Desperate plea.

Ryder's POV

The silence that followed her departure was deafening. It hung heavy in the air like a storm cloud, charged with so much unspoken tension that it felt suffocating. I stood there for a moment, paralyzed by my own inability to move, to make things right. The sun had set, the sky now a canvas of dark blues and purples, yet all I could see was her—the way she turned her back on me, walking away like I wasn’t even there.

I wanted to scream, to shout at the universe for being so cruel, for making me fall for the one person I had pushed away the hardest. But no matter how much I cursed myself, no matter how much I tried to fight the pain in my chest, it wouldn’t change the fact that she was gone from me.

I took a deep breath, my mind swirling in a mess of confusion, anger, and desperation. How could I fix this?

I couldn’t just let her slip away like this. I couldn’t let her believe that I didn’t care—because I did. I cared more than I’d ever let myself admit.

I had to make her see that.

My wolf, too, was restless, pacing in the back of my mind. “She’s ours, Ryder. You know what you have to do. Don’t let her go.”

I nodded, though I didn’t know how to do any of that. She had every reason to hate me. I’d been horrible to her, cruel and thoughtless. I’d pushed her to the edge, and now she was withdrawing completely, her walls higher than ever.

But I couldn’t give up.

I turned and walked toward the school entrance, every step feeling like a battle. The hallways were eerily empty, most of the students already heading home for the evening. When I reached the exit, I saw her again. She was sitting on the steps, her arms wrapped around her knees, staring out at the horizon like she was looking for something she couldn’t find.

There she is. My Amara.

I approached her slowly, my heart pounding in my chest, each beat a painful reminder of everything I had lost.

“Amara,” I called softly, my voice hoarse.

She didn’t look at me. She didn’t even flinch. She simply stayed there, motionless.

“Please,” I begged, my words shaky. “Look at me.”

After a long pause, she slowly turned her head, her eyes meeting mine, but they were distant. Cold.

“I told you to leave me alone,” she said flatly. There was no anger in her voice, no venom—just emptiness. It was worse than anything she could have said to me.

“I can’t,” I whispered. “I can’t leave you alone, not when I’ve messed up everything. Please, just hear me out.”

She scoffed and turned her gaze back to the horizon. “You don’t get it, do you? You’ve already said everything you needed to say—and it wasn’t enough.”

I could feel my wolf growling in frustration, urging me to take action, but I held back. I didn’t want to force anything. Not anymore.

“I was an idiot,” I admitted, taking a step closer. “I’ve always been an idiot when it comes to you. But I’m trying to fix it. Trying to make up for what I did to you.”

She finally looked at me again, her eyes narrowing slightly. “How? By just standing here and apologizing? Do you really think that will make a difference?”

I flinched, but I didn’t back down. “No, I don’t. I know it’s not that simple. But I will do whatever it takes to show you that I’m sorry. I’ll prove it to you, Amara.”

She shook her head, her lips pulling into a bitter smile. “You’re not the person I thought you were. I trusted you, Ryder. I thought maybe, just maybe, you’d be different. But you’re not. You’re just like the others. Just another guy who thinks he can do whatever he wants.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of her words crashing down on me. “I’m not like them. I’m not.”

Her eyes softened for a brief second, but the walls were still there, thick and unyielding. “You can’t undo the past, Ryder. No matter how hard you try.”

That’s the truth of it, isn’t it? I thought, the sting of her words cutting through me like a knife.

“I know,” I whispered. “But I can make a future. A better one.”

She stared at me for a long time, and I could see the internal battle raging within her. Her lips parted, but before she could speak, a voice interrupted.

“Amara?”

I turned, my fists clenched at my sides as Alex appeared from around the corner, his face soft with concern. “Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes flickering between me and her.

I tensed.

Amara looked at Alex for a moment before nodding, forcing a smile. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

The lie stung like salt on a wound.

I could feel my wolf’s rage building again, but I couldn’t let it show. Not here. Not now. I needed to keep my cool. “I should go,” I muttered, taking a step back.

But as I turned to leave, Amara’s voice stopped me.

“Ryder...”