Snow

I don’t know how I make it out the ball room. Everything’s a blur- faces, voices, the oppressive weigh of pity from those who witnessed my humiliation. The further I get form Ethan, the more the pain seeps in, clawing at my insides like a wild animal trapped in a cage.

“Amelia, you have to breathe” Snow’s voice urges me, but even she sounds weaker than before. The severance of the bond has left both of us raw and bleeding.

“I can’t,” I whisper back. My chest is tight, and it feels like someone has ripped my heart out and left a gaping wound in its place. “It hurts too much know Snow. He rejected us, despite being mate.”

“I know, but you’re stronger than this. We’re stronger,” Snow insists, but even as she says it, I can feel her sadness, her anger. She’s trying to hold us together, but the bond… It’s shattered us in ways I never imagined possible.

I find myself outside, the cool air a stark contrast to the suffocating atmosphere inside. My legs carry me to the edge of the pack’s territory, where trees offer a sanctuary from prying eyes. There I relinquish my clothes and stood naked among the trees. “Are you ready?” Snow asks. “It’s going to be a bit painful, shifting for the first time.”

“I know, I’m ready,” I linked her. I close my eyes, inhaling the fresh musty sent of the forest. I took a deep breath as I let Snow completely take over. My bones began to crack and morphed. To say it was painful would be an understatement. But I welcome it compare to the pain in my heart, that seems to hurt more. After a while, I completely transform into my wolf, Snow.

I walked to a little pond to look at myself, it’ll be the first time I’m seeing my wolf. “Wow! Snow you’re beautiful.” I said staring at my reflection. Snow’s fur is as white as snow. “No wonder your name is snow.” Snow did a wolfish grin. “Let’s go for a run.”

We ran through the forest, remaining on the edge of the pack territory. Running in my wolf form, feels so invigorating. For a brief moment the rejection was just a numbing pain. But we stopped and Snow shift back to my human form, because of the rejection she’s too weak to stay in wolf form. I quickly put on my clothes I was carrying in Snow’s jaw.

I collapse against a large oak tree, my body trembling with the effort to hold back the tears that now refuse to be contained.

The sobs came hard and fast, tearing through me like a storm. I press my face into the rough bark of the tree, hoping it’ll somehow ground me, but nothing helps. Ethan’s words replay in my mind on a loop, each time cutting deeper, twisting the knife.

“He’s a fool,” Snow growls, though her voice shaky. “He’s given up on something precious, and he’ll regret it. But right now, it’s hard to see anything beyond the pain.”

I don’t know how long I stay there, crumpled against the tree, but eventually, I sense someone approaching. The familiar aura of authority and power pulls me from the fog of my despair, forcing me to lift my head.

Lucas.

Lucas, the Crown Alpha. He wasn’t supposed to be here be here yet- his cousin’s coronation was still four days away. My heart skipped a beat. Why would he come early?

Even without looking, I can feel the intensity of his presence, as he gets closer. His sent- a heavy mix of pine and something darker, more potent- fills the air around me. I should stand up, compose myself, but I can’t muster the energy. What’s the point?

I hear his steps stop just a few feet away. For a moment, there’s only silence, then, “Amelia.”

His voice is deep, commanding, with a hint of something I can’t place. I flinch, refusing to look at him. The last thing I need is the Crown Alpha witnessing me in this state.

“What do you want Lucas?” I manage to ask, though my voice is horse from crying.

“I heard what happen,” Lucas said, his voice steady.

Of course, he knew. News traveled fast, especially with someone like Lucas around. His position as Crown Alpha- soon to be Alpha King- meant his authority was unmatched. Everyone, regardless of their pack, was under his rule. Not forgetting what happen took place in front of everyone.

“What are you doing here?” I asks my voice barely above a whisper. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer.

He took a step closer. “I came early to attend Ethan’s coronation,” he said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “You shouldn’t be out here alone, especially after what happen.” He says his tone unreadable.

I let out a bitter laugh, though it’s more of a choked sound. Why do you care? We aren’t exactly friends and I’m not your problem.”

For a moment, he doesn’t respond, and I start to wonder if he’s going to leave. But instead, he takes a step closer. “Maybe not but I don’t like seeing my people hurt. And you-” he pauses, and I can feel his gaze one me, assessing, weighing. “You don’t deserve what happen back there.”

Something in his words stirs a small ember of defiance within me, though it’s still buried under layers of pain. “It doesn’t matter what I deserve,” I say, my voice thick. “Ethan made his choice.”

“His loss,” Lucas says, and this time, there’s no mistaking the edge in his voice. “But don’t make the mistake of thinking his choice defines you. You’re worth more than that.”

I finally look up, meeting his gaze. His eyes are intense, nearly burning into mine with a heat that makes me want to look away again, but I don’t. there’s something in his expression that holds me captive- something almost like understanding, though I can’t fathom why.

“You don’t know anything about me,” I say, though the words come out weaker than I intended.

“Maybe not,” he admits, his gaze unwavering. “But I know enough to see that you’re stronger than this. Don’t let him break you, Amelia.”

The way he says my name sends a shiver down my spine, but I push the feeling away. I can’t afford to get tangled up in whatever Lucas is trying to do. Not now. Not after everything that just happened.

“You don’t need to be here” I say, changing the subject. “Shouldn’t you be with your cousin?”

He shrugs slightly, his eyes never leaving mine. “I’ve got time. And it seems to me that you’re the one who could use a moment to regroup.”

There’s a challenge in his words, one that I’m too tired to rise to. I drop my gaze, focusing on the ground beneath me. “I don’t need your pity.”

Lucas doesn’t answer right away, and I almost think he’s going to leave. But then he says, “Pity isn’t what I’m offering.”

With that, he turns and walks away, leaving me with more questions than answers. But as he goes, I feel the tiniest flicker of something new—something that wasn’t there before.

Hope.

“He’s right, you know,” Snow says quietly, her voice more steady now. “We’re stronger than this. We have to be.”

I don’t respond, but as I get up and wipe the last of the tears from my face, I feel the first stirrings of resolve. Maybe I’m not ready to move on just yet, but I’m not going to let Ethan’s rejection define me either.