I don’t know how to respond to that. Letting go is exactly what I’ve been trying to do, but I don’t feel lighter. If anything, I feel heavier, dragged down by the memories I can’t seem to escape.
“I don’t know about that,” I say finally, my voice quieter than I intended. “But… maybe I’m learning to carry it differently.”
Elena tilts her head, considering me. “Sometimes that’s all you can do. It’s not about forgetting–it’s about making room for other things. For yourself.”
Her words linger in my mind long after she leaves.
That evening, I sit on the terrace of the small villa I’ve been renting, a glass of white wine in one hand and my tablet in the other.
The sun is setting over the sea, painting the sky in shades of orange, pink, and gold that seem almost unreal. It’s peaceful here, and for the first time in a long time, I feel like the chaos inside me is quieting, if only for a moment.
Rairity’s latest report on Windhowl is open on the tablet, her familiar thoroughness evident in every line. She’s taken to her role as Acting Alpha with a grace and strength that makes me proud, even from a distance.
Reading her updates is a bittersweet reminder of the life I left behind, but it also reassures me that Windhowl is in good hands.
Most of the report is routine–updates on pack activities, SOA preparations, alliance negotiations. But one section catches my eye, and as I read it, my heart tightens with a mix of emotions I can’t fully untangle.
“Raiden has presented evidence disproving Lila’s claims,” Rairity writes, her tone cautious even in text. ” The council has formally censured her for deception. Alpha King Raiden requests an opportunity to share this evidence with you personally.”
I read the words again, then again. They don’t change, but I keep hoping they will.
Vindication is the first thing I feel.
Lila’s lies have finally been exposed, her manipulations unraveled for everyone to see. The accusations she hurled at me, the humiliation she tried to inflict–it’s all been undone.
But the vindication is hollow, empty of the satisfaction I thought it might bring.
Because the truth, no matter how clear it is now, doesn’t change anything.
It doesn’t erase the years Raiden spent doubting me, rejecting me, believing the worst of me.
Lila’s lies may have been the final blow, but the cracks in our bond started long before she entered the picture.
I set the tablet down, staring out at the horizon as the sun dips lower. The ache in my chest feels sharper now, like a wound that’s been reopened, but I force myself to breathe through it.
When I pick the tablet back up, I draft a response to Rairity. The words come slowly, each one carefully
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chosen, each one layered with meaning I don’t fully articulate.
“Windhowl remains an ally to Silverfang in all ways,” I write, my tone formal and distant. “Personal reconciliation is unnecessary for professional cooperation. Please convey my acknowledgment of his evidence and my wish for his future happiness.”
I reread the message twice before sending it, ensuring it says exactly what I want it to say. The diplomatic phrasing is deliberate, masking the truth of how I feel.
The truth is that Raiden’s realization of my worth came too late. Patterns built over ten years don’t disappear overnight, and the damage he caused can’t be undone with an apology or even proof of his innocence.
For years, I tied my value to his recognition, believing that if I could just prove myself to him, everything would fall into place. But it didn’t. And it never will.
The freedom in that realization is both terrifying and exhilarating.
For the first time in my life, I’m learning what it means to exist outside of him. Not as his Luna. Not as the rejected mate. Just as Siena.
I set the tablet aside, leaning back in my chair as the sky deepens to a rich crimson. The stars are beginning to appear, faint pinpricks of light against the velvet darkness.
The ache in my chest is still there, and I know it always will be. But for the first time, it doesn’t feel like it defines me. It’s just a part of me, one piece of a larger whole.
I breathe in deeply, the salty air filling my lungs, and feel something shift inside me. It’s not peace–not yet. But it’s something close to it.
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Chapter 128
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
