THE SHADOW ALPHA’S WHITE WOLF

The Northern Wild didn’t care. Not about the cold biting into my skin. Not about the way my chest felt tight, like something inside it was already cracking. And definitely not about what Silas was about to do. The wind moved through the Ironwood trees in uneven bursts, sharp enough to sting my ears. It carried the smell of coming snow—and something older, metallic. Blood, probably. This place had seen too much of it. I stood in the centre of the Pit, barefoot, trying not to shift too much on the rough limestone. It scraped under my skin when I moved. I focused on that feeling. It helped. It was something I could hold onto. “Look at me, Elara.” Silas didn’t shout. He didn’t need to. I raised my head anyway. Slowly. Not because I wanted to but because I refused to let him think I was already broken. He stood above me, firelight catching on his face. Everything about him looked right. Strong. Certain. The kind of Alpha people believed in without question. I used to be one of them. “I, Silas Vane,” he said, his voice steady, practised, “future Alpha of the Blood-Moon Pack, claim my right under pack law.” Practiced. That word hit harder than it should have. He’d rehearsed this. Thought it through. “The Moon Goddess gave me a mate who cannot shift,” he continued. “A mate who cannot stand beside me in war. A weakness I can not carry.” A weakness. The murmurs started after that. Not even quiet enough to pretend they cared. “She’s always been off.” “No wolf at her age?” “I knew something wasn’t right.” I knew those voices. I didn’t look at them. I couldn’t. Something in my chest tightened sharp. Like my body knew before I did. “I reject you, Elara Vance.” Silas didn’t hesitate. “I sever our bond. From this moment forward, you are nothing to me.” For a second, nothing happened. Then it did. The thing in my chest, whatever had always been there, snapped. I dropped before I could stop myself, my knees hitting the stone hard enough to jar through my bones. My hands followed, scraping against the rough ground. I tried to breathe. It didn’t work. It felt like something had been ripped out of me, leaving behind… " Not even pain at first. Just this empty, hollow space that didn’t make sense. Then the pain came. I sucked in air sharply, my vision blurring. Around me, the pack didn’t go quiet. If anything, they sounded… satisfied. Silas walked toward me. I heard the crunch of his steps before I saw him. He stopped close enough that I could see the shift in his eyes. Gold. Bright. Controlled. For a moment, I waited. I don’t know for what. He leaned down slightly. “Did you really think this would work?” he said under his breath. Not loud. Not for anyone else. “I need a Luna, Elara. Not… this.” My throat burned when I tried to speak. “You used to say I was enough.” I shouldn’t have said it. The moment it left my mouth, I knew that. Something flickered in his expression. Just for a second. Then it was gone. “That was before I understood what the pack needed.” Of course. I let out a small, breathless laugh. It hurt more than the fall. “That’s convenient.” He straightened like I hadn’t spoken. “Pack law gives you until moonfall to leave,” he said. His voice was distant again. Official. “After that, you’re on your own.” I looked past him without meaning to. My father stood at the edge of the crowd. Arms crossed. Still. He didn’t step forward. Didn’t say my name. Didn’t even look at me. Something in my chest twisted again, but this time, it wasn’t the bond. I looked away first. “Be gone by sunrise,” Silas added, already turning away. “Or you’ll be treated like any trespasser.” Like prey. The crowd started to move not long after that. Conversations picked up like this had been nothing more than an announcement. Something routine. The torches dimmed. One by one. Until it was just me. I tried to stand. My legs didn’t cooperate at first. I pressed my hand harder into the stone and forced myself up anyway. No one was coming back for me. The wind had stopped. That was the first thing I noticed. The second was the silence. Not normal silence. Not the kind you get at night. This felt… wrong." Too still. A thin fog began to creep across the ground, slow and quiet. It curled around my feet, spreading over the limestone. I turned toward the trees. And saw him. He didn’t rush. Didn’t even seem to walk the way normal people did. Just… moved. Smooth. Controlled. Everything about him stood out. The dark clothes. Clean lines. No furs, no leather. Nothing like the rest of us. He stopped a few steps away. Up close, the air around him felt heavier. Not loud. It's not overwhelming like Silas. Just… heavy. It's something you shouldn’t get too close to. His gaze dropped briefly to my collarbone, where the mark still burned faintly against my skin. Then, back to my face. “The treaty was clear,” he said. His voice was low, steady. It didn’t need force to carry. “You owed a debt.” I turned slightly. Silas hadn’t gone far after all. “This doesn’t concern you, Blackwood,” Silas replied, tension slipping into his voice now. Blackwood. I’d heard the name before. Everyone had. Not in a good way. “In fact,” Silas added, “you’re late. It’s already handled.” The man tilted his head slightly. “Has it?” He stepped closer. I didn’t move. His hand came up, fingers catching my chin not rough but firm enough that I couldn’t pull away easily. Cold. Colder than the stone. I inhaled sharply. Something flickered through my chest again. Not the bond. That was gone. Something else. “You’re giving this away?” he asked, almost like he was thinking out loud. “She’s useless,” Silas said flatly. “She can’t shift.” Silence. Then “Interesting.” The word was quiet, but it didn’t feel casual. He looked at me again, slower this time. Like he was trying to figure something out. “I’ll take her.” Just like that. Silas didn’t argue. “Fine,” he said. “She’s not my problem anymore.” That was it. Blackwood’s grip on my chin tightened slightly, enough to keep my attention. “Then we’re done.” Simple. Final. I didn’t know what was worse. That Silas let me go so easily Or that someone else decided to take me just as quickly.