Marked by The Rogue

Chapter 6 – The Weight He Left Behind

Thalia’s POV



The world doesn’t stop for grief.

The sun rises whether or not I want it to.

The warriors train. The scouts patrol. The pack continues to breathe.

And so must I.

I drag myself out of bed even though my bones feel like stone. The halls are quiet this early in the morning—only a few guards moving through the shadows. They nod as I pass, silent but respectful.

I haven’t spoken much since Raze died.

Not to the council. Not to Kaedin. Not even to Sylva, who remains curled in the farthest corner of my mind, mourning with me.

But today, I need to do more than breathe.

Today, I have to lead.

Because if I don’t—who will?

Raze’s death left more than an empty space in my chest. It left a hole in the very structure of our pack. He was more than my mate. He was our Alpha. And now that he’s gone, chaos threatens to fill the void.

I step into the war room, where three of the elders and two of the warriors are already waiting. Liam stands near the window, arms crossed, his brows furrowed in his usual scowl. He hasn’t spoken much either, but I can feel his fury simmering under the surface.

"Thalia," Elder Mirren greets me gently, rising to her feet. The others follow suit, their faces etched with a mix of relief and worry.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Liam mutters. “Not yet.”

“I don’t have the luxury of waiting,” I reply, voice quiet but steady. “We all lost him. But we still have a pack to protect.”

They exchange glances, and I know what they’re thinking. I’m young. Unmated now. Barely healing. But I was Beta-born. Trained by my father. By Raze. I know how this works, even if I don’t feel whole enough to stand in his place.

I sit at the head of the table—the chair that used to be his. My fingers graze the worn armrests, where his hands used to rest when he listened, strategized, ruled.

I don’t belong here.

But I also can’t be anywhere else.

“Give me a report,” I say, looking toward the youngest warrior, Brayden.

He straightens. “Scouts spotted movement near the Eastern ridge—three rogues. They were driven off, but one of our own was injured. Not seriously.”

“Did they seem organized?”

“No, Luna.” The word stings. But I let it go. “No colors. No coordination. Likely just scavengers.”

I nod. “Keep double patrols along the East. We don’t know how long their forces will remain scattered. Until we know more, we act like the threat is still active.”

“Agreed,” Mirren says. “Our warriors remain at our borders.”

Good. That’s something.

We go over more—supplies, wounded warriors, territory updates. I manage to focus, to speak with clarity, to think like the Beta, now Luna, I was raised to be. But every decision feels like dragging my soul through thorns. Every moment I spend in this room is a reminder that Raze isn’t here.

I caught Liam watching me. He says nothing. But I know what he’s thinking.

That I’m not fully healed from my loss yet to make decisions for the pack.

But for now, I say nothing.

When the meeting ends, the others file out quietly. Liam lingers for a moment, then turns and leaves without a word.

I breathe again.

But it’s shallow.

I find myself standing outside the training grounds later that afternoon. The warriors are moving through drills—sparring, shifting, dodging blows under the shouted instructions of Barius, one of the senior enforcers.

I used to train here with Raze.

He always let me win the first round.

Never the second.

I close my eyes, letting the memory wash over me like sunlight through old glass.

—

His laughter, low and teasing.

“Wait up, Thalia. You’re running so fast.”

“Or maybe you’re just slow, old man.”

“Old? I’m two years older than you—”

“Exactly.”

We’d collapse into the grass afterward, bruised and breathless, but grinning like fools. He never stopped pushing me, never let me forget that I was strong enough to stand beside him.

Never beneath him.

Never behind.

Beside.

Always.

—

A sharp whistle cuts through the air, snapping me back. Barius catches my eye from across the grounds and lifts a hand in silent acknowledgment. I return the gesture, then turn away before anyone can see the tears threatening to return.

I walk back toward the main hall slowly, letting the wind bite at my skin. It’s colder now. Or maybe I just feel it more.

The mark on my neck itches beneath my collar.

Kaedin.

His name tastes bitter. Complicated.

I haven’t seen him for weeks. Not since that awful moment when he took what wasn’t his to take. And even though I want to stay angry—furious, even—part of me is too tired to keep feeding the fire.

I remember how he looked holding Raze’s body.

I remember how gently he touched me before everything turned red.

That night, I stand alone at the edge of the cliff that overlooks the lake.

It’s where Raze first kissed me.

Where he told me he wanted me—not because of the bond, but because I was his home.

I kneel there now, hands in my lap, eyes stinging.

“I don’t know how to do this without you,” I whisper to the wind. “But I’m trying.”

Silence answers me.

But I swear, I feel a breeze curl around my shoulders—warm, familiar. Like an embrace I can’t quite hold on to.

“I’ll take care of them,” I promise. “Even if it kills me. Even if I’m broken. I’ll protect what you left behind.”

I bow my head, heart aching.

Then I rise.

Because even in grief, even in fury—I am still Thalia Everwyn.

And my pack still needs me.