Chapter 30
The ground was littered with remnants of the fight–broken branches, blood–stained earth, and the bodies of the fallen, silent witnesses to the fierce battle for vengeance. My chest rose and fell in deep, exhausted breaths, and I could still taste the bitterness of victory lingering on my tongue. Sharon was gone, nothing more than ash and blood staining the earth where she once stood. It was over.
The weight of everything–the pain, the betrayal, the weeks of suffering for my father’s death, for my pack–pressed down on me. Yet, there was something almost hollow in this victory. I had found justice, but at a cost I hadn’t truly understood until now. My heart felt both mended and shattered, as if I had healed only to
uncover a new kind of hurt that would scar
me forever. Father… I could almost feel his memory as if he stood beside me, as both a comfort and a wound I’d carry always.
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A soft crunch of footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up to see Kayden and Francis limping toward me, bearing fresh scars from the battle. Their eyes held a storm of regret, pain, and shame, and in that instant, a thousand memories washed
over me: the laughter, the nights beneath the stars, promises whispered in the darkness. These two wolves were once my brothers in every way that mattered. And now, that bond felt like nothing more than an illusion shattered beyond repair.
They approached, heads bowed, and to my shock, they dropped to their knees before me. Kayden’s voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. “Malinda… we had no idea. Sharon–she… she deceived us. We
should have seen it, but we didn’t. We
should have been there.”
Francis raised his gaze, eyes shadowed with remorse. “We never wanted to hurt you. If we’d known…” His voice trailed off, leaving only silence, heavier than any apology could have been.
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A soft crunch of footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up to see Kayden and Francis limping toward me, bearing fresh scars from the battle. Their eyes held a storm of regret, pain, and shame, and in that instant, a thousand memories washed over me: the laughter, the nights beneath the stars, promises whispered in the darkness. These two wolves were once my brothers in every way that mattered. And now, that bond felt like nothing more than an illusion shattered beyond repair.
They approached, heads bowed, and to my shock, they dropped to their knees before me. Kayden’s voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. “Malinda… we had no idea. Sharon–she… she deceived us. We
should have seen it, but we didn’t. We
should have been there.”
Francis raised his gaze, eyes shadowed with remorse. “We never wanted to hurt you. If we’d known…” His voice trailed off, leaving only silence, heavier than any apology could have been.
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I looked down at them–two wolves I had once called my closest friends. There was a time I would have thrown myself into their arms, desperate to restore what we’d lost. But now? The betrayal ran too deep. They had chosen Sharon’s lies over my truth, defending her, casting me aside when I needed them most.
I straightened, keeping my voice steady, even as a chill ran through it. “There was a time when you two were everything to me,” I said, each word slow, deliberate, heavy with years of trust and memories.
“But you chose her lies over me. You doubted me, left me to face this alone.”
Kayden flinched, shame brightening his cheeks. “Malinda, please… we didn’t know,” he whispered, but even he couldn’t hide the cracks in his own
conviction.
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter if you knew or didn’t. You weren’t there when it counted. You left me behind.
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Maybe I can forgive what you did… but I’ll never forget. And I’ll never trust either of you again.”
794
Francis‘ s shoulders sagged, his head dropping lower. “We’ll regret this, Malinda. We’ll carry it for the rest of our lives.”
With a final look at them, I turned away, the last remnants of our friendship–once my greatest joy and strength–reduced to nothing but ashes scattered by betrayal. I didn’t look back.
The seasons passed, and time softened the sharpest edges of my grief, transforming it into a quiet, hard–won peace. Life in the Shadow Pack returned to calm. The signs of rogues vanished, Sharon’s poison had been purged along with her death, and I began to rebuild my life within the Moonlight Pack. Little by little, I found a sense of wholeness I hadn’t thought possible.
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One quiet morning, months after the battle, I felt something new–a stirring within me, a heartbeat faint but steady, a warmth that seemed to radiate with life itself. I placed a hand over my stomach, a swell of indescribable joy bringing tears to my eyes. I was to be a mother. This life was a gift I never thought I would receive again.
The day I told Damon, we stood together in the soft morning light that spilled through our window, his arms wrapped around me, holding me close. My voice barely a whisper, I asked, “Are you happy?”
He looked down at me, his storm–gray eyes softened by a rare, quiet smile. Pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead, he murmured,
“More than I ever thought I could be, Malinda.” His hand found its way to my stomach, resting protectively over mine.
“This child… our child. They’ll be born into a world we fought for, a world we built together. And they’ll be stronger than either of us.”
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Leaning into his embrace, I let his warmth steady me. “I want them to have peace,” I whispered, my voice breaking just slightly.
“I want them to know they’re loved, that they have a place in this world, one where they don’t have to fight for it.”
Damon nodded, his fingers entwining with mine. “They’ll have that,” he promised.
“Because we’ll give it to them.”
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