Chapter 4
Phoebe stood before Sylvia, cradling the crystal trophy in her hands, her gaze flickering with an almost imperceptible desperation. But the sweetness in her eyes didn’t quite match the calculating glint lurking just beneath the surface as she spoke.
“Sylvia,” she began, her voice a soft whisper, carefully tinged with a note of vulnerability. “General Samuel asked me to bring this to you. Since I’m heading back to our shared residence… It’s such a precious reward, something you truly deserve. You’ve earned
something Added to the library kable.”
Sylvia raised an eyebrow, her instincts immediately on alert. She knew Phoebe’s words were just the prelude to something
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far less innocent. The air between them grew heavy, taut with unspoken tension, as Phoebe bit her lip and took a shaky breath.
“I know this isn’t really mine, Phoebe
continued, her voice dropping to a pleading tone as
fluttere glanced up at Sylvia, eyelashes
fluttering. “But, could I… borrow it? Just for a few days?”
The soft whisper came with a feigned pout. “Why are you being so harsh? I’m not trying to steal it from you. I just… I thought it might help me, to keep it close for a little while. A reminder of what’s possible, you know?”
Sylvia’s patience, already thin, snapped. Her hand reached out swiftly, fingers curling with quiet authority. “Hand it over, Phoebe. Now.”
Phoebe’s grip tightened around the box as if it were her last lifeline. Sylvia’s anger surged
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a storm of frustration building beneath the surface. They struggled for a moment, the tension thick in the air, before the box slipped from Phoebe’s hands, landing with a dull thud on the floor.
The
Scat Stal shattered on impact, its pieces
scattering like fragments of ice, the glow
it once held now gone, leaving only cold, jagged remnants. A tense silence fell between them, broken only by the soft hiss of the cooling shards.
And then, just as the stillness was about to consume them, a figure appeared in the doorway. Sylvia looked up, her heart sinking as she saw Alpha Elio standing there. His confusion quickly morphed into horror as his eyes swept over the room, taking in the scene. Phoebe, ever the actress, gasped, clutching her leg where a thin line of blood oozed from a jagged piece of crystal lodged
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in her skin.
Elio’s expression darkened, his gaze shifting from Phoebe’s wound to Sylvia with a weight of accusation that hit like a blow. Without a second’s pause, he dropped to his knees beside Phoebe, gently lifting her skirt to inspect the shallow cut on her calf. he sight of blood made his jaw tighten, his eyes narrowing with worry. He glanced up at Sylvia with a fleeting look of reproach before rising to his feet.
“Are you alright?” Elio murmured softly, his focus entirely on Phoebe as though Sylvia had ceased to exist. His attention remained fixed on the woman in his arms, as if the moment required no further questions.
Before Phoebe could even respond, Elio was lifting her into his arms, his protective instincts taking over in a single, fluid
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motion. “I’ll have someone escort you to the healer,‘ he said, his voice gentle yet firm, his attention unwavering.
Phoebe nodded wordlessly, and Elio turned, walking out with her, his movements sharp and purposeful. The room felt colder the moment they left. The door closed behind them, and Elio’s absence left a hollow silence.
Sylvia stood frozen, the weight of his words still lingering in the air. Her jaw clenched as Elio’s voice echoed in her mind. What if something happened to my child? His tone, thick with accusation, had left her breathless. He always defended Phoebe- his precious Phoebe, as if she could do no wrong.
Her voice, though calm, was edged with something darker. “I know, Alpha,” she
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replied, her gaze steady but her anger simmering beneath the surface. “But that doesn’t give her the right to take what’s mine.”
Elio’s expression turned to stone, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Phoebe is carrying my heir, Sylvia. You knew that! You should have been more careful.” His words were sharp, each one punctuated with the weight of judgment, cutting deeper than she was willing to admit.
Sylvia’s chest tightened, but she refused to show weakness. His anger, his disappointment–none of it mattered. Phoebe had crossed a line, and yet Elio’s blame fell squarely on her.
Before she could retort, Elio spun on his heel, storming out of the room with a finality that left her breathless.
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Left alone in the aftermath, Sylvia’s wolf stirred restlessly, the anger rising inside. her like a storm she could no longer hold back. Her pulse drummed in her ears as she glanced down at the ruined crystal trophy, its shattered pieces scattered across the floor. The remains of what was supposed to be her reward, now broken and lost, seemed to mock her–just like the relationship she’d once believed in.
He wanted me to apologize? Sylvia thought bitterly. The one who had taken everything from her and destroyed it?
Sylvia’s fists tightened, her breath ragged and shallow as the searing pain in her leg intensified. Her chest tightened with a sharp ache, and it was only then that she noticed the deep, biting sting in her own calf. She glanced down in disbelief, seeing
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that her wound, much deeper than Phoebe’s superficial cut, was bleeding freely. The shards from the broken crystal plaque had embedded into her flesh, gouging through muscle and leaving her skin raw and torn.
Her lycan blood, potent yet erratic, wasn’t enough to heal the damage quickly. Unlike Phoebe’s minor injury, which would mend itself in moments, Sylvia knew her wound would fester if left untreated. The thought only fueled her anger. Gritting her teeth against the pain, Sylvia bent down and began picking up the jagged shards of crystal, each one sharper and colder than the last. She didn’t need anyone’s help. She didn’t need anyone’s pity or their misguided attempts to protect her. She would handle it on her own.
As the evening deepened into night, Sylvia tended to the wound as best she could,
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cleaning it with a steady hand, all the while refusing to let herself show any sign of weakness. She bandaged the gash, the pain gnawing at her, but she held herself together, determined. She was not the fragile creature others assumed her to be.
Just as she finished, her phone buzzed. Her Mother’s name lit up the screen, and Sylvia’s heart tightened with a mix of emotions.
She answered with a soft breath, her voice lowering as she greeted the one person who still felt like home.
“Hi, Mom.”
Her mother’s warm, familiar tone came through, soothing her in ways she couldn’t put into words. “Sylvia, I’ve sent over some options for the Mateship Ceremony dress Let me know which ones you like, darling. We want everything to be perfect for you.
vivia ciest tymteneu at ner mother’s
words, the love in her voice both comforting and painful. She scrolled through the photos, each dress more beautiful than the last, her mother’s excitement bringing an unexpected lump to her throat. The overwhelming warmth she felt was tinged with something darker–something unspoken.
“Mom…” she began, her voice faltering as fatigue seeped into her tone. She hated that it was so evident
Her mother, always attuned to her moods, caught it instantly.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” she asked, her voice softer now, laced with concern. “Are you alright?”
Sylvia swallowed hard, fighting to keep
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the bitterness from rising. She wasn’t sure what was worse: the pain from her leg or the relentless ache in her chest. She chose silence for a moment, the weight of the conversation pressing on her. Finally, she steeled herself, pushing the darkness down. “I’ll be ready soon, Mom. Just another week, and everything will be settled. How’s the preparation going on your end?”
Her mother’s tone lifted, her excitement palpable. “Everything is going wonderfully, darling. Soon enough, you’ll have a whole new life waiting for you.”
Sylvia’s mind drifted for a brief second, and then, in the silence that followed, she continued, trying to steer the conversation away from the heavy tension between them. “About the Mateship Ceremony-”
Just then, Sylvia heard the unmistakable
UI Ello’s footsteps echoing through
the hallway. Her wolf stirred uneasily within her, its protective instincts flaring up at the proximity of the Alpha. She could feel the tension in the air, thick and charged, as his steps drew closer.
He paused at the doorway, his presence looming in the room before he spoke, his voice sharp and heavy with disbelief.
“Mateship Ceremony?” His words cut through the silence, a mix of shock and something darker lingering beneath them.
