How did my life come to this ? Rejected by my mate , betrayed by my family , and now stripped of the one thing that gave me hope - I have lost my pup . I have nothing left . Nothing . I gave everything I had , poured every drop of love and loyalty into those who were supposed to protect me , and they took it all without hesitation . They left me hollow , scraped raw until there is nothing left to offer . Why am I still here ? What more is the Goddess waiting for me to give ? I am tired. So tired . Every breath feels like a punishment , every heartbeat like a cruel reminder that I survived when my pup did not . My wolf feels the same . She lies curled inside me , her once fierce presence now dimmed, broken . There is no fire in her anymore , only grief that mirrors my own . I drift in this endless fog , this heavy , suffocating darkness where there is no light , no sound , no scent- nothing but pain . And I ask myself , Oh , Goddess , what sin have I committed to deserve this ? If I offended you somehow , I beg for forgiveness . But must the price be my pup ? The memory still claws at me . The bond not just rejected , but ripped from me as if it had never existed . And then - the brutality , the savagery - when they stole my pup before it could even take a breath of this world . I can still feel the tearing , the helpless agony in my womb , the desperate cries of my wolf as we tried to shield what was ours . We called for our mate , begged for him , but he never listened . And while my pup died inside me , their laughter carried through the walls , their celebration echoing like knives , because the two monsters responsible for my loss were binding themselves together in union . How could I ever forgive ? How could I ever forget ? I cannot . I will not . But what now ? Alpha Darius ... he promised me he would take me with him . He swore he would not leave me behind . And yet doubt gnaws at me . What if Alpha Michael refuses ? What if , in the end , Darius walks away ? If that happens , if I am trapped here one breath longer , then as soon as I regain my strength , I will sever every tie myself . I will declare myself rogue and run . I will leave this cursed pack , no matter the cost . But right now , I am numb . So numb . My tears are gone . I cannot cry for my pup . Not one single tear left . My body is alive , but my soul feels already buried , Would it not be easier to let go ? To vanish into the void ? To stop fighting and simply follow my pup into the afterlife where I might finally hold it , cradle it , protect it as I should have ? My wolf stirs faintly at the thought , and for once she does not resist . She likes the idea of death - likes the idea of reunion . And yet here I am , trapped in this endless fog of nothingness . No sights , no sounds , no scents . Just the weight of despair pressing down . " Elaine ? " < Chapter 31 The voice cuts faintly through the haze . I blink , barely registering it . More Rewards " Elaine , I'm done speaking with Alpha Michael ," the voice continues , firmer now . " It is time to leave . " Alpha Darius . He has spoken to me many times already , but I did not answer . I could not . My body feels heavy , my mind drifting . He enters the room again , and I sense rather than see the worry radiating from him . I must look like a corpse , still and silent , my eyes empty . Strong hands frame my face , forcing me to meet his gaze . For the first time in what feels like eternity , I focus . His dark eyes lock on mine , steady , unyielding . " I will carry you out of here if I must , " Darius says , his voice a low growl of determination. " We are leaving , Elaine . We will not come back . But you must fight . You must survive ." Something flickers inside me - distant , fragile , but there . A spark . " Leave here ? " My voice is hoarse , thin , as though it belongs to someone else . " Yes . " His grip tightens , as though anchoring me to him . " I told you , I will take you away no matter what it takes . Do not give up , not yet . You are still alive , and there is more waiting for you than this darkness . I will take you to my pack , where you can begin again . Where no one will dare touch you . " I stare at him , searching for deception , for pity , for anything that might break me further . But I see only truth . Only strength . Slowly , weakly, I nod . My lips part , trembling . " Thank you , Alpha Darius . " His expression softens , and for the first time since my world shattered , I wonder - just wonder - if maybe beyond this fog , there is something more . Something worth surviving for . Maybe . Just maybe . Darius didn't let go of my face , not until he was certain I was truly looking at him . His jaw clenched , determination carved into every line of him . " Rest now , Elaine . Leave the rest to me . " He said . Before I could protest , he slid one arm beneath my knees and the other around my back . My body felt weightless to him , but for me it was as if I were floating - adrift between life and death . My head fell against his chest , and for the first time in what felt like forever , I could hear the steady , grounding rhythm of a heartbeat that wasn't my own . The sound anchored me . He turned and strode toward the door . The click of his boots against the polished floors echoed in my ears , and as we left the room , the fog in my mind stirred with unease . A sense of danger loomed . 23 < Chapter 31 It didn't take long . Comments