Erwin's voice, low and steady, carried a dangerous undertone that made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. He stood before me, his golden eyes glinting with a mix of frustration and cold determination.
"Elena," he began, the weight of his words pressing down on me, "do you remember how my brother lost his life because of you? Or are you conveniently forgetting that detail?"
My breath caught in my throat, and I stared at him, stunned.
He continued, his voice unrelenting, each word like a dagger to my heart. "In other words, you owe Mina. And since you seem incapable of making amends, I’m paying your debt. Do you understand?"
His gaze was sharp, his expression devoid of warmth or the love I had once thought unshakable.
"And more than that," he said, his tone softening for just a moment, though it only served to make his next words cut deeper, "I promised my brother I would protect her. A promise is a sacred bond, and I will honor it. I want everyone to see that I, Erwin, keep my word, no matter what."
I could only gape at him, my mind struggling to process the cruel accusations and the weight of his betrayal.
"In this world, Elena," he said, his voice a low growl, "the person with the least right to question me—or Mina—is you."
The room felt suffocating, his words echoing in my ears, tearing at the fragile hope I had tried to cling to.
"I’ve told you, Erwin," I said, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and desperation, "I didn’t send that message. I’ve explained it to you a hundred times. You refuse to listen!"
But Erwin didn’t even flinch. His expression was one of disbelief, as if I were a child making excuses.
The truth, though, was seared into my memory like a brand. I had explained it to him, over and over, to no avail. That day, Mina had invited me out, seemingly in good spirits, as if we were truly friends. We spent hours shopping, and when her phone died, she borrowed mine to send a message to her mate. I had thought nothing of it at the time.
It wasn’t until later that I learned what she had done.
Using my phone, she had recorded a voice note. Her voice, eerily imitating my tone, had sent a desperate plea to her husband. "Help," the recording said. "Mina is in trouble!"
Her mate, Erwin’s brother, had rushed to her aid, only to meet his death in the dark woods. The rogue wolves that ambushed him left nothing behind but bloodstained earth and a family shattered by loss.
Mina’s story had been perfectly crafted. The timing, the evidence—all of it pointed to me. And while I had protested my innocence, the damage was done. Erwin believed her.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I stared at him now. How could he not see the truth? How could he trust her lies so blindly?
"You think I haven’t paid for what happened?" I asked, my voice cracking. "You think I don’t wake up every night with the weight of his death crushing me? But I didn’t send that message, Erwin. It was her. Mina set me up, and you’re too blind to see it!"
Erwin’s lips pressed into a thin line, but he said nothing.
The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.
Finally, he spoke, his tone as cold as ice. "It doesn’t matter anymore, Elena. The pack sees you as the cause of my brother’s death. They look to me to protect what he left behind. And I will."
His words were a death knell to the bond we had once shared.
"Mina orchestrated all of this," I whispered, more to myself than to him. "And you’re letting her win."
But he had already turned away, his broad shoulders stiff as he walked to the door. He paused, his hand on the frame, but he didn’t look back.
"Be ready for the ceremony tomorrow," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "Whatever issues we have, they won’t matter once we’re bonded."
The door closed behind him, leaving me alone in the stifling silence of the room.
Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I had cried enough over Erwin, over this twisted web of lies Mina had spun.
I wouldn’t cry anymore.
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the flickering candlelight on the wall, and let my mind wander to the past. To the life I had before Erwin. Before this pack. Before Mina.
There had been freedom once. A wildness in my heart that couldn’t be tamed. But Erwin had tamed it, or so I thought. Now I realized he had only caged me, clipping my wings with his distrust and the weight of his family’s tragedy.
As the first rays of dawn crept through the window, a new resolve began to form in my mind.
If Erwin couldn’t see the truth, if he couldn’t fight for me the way I had fought for him, then maybe he wasn’t my true mate. Maybe the bond we had wasn’t destiny, but a cruel twist of fate.
I would go through with the ceremony. But not for him.
This was for me.
I would face the pack, face Mina, and face the whispers that followed me wherever I went. And then, when the time was right, I would take back my freedom. My strength. My life.
Because I was more than the accusations. More than the lies.
And if Erwin couldn’t see that, then he wasn’t the mate I thought he was.
