141
(Siena’s POV)
Raiden’s words linger long after he speaks them, their weight pressing into the quiet spaces of my mind.
His confession–raw, unguarded, and so unlike the man I once knew–stirs emotions I thought I’d buried. For nearly two years, I’ve worked to process the wounds he left behind, to rebuild my life without the shadow of his rejection looming over me. But now, his midnight eyes, filled with genuine regret, crack open something I’d long since locked away.
I don’t want to feel anything for him. But feelings don’t ask for permission, do they?
I turn back, unable to help myself.
“What do you want from me, Raiden?” I ask finally, my voice quieter than I intend but no less firm.
Exhaustion seeps into my words, the kind that comes not from physical strain but from emotional heaviness.” Forgiveness? Absolution? What purpose does this confession serve when nothing can be changed?”
The directness of my question surprises him.
I can see it in the way his jaw slackens slightly, how his eyes widen for the briefest moment before his composure
returns.
He’s too used to my diplomatic tone, the careful neutrality perfected during our marriage to keep the peace. But I’m not that woman anymore.
“I don’t expect forgiveness,” he says, his voice low but steady. “I don’t deserve it. And I know nothing I say can undo the past. But I needed you to know-”
The truth in his tone is undeniable, and for a moment, it feels like the ground shifts beneath me.
This is the acknowledgment I once craved, the validation I begged for silently in the dark nights when his indifference felt like a blade to my heart. But now, hearing it spoken aloud, it lands differently.
It’s too late.
Yet, as I watch him standing there, his shoulders tense, his eyes filled with an ache that mirrors my own, I feel something unexpected: compassion.
Not the kind that invites reconciliation or softens my resolve to move forward without him.
This is a quieter compassion, born of understanding the weight of regret he now carries.
I know what it feels like to be unseen, to be misunderstood,
And while I can’t absolve him of the choices he made, I can acknowledge the courage it takes to admit his failures aloud.
“I appreciate your honesty,” I say cautiously.“Perhaps we can both find closure in truth, if nothing else.”
Something flickers across his face–disappointment, perhaps, or the faintest glimmer of hope extinguished too
soon.
Was he truly holding onto the possibility of reconciliation, even after everything?
The thought stirs something unwelcome in my chest, a flutter of butterflies I immediately suppress.
This is not the time to entertain such thoughts.
1/2
Not now.
Not ever.
As I prepare for Windhowl’s formal farewell dinner, I try to focus on the task at hand.
The small guest quarters feel stifling, the air heavy with the weight of the day’s events. I pull a sleek emerald dress from my suitcase, its simplicity a deliberate choice–uncomplicated yet elegant, much like the life I’ve built for myself.
But as I fasten the delicate clasp of my necklace, there’s a knock at the door.
Rairity steps inside, her expression unusually serious. “Siena,” she says, her voice soft but charged with meaning “You need to hear this.”
I turn to face her, my wolf stirring at the tension in her tone. “What is it?”
“Raiden,” she begins, pausing as though choosing her words carefully. “He’s formally transferred the contested territories to Windhowl’s control.”
For a moment, I think I’ve misheard her. “What?”
“The lands you spent years negotiating for,” Rairity explains. “The ones he refused to approve during your leadership. He’s pushed the council to approve their transfer to Windhowl.”
I blink, trying to process what she’s saying.
Those territories were a point of constant contention during my time as Luna, a battle I fought tirelessly with little success. Their strategic value to Windhowl was undeniable, yet Raiden dismissed my efforts as frivolous, claiming the cost outweighed the benefits.
BIG SALE: 3500 bonus free fou you
P
Comments
Support
Share
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.
