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Sitara POV
“I’m an idiot,” Zach choked out, his voice breaking as he fell to his knees in front of me. “I’m an idiot for hurting you, for not realizing what I was doing to you. Goddess, Sitara, I was wrong—so, so wrong. Forgive me. Let me fix this. Let me fix you. I swear I’ll heal your heart.”
There was a time when seeing Zach in this state would‘ ve shattered me. When his tears would‘ ve softened my resolve. But that was the old Sitara. The one who clung to him.
That Sitara no longer existed.
I crossed my arms, looking down at him with a hardened gaze. “You can’t mend what you‘ ve broken, Zach. You can’t erase the scars, no matter how hard you try. Now, leave me alone. I don’t want to
see you anymore. Fate might‘ ve tied us
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once, but that bond? It’s in the past.
I turned away, my head held high, even as my heart clenched painfully in my chest.
I gasped when his arms suddenly wrapped around me from behind. His body was trembling, his scent–once comforting- now overwhelming me with guilt and regret. “Sitara,” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. “I won’t let you go. I’ll be the one waiting for you at the altar, just like we planned. I’ll stand under the moonlight, waiting for you to walk toward me in that white dress. Me, Sitara. No one else. We’re not over. We’ll never be over.
You promised me, remember? The night we first realized we were mates, under that full moon. You said no matter what, we‘ d always find our way back to each other.”
I froze, my breath caught in my throat as the memories he mentioned came rushing back like an avalanche. That night under the stars, his wolf pressing against mine, our vows made in quiet whispers. It felt
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like a lifetime ago, back when we were just two wolves blindly following fate‘ s pull.
His voice cracked. “I‘ ll leave for now if
that’s what you want. But know this- I’m not giving up on us. I’ll be back, and I’ll speak with your father.”
Before I could respond, Zach pulled away and ran into the shadows. His body shifted mid–stride, bones snapping as his wolf- midnight black and wild–took over. I stood frozen, my hand clutching my chest as my knees buckled. My back pressed against the cold alley wall for support as tears blurred my vision.
How could I forget the memories he spoke of? How could I let them go when they were burned so deeply into me?
The day before my wedding, his words still haunted me. They circled my mind, tearing at my resolve. My wolf stirred restlessly, her instincts betraying my better judgment. She wanted to give him a chance. I didn’t. I couldn’t trust myself
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anymore–not after everything.
“Miss Ludwig, a gift from the Dierksheide Pack,” a servant said, interrupting my
thoughts as I stood on the pack house veranda, staring blankly at the gardens below.
“Did my parents return from the Dierksheide pack?” I asked, looking over
my shoulder.
“No, Miss.”
The servant handed me a beautifully wrapped box before bowing and leaving. I placed it on the small table nearby and carefully opened it. Inside was a brooch bearing the Dierksheide family crest. My name, Luna Sitara Dierksheide, was engraved on the back.
My heart softened despite myself, and a smile crept onto my lips. Alongside the brooch was a letter in crisp handwriting. I unfolded it and began to read.
Dear Sitara,
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Tomorrow, we marry, and as your soon–to- be mate, I wanted to gift you our family crest. It is a promise–not just of this alliance but of my devotion to you. I will not back out of this marriage, and I assure you, despite the circumstances, I will do everything in my power to be a good husband and mate. You will never have to question your worth or my loyalty. I look forward to the day we begin our lives together.
Sincerely,
Sylvian Dierksheide
A soft laugh escaped me. He thought I’d back out? What has my family been telling him?
Feeling a little lighter, I called for the pack messenger to deliver a small gift in return. If Sylvian needed reassurance, he would have it. Reading his letter again, I felt the first glimmer of hope that maybe I‘ d made the right decision after all.
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Tomorrow, we marry, and as your soon–to- be mate, I wanted to gift you our family crest. It is a promise–not just of this alliance but of my devotion to you. I will not back out of this marriage, and I assure you, despite the circumstances, I will do everything in my power to be a good husband and mate. You will never have to question your worth or my loyalty. I look forward to the day we begin our lives together.
Sincerely,
Sylvian Dierksheide
A soft laugh escaped me. He thought I’d back out? What has my family been telling him?
Feeling a little lighter, I called for the pack messenger to deliver a small gift in return. If Sylvian needed reassurance, he would have it. Reading his letter again, I felt the first glimmer of hope that maybe I’d made the right decision after all.
But my returned that evening.
calm shattered when my parents
