Chapter 6
I held the phone against my ear, staring blankly out the window as the forest stretched before me under a sullen, clouded sky. My father’s voice crackled over the line, deep and steady, but there was an undercurrent of worry in it, a concern I hadn’t heard in years.
“This isn’t an easy decision, Malinda. You’ll be bound to someone you haven’t chosen,” he murmured, his words.
carrying the weight of things left unsaid.
“But the Alpha selected for you is strong, one of the best. With him, you’ll have stability. That’s what you need right now.”
Stability. The idea of marrying a stranger would have terrified me once, but now, it felt inevitable, a part of the life I had to accept. My survival depended on stability, on finding someone who could handle the power coursing through my veins.
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Someone who could keep me safe from myself.
“I understand, Dad,” I replied, my voice calm, though there was an ache hidden underneath. “I don’t have a choice, not with my blood…” I trailed off, glancing at my bandaged leg, where a dull, persistent pain still throbbed, a reminder of my own instability.
He sighed, a sound laden with a kind of understanding only a fellow Lycan could share. “I’m sorry, Malinda. I know this isn’t easy.”
A flicker of curiosity stirred inside me. This Alpha who would be my mate–who was he? Would he treat me as a duty or see me as a person, as someone who needed help?
“Who is he?” I started to ask, but before I could finish, I sensed movement in the hallway outside my room. Familiar scents drifted in–Kayden and Francis. My chest tightened at the memories that came unbidden, memories of when they’d been
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my closest friends, my trusted allies. But those days were gone.
“Malinda?” Kayden‘ s voice called softly from the other side of the door, followed by a quiet knock.
I drew in a slow breath, pushing down the unease stirring in my wolf. “I’ll talk to you soon, Dad,” I whispered, ending the call just as the door swung open.
Kayden and Francis stood in the doorway, their faces a blend of curiosity and concern. For a moment, it was as though we were kids again, and they were there to help me solve any problem. But those innocent days had vanished, replaced by broken promises and shattered trust.
Kayden‘ s gaze shifted from my face to the phone in my hand, his brows knitting together. “Who were you talking to?”
Francis, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, echoed the question with a pointed look. “Yeah, and what was that about?”
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I slipped my phone into my pocket, lifting my chin to meet their stares, my face blank, detached. “It’s none of your business.”
The sharpness of my tone startled them. Kayden’s mouth opened, as if he wanted to respond but couldn’t find the words. Francis, on the other hand, stepped forward, his hand twitching as though he wanted to grab my attention, to demand an
answer.
“What?” he echoed, a mix of confusion. and hurt evident in his voice. “Why are you shutting us out?”
A rush of anger surged through me, my wolf pacing restlessly within. How could they even ask that after everything? After they’d turned their loyalty toward Sharon without a second thought, casting me aside as if I were nothing. I hardened my gaze, refusing to let any emotion slip through.
“There’s nothing to tell,” I said flatly, my voice cold as ice.
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Kayden‘ s eyes darkened, and he took a cautious step closer, his face a mixture of frustration and something I couldn‘ t quite read. “Malinda, what’s happening with you? You‘ ve changed. You‘ ve… distanced yourself.”
A bitter laugh slipped out before I could stop it. “Oh, now you care?” The sarcasm was thick in my voice. “Don’t act like you‘ re concerned now, Kayden.”
Francis‘ s expression turned defensive, his jaw tightening as he shot a quick look at Kayden–a silent conversation passing between them, as if they were somehow the victims here. It only fueled my anger. They were always so in sync, bound together by a loyalty that had somehow become entangled with Sharon, leaving me on the outside.
Francis‘ s voice was edged with
impatience as he spoke. “You‘ re acting… cold, Malinda.”
99
I arched an eyebrow, a dark smile curving
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on my lips. “Cold? Don’t confuse silence with coldness, Francis. I simply don’t have anything left to say to either of you.”
My words hung in the air like a challenge, and I saw Francis‘ s face flicker with disbelief while Kayden‘ s eyes filled with something that almost resembled regret. But I pushed it aside, unwilling to let myself be pulled back into their world of hollow promises and empty words.
Kayden‘ s voice softened, his hand extending toward me, hovering inches away from my arm. “Malinda… please, don’t do this. Don’t push us away.”
I took a step back, out of his reach, pulling my walls up even higher. “I’m not the one pushing anyone away, Kayden. You made your choice when you decided Sharon was more important.”
The mention of Sharon made Francis‘ S
face harden. He stepped forward, his posture tense as he fixed me with a
hardened stare. “This isn’t about Sharon.
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You‘ re acting like we abandoned you when all we did was show her a little kindness. She’s part of this pack, too.”
Kindness. The word sparked something raw inside me, a pain I’d tried to bury but couldn’t keep down any longer. They couldn’t understand, could they? They couldn’t see how they had turned their backs on me, how easily they had forgotten the promises we once made.
“Kindness?” My voice was barely a whisper, but it held a lethal edge. “Don’t talk to me about kindness, Francis. You don’t know what it means to keep
promises, not when you abandon them the moment someone new steps in.”
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