did you feel it too?" one of them asked.

"Yes. I almost dropped to my knees and howled," another replied.

"Who is she?"

"A friend of the Luna's, I think."

"Did you see her face when she saw her wearing the crown? She felt it too, didn't she?"

"Definitely. That must be why she reacted like that."

The moment they saw me, they fell silent and bowed. I nodded curtly, my mind racing with their cryptic words. What had they been talking about?

As I neared the training room, my personal one, I noticed the door was slightly ajar. My guards knew better than to enter without permission. Tension coiled in my chest as I stepped inside, scanning the room.

My eyes landed on Alex, throwing punch after punch at the swaying bag. His shirt clung to his back, drenched in sweat, evidence that he'd been at it for hours.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, my voice sharp.

He jumped, startled. "Shane, you scared me."

"I asked a question," I growled, letting my claws extend. "Come to hide more wolfsbane?" Kygara stirred within me, his presence radiating dominance.

Alex's face paled. "About that... you have to understand. I was doing it to protect my daughter."

"Protect her?" My claws sank into my palms as I restrained myself. "You poisoned me to protect her?"

"You don't get it, do you?" His voice rose in anger. "Leah is your mate! Your loyalty should be to her. But instead, you waste your time on Millie. I've lost one daughter already—I won't lose another. I'll do whatever it takes to keep Leah safe. If you cross her, Shane, you'll have only yourself to blame for what comes next."

I snapped. Grabbing him by the throat, I let my claws nick his skin. "Are you threatening me?"

He choked out a single phrase, his face red from lack of air. "White... lotus."

My grip faltered, and I threw him to the floor. "What did you say?"

Alex coughed, clutching his neck. "I don't have them—Millie's friends—but I know where they are. I'll tell you everything after the mating ritual. Once you and Leah are bonded, you'll get all the answers you want."

Rage boiled in my veins. My wolf pushed forward, demanding blood, but I held him back. "Are they safe?" I demanded.

"For now," Alex said, his tone cold. "But their safety depends on you. Don't get any ideas."

He left, but his words lingered, feeding the fury that threatened to consume me.

Kygara's bloodlust thrums in my veins, feeding my own. The need to kill, to unleash my rage, claws at me relentlessly. Two faces dominate my mind—Leah and her father. I want them gone, their hearts preserved in glass jars so I can admire them every morning like trophies of vengeance.

I force myself to channel the storm within through rounds of brutal training, each punch and kick momentarily dulling the fiery hatred. But it's not enough. The only thing that can truly calm me is her.

Following her essence through the halls, I reach the room and push the door open to find a maid sitting nervously in the corner.

"Alpha," she murmurs, dropping to her knees in deference.

"You're excused," I say, my voice firm yet distant. She rushes out, leaving me alone with Millie.

I take careful steps toward her bed, and there she is—still as the moonlight, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Her soft, wavy hair shifts slightly with the breeze from the open window, catching the light like threads of gold. She's cuddled against the blanket, her body curled up as though she's seeking solace even in her dreams. Her lashes flutter gently, a testament to whatever world she's lost in, and her lips—full, plump, and tempting—beckon me with silent allure.

Memories of the night before flood my mind, and before I can stop myself, I lean down, brushing her hair away from her face. My fingers linger, treasuring the softness of her skin as if it might fade at any moment. My heart pounds as I dip closer and press a chaste kiss to her lips, savoring the fleeting connection.

"I knew you'd be here."

Leah's voice snaps me out of the moment. I stiffen, pulling away from Millie and turning to face the intruder.

"Not now," I growl, dismissing her with a sharp glare.

"Isn't that assault?" she teases, smirking. Her attempt at humor is lost on me; I'm already imagining her heart in a jar.

"What happened?" I demand, gesturing toward Millie.

Leah shrugs. "The maid said she ran out of the bathroom hysterical and fainted."

Ignoring her, I take Millie's hand, marveling at how small and soft it is compared to mine—rough and calloused from years of fighting and training. I run my thumb along her knuckles, grounding myself in the sensation of her touch.

"Does it ever get tiring," Leah begins, her tone laced with mockery, "loving someone who doesn't love you back?"

I roll my eyes. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Touché," she replies, laughing. "You know, it's amazing how gullible she is. A few tears and a little act of friendship, and she's putty in my hands."

"She's pure," I retort, my voice sharp. "She believes in the goodness of people."

"And look where that's gotten her," Leah snaps, rolling her eyes as she steps closer. Her hand weaves into my hair, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I think I'll make her my beta. It'll be fun having her around. If I have to be miserable, then so should she. Imagine seeing her every day, knowing she'll never be yours. You'll watch her fall in love, get married, and have children. Maybe even with Caelum."

Her words are poison, planting images I can't unsee. Millie, in love with another. Millie, moaning his name. Millie, giving him the smiles and touches that should belong to me. My vision blurs with rage, and I shove Leah off me with force, my claws itching to shred her throat.

"Pray you never end up on the other end of my fangs," I growl, my voice low and dangerous.

Leah only laughs, her mirth cold and grating. "Love you too, sweetheart," she sneers, settling herself on the bed next to Millie like the serpent she is.

I can't trust myself to stay. My anger is a living thing, clawing at my chest, begging for release. Instead of giving in, I walk out, slamming the door behind me.

The bathhouse becomes my refuge. The scalding water burns away some of my fury, though not all. I close my eyes, focusing on my breathing, trying to still the tempest within.

Then I hear it—soft shuffling in the halls, and the unmistakable pull of her essence.

The door slides open, and there she stands, her presence flooding the room like sunlight piercing through storm clouds. My heart stumbles, and despite everything, a smile tugs at my lips.

"You just can't stay away, can you?" I say, my voice warm and teasing, though I know the truth.

It's me who cannot stay away.

Authors note:
Thank you for reading. Don't forget to vote and comment. Love y'all