- 3 weeks ago
La Luna del Alfa Roto New
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Short filmTranscript
00:03I threw my body into the woods, no funeral, no grave, just crows, and that was the second
00:08time I died for him, in my world, being blind is a defect, without a word, I'm a mother,
00:14I am a mother, the very bottom of the path I'm a monkey, no strength, no shifting, no
00:19healing, a normal wolf wolf style, heels and moves, give me a paper cut, and I'll bleed
00:25for days, but I have something more amazing, I don't see faces, I don't see sores of jealousy,
00:31toxic green, deep, oily black, in my last life, I used it to build a king, Lucian, a forgotten
00:38fifth son, I picked him, I made him, I put him on the throne, in the day my sister Celeste
00:44died, he grabbed my jaw so hard I heard it crack, forced a wolf's vein tincture down my
00:50throat, you blind freak, you knew I never wanted
00:54you, Celeste should have been mine from the start, and because of you, she ended up
00:59with Marcus, they tortured her to death, it was your fault, I died in agony, he gave
01:07Celeste's corpse a royal burial, he gave me the woods, but the hope, his feet, it was so
01:14consuming it dragged me right back to the death, it opened my eyes, 17 again, night, he made
01:21him cry, Lucian walked straight past me and took Celeste's hand, like he was afraid someone
01:26might stop him, the bastard came back too, and he remembered everything, he is terrified
01:31I'd choose him again, honestly, I couldn't care less, I swept my blind gaze across the
01:35back of the room, in a sea of dark, rotten souls, my soul so pure, it glowed like liquid
01:42gold, the man in the wheelchair, the true outfit, I choose Celeste, as my mate, Lucian's voice
01:49cracked through the hall like a whip, she is my one and only Luna, he walked toward my sister
01:53with eyes full of a tenderness I knew was performance, the room went silent, then the whispers hit
01:58me like a wall, no air in their right mind would want her, a blind omega who couldn't
02:03even shift, what a joke, why is she even here, trash like her should be in the kitchen, not
02:10at a mating ball, I am an alpha's daughter born blind, when I came up there to my wolf, I
02:17a wolf is my teeth, that is not just weakness, that is a death sentence, being wolfless, that
02:24makes you a joke, my sister Celeste is the golden child, born with the siren song, a voice that
02:31can calm even the most violent alpha in all, the family treats her like a goddess, they treat
02:37me like a mistake they can't take back, Lucian dropped to one knee in front of her, accept my
02:42mark Celeste, I will make you the most powerful woman alive, and as he spoke, he threw one
02:49look back at me, not an apology, a warning, he thinks he can take the throne without me
02:55this time, he thinks I was what held him back, he has no idea what he just threw away, I
03:00didn't
03:00awaken the wolf, I'm making a page, I got something much more dangerous, a soul line, jealousy is
03:09toxic green, hate is a bottomless black, love is pink, and the deeper the feeling, the darker
03:16it burns, in my last life, I kept him alive with this, I spotted assassins before they
03:21moved, I told him who to trust, who to kill, this time, I am going to let him have exactly
03:27what he wanted, and watch him realize too late that he got me, he is nothing, and I really
03:33hope for his sake, he doesn't end up calling back to me, begging for a mercy on me, the moment
03:40Lucian's announcement landed, every eye in the room found me, I'm just a blind girl, I'm not worthy
03:47of a man like Lucian, Celeste is the perfect match for him, at least you know your place, he stepped
03:53closer, an omega with no wolf, I wouldn't choose you, if you were the last woman breathing,
03:59I knew you were all to be on your knees, my mother Marilyn made a sound beside me, a sharp
04:04inhale, like she was about to say something she shouldn't, I squeezed her hand, she went
04:09quiet, and swept the room with my soul on me, Marcus, murky charcoal, cruel underneath the
04:15surface, the other airs, muddy swirls of greed and want, in my last life, I chose Lucian
04:20because his soul looked cleaner than anyone else's in the room, it was a mask, I didn't see
04:25what was underneath until the day we killed her, the rotten, the purple black, we didn't
04:30just hate what it was, we hated her, I was blind in my last life in more ways than one,
04:35never again, Celeste blighted to her, face arranged into the perfect picture of a loving
04:40older sister, don't be sad, go ahead, I'll let you have whoever you want, her soul was
04:47turning toxic green, edge to edge, pure jealousy, barely holding its shape, since no one's going
04:53to claim you anyway, you can always beg me for work, Celeste will need a personal maid,
04:59with CS Fest smithing floors, scrubbing floors all a wolfless Omega is good for, I didn't
05:03live, I didn't even bother, none of them were worth the energy, and then, the sound of wheels,
05:09the chatter died, then the room shifted, Kyle Ravenscroft had arrived, uninvited, unannounced,
05:17and completely unmoved by the spectacle, he sat in that wheelchair like a predator
05:22at rest, and then I saw, my breath caught, his soul was gold, pure, shimmering, blinding
05:29gold, the mark of the moon goddess herself, the mark of a true king, I clenched my fists
05:35so hard, my nails broke the skin, last life, I picked the wrong man, I defied the moon goddess,
05:42put a monster on the throne, and everyone paid for it, not this time, I stood up, I walked
05:49past Lucian without a glance, past every arrogant alpha heir in the room, I stopped in front of
05:54Kyle's wheelchair, I choose him, the hall went dead silent, then it exploded, laughter, from
06:01every direction, the blind girl and the cripple, neither of you has a wolf, you really are a
06:09perfect match, Zaya, you can't see, you don't understand, he's in a wheelchair, she glanced at
06:20the crowd, milking every second of it, I'll pretend I didn't hear that, choose again, and if you truly
06:29can't find an alpha willing to have you, you're welcome to follow our caravan, serve Lucian
06:35and me, at least he won't go hungry, I'm not anyone's servant, and I'm not astray you take
06:42in out of pity, Kyle hadn't said a word through any of it, he just put his chair forward until
06:47he was right in front of me, he took my hand, his palm was large and rough, fit with calluses,
06:53the kind you only get from the first hard use, he took my hand and guided it to his knee,
07:02no flinching,
07:04no excuses, if he was lying, he didn't want pity for it, I left my hand there, I could feel
07:10the heat
07:10of him through the fabric intense, alive, then a jolt, it shot through my fingertips, raced up my arm,
07:17and hit my chest like a beast, this wasn't the solo, this was something else entirely, my blood was
07:23screaming, I don't have a wolf, I was never supposed to feel a mate ball, but there it was,
07:33Kyle's whole body locked up, I looked into his soul, warm pink threading through shimmering gold,
07:39I leaned in close and smiled, if it's your nuts, Lucian's face went ugly,
07:43the mating ball isn't over, and you're out here making promises you can't keep,
07:49if you fail to heal him, the alpha council will have your head, can you actually do it?
07:54I didn't answer right away, I let my fingers fail slowly along this test drive,
07:59I can, but it'll require a very specific kind of contact,
08:04he understood immediately, the tips of his ears went red, he turned his head away,
08:09couldn't quite bring himself to look at me, in my peripheral vision,
08:13Lucian's soul ignited, a roaring wall of green fire, jealousy,
08:18a cold laugh rose in my chest, jealous of what, except Lucian,
08:22you're the one who poured poison down my throat,
08:25the moment I stepped outside the hall, the world tilted,
08:28white hot pain detonated behind my eyes,
08:33like something was being driven through my skull from the inside,
08:36that is the past, every time I used a full eye on that many people at once,
08:42I pressed my freezing fingers to my temples, the cold always came after,
08:46after the ball Lucian got to work, he pulled up everything from our past life,
08:51her favorite flowers, her secret hiding spots,
08:54every word she'd been waiting her whole life to hear,
08:57he played her like he'd been practicing for years,
09:00that same day, a mating contract arrived at my door on heavy old parchment,
09:07I accept you as my mate, I will hold and protect you in this life and the next,
09:11not even death will part us,
09:13the handwriting was deep and certain, no hesitation in a single stroke,
09:17it felt exactly like him,
09:19both weddings were set for the same morning,
09:21the night before, Celeste walked into my room like she owned it,
09:25she didn't knock, her maid tossed something at my feet,
09:28a tattered grey shawl, a kind worn by the lowest ranking omegas,
09:33a mark of total submission,
09:35you're a blind freak, Zara,
09:41no real alpha will ever claim you,
09:44she leaned in, voice honeyed and vicious at the same time,
09:48Lucian and I are being generous,
09:51we're keeping you on as a servant,
09:53but on the day of the ceremony,
09:55no carriage for you,
09:57you'll wear that and walk behind the caravan,
10:00servant's entrance, don't embarrass them,
10:02the morning came,
10:04I left the shawl on the floor where it landed,
10:06I put on the dress Kyle had sent instead,
10:09white silk, thousands of diamonds sewn into the fabric,
10:13small enough to look like starlight,
10:15at the estate gate,
10:17two carriages waited,
10:19one was extraordinary,
10:21draped in thumb-sized pearls,
10:23built like a throne that happened to have wheels,
10:25the other was plainly standard grey,
10:28nothing remarkable,
10:31the less didn't hesitate for a second,
10:33she walked straight to the pearl carriage and stepped inside,
10:38the head guard turned,
10:39his expression didn't waver,
10:42you're in the wrong carriage,
10:44this was commissioned by alpha Kyle,
10:47for his Luna and no one else,
10:48he didn't get the time to argue,
10:50guards took the right of the ocean for time,
10:53she caught her heel on her skirt,
10:55and went down hard for his feet into the dirt,
11:00Lucien arrived just in time to see it,
11:03Celeste scrambled up and threw herself at him,
11:05already crying,
11:09it's Zara,
11:10she planned this,
11:13she can't stand that I'm the one becoming a Luna,
11:17she turned to the crowd gathering around her,
11:19eyes blistering,
11:20please,
11:21don't hate her,
11:22she's struggling,
11:24I know we're in love Lucien,
11:26but I begged you to keep her safe,
11:29I pleaded for months just so she could be our servant,
11:32and I not starve on the street,
11:35she's a blind Omega,
11:37she should be grateful anyone even bothered to take her in,
11:40to pull a strunt like this on her sister's wedding day,
11:43it's thetic,
11:44the crowd was vicious,
11:46they always are when they smell wetness,
11:49Lucien's soul was drowning in black,
11:51thick, suffocating,
11:52ink dark,
11:53he pulled Celeste against his chest and turned on me,
11:57you're an Omega Zara,
12:00you have no right to wear white,
12:01take that dress off right now,
12:04or I'll shred it off your back myself,
12:08Celeste buried her face in his chest,
12:10but I could see her soul,
12:11she was smirking,
12:13Lucien,
12:14you don't have me watching your back this time,
12:18what's coming for you tonight isn't a wedding,
12:22it's a funeral,
12:25Celeste me failed like I'd struck you,
12:27how can you curse him like that,
12:29just because he didn't choose you,
12:31you dare curse an alpha heir,
12:35guards,
12:36seize her,
12:38the soldiers started moving in,
12:40think carefully,
12:42you're laying a hand on alpha Kyle's mate,
12:45make sure that's a consequence you're ready to live with,
12:48Lucien laughed,
12:49jagged,
12:50ugly,
12:50Kyle,
12:51the cripple isn't even here,
12:53probably hiding in his chambers,
12:55too embarrassed to show his face,
12:56he's using you for sport Zara,
12:59nothing more,
12:59he stepped forward,
13:00close enough that his shadow fell over me,
13:02kneel,
13:03beg Celeste's forgiveness,
13:06and maybe,
13:07maybe,
13:08I'll still find a use for you,
13:09then a voice cut through everything,
13:11who is threatening my mate,
13:12the crowd split,
13:13Kyle moved through them like they weren't there,
13:16sharp backseat,
13:17not a single piece of his voice,
13:19even seated,
13:19his presence was suffering,
13:21the moment he appeared,
13:22the street went silent,
13:23beside him,
13:24Lucien,
13:25suddenly looked like a boy wearing his lips,
13:29Kyle came straight to me,
13:31he took my hand and folded it inside his,
13:33large,
13:34warm,
13:35unhurried,
13:37then he lifted,
13:39his eyes fixed on Lucien,
13:40with a blade pounding its mark,
13:42let's try that again,
13:43who was it that told my mate,
13:46the temperature in the street seemed to drop,
13:48no one walked,
13:50no one breathed,
13:51he didn't shout,
13:52didn't signal his men,
13:53he just watched Lucien,
13:55the way a predator watches something,
13:56it has already decided to deal with later,
13:59I'll remember that,
14:00I'm an alpha heir,
14:02same as you,
14:02who the hell do you think you are,
14:04who the hell do you think you are,
14:06a forgotten fifth son,
14:08trying to give orders to my mate,
14:10you're not a rival Lucien,
14:12you're a fit note,
14:14the color drained from Lucien's face,
14:16this isn't over,
14:18low and mean,
14:19you'll both regret tonight,
14:22I gave you a chance Zara,
14:24when you come crawling back,
14:26and you will,
14:27don't expect mercy,
14:29I looked at his soul,
14:30murky and small,
14:32he genuinely believes,
14:33he is the chosen one,
14:34he thinks the throne,
14:35is already his,
14:36and that I was just dead weight,
14:38holding him back,
14:39he has no idea,
14:40what is waiting for him,
14:41without me clearing his path,
14:43he won't last the season,
14:44he'll be lucky to still be breathing,
14:46by the time the leaves turn,
14:48oh our first night as mates was quiet,
14:50just the two of us,
14:52and the fire crackling low between us,
14:55we shared whiskey,
14:56amber and slow burning,
14:58on the way down,
15:00I could feel his eyes,
15:01heavy and silver warm,
15:03against my skin,
15:04my pulse wouldn't settle,
15:06even sitting across from me,
15:07in that chair,
15:08his presence filled,
15:09the entire room,
15:10he said you could fix my legs,
15:14how,
15:16help me with something first,
15:19I've never seen this room,
15:22describe it to me,
15:25then he started talking,
15:26the fires glow,
15:28the oil paintings,
15:29he told me their textures,
15:31not just their subjects,
15:32the velvet curtains,
15:33deep and heavy,
15:35on the shelf above the nightstand,
15:38there's an old book,
15:40the cover is faded,
15:42my hand stilled around the glass,
15:44that shelf was high,
15:46nearly at the ceiling,
15:47from a wheelchair,
15:49the top of that book,
15:50was completely out of sight,
15:51there was no way,
15:52he could know the cover was faded,
15:54I didn't say a word,
15:55I just took another sip,
15:57and filed that detail away somewhere,
15:59I wouldn't forget it,
16:00I stood up with my glass in hand,
16:02then let it slip,
16:05it hit the carpet with a dull thud,
16:07and rolled toward the sofa,
16:09Kyle's body moved the second,
16:11he was about to stand,
16:12then he caught himself,
16:13and settled back into the leather,
16:14as if nothing had happened,
16:16but I felt it,
16:18that reflex was all the confirmation,
16:19I needed,
16:20I didn't say anything,
16:22not yet,
16:23there's one more way,
16:27I stepped in close,
16:29and I struck,
16:30my heart was slamming,
16:32I ignored it,
16:34I raised my hand,
16:35and let my fingertips trace,
16:37from his jaw down to his chest,
16:39hard as stone beneath the shirt,
16:41not the body of a man,
16:42who hadn't used his legs,
16:44in seven years,
16:45I looked into his soul,
16:46a storm deep crimson,
16:48soft pink,
16:49something more tender,
16:50than he'd admit,
16:51and threading through both,
16:52a sharp streak,
16:54of dark green panic,
16:56he knew I was getting close,
16:58I leaned down,
17:03my lips barely grazed,
17:05the corner of his mouth,
17:07not a kiss,
17:07a question,
17:09his breathing came apart,
17:11and then I took his hand,
17:12and pressed his palm,
17:13flat against my chest,
17:14the silk between us,
17:15was nothing,
17:16my face was burning,
17:17because in that moment,
17:20his body gave me,
17:20the most honest answer,
17:22his body reacted,
17:24before his mind,
17:25could stop it,
17:26I felt the shift,
17:27in his balance,
17:28the sudden brace,
17:29through his thighs,
17:30an instinctive drive upward,
17:32a man who hadn't used his legs,
17:34in seven years,
17:35would move like that,
17:36hold back just a moment,
17:38let the smile,
17:39console me,
17:40your legs are fine,
17:41that much I know,
17:43Kyle closed his eyes,
17:44his throat moved,
17:45as he swallowed,
17:46then he stood up,
17:48one hand stayed at my waist,
17:50the other still pressed,
17:51against my chest,
17:52he lifted me,
17:53and I felt just how much of him there was,
17:55nearly six foot long,
17:57all of it muscled,
17:59my whole world,
18:00was suddenly just him,
18:01how did you know,
18:02I just smiled,
18:03and gave him something,
18:04vague enough to pass,
18:06he set me down gently,
18:07on the edge of the bed,
18:08then stepped back,
18:10the hand that he touched,
18:11my chest was shaking,
18:12I'm sorry,
18:12I shouldn't have,
18:14don't,
18:15I'm the one who put your hand there,
18:17he looked at me,
18:18for a long moment,
18:19and he laughed,
18:20a real laugh,
18:21warm and unguarded,
18:22like seven years of tension,
18:24finally giving way,
18:25seven years,
18:27seven years fooling everyone,
18:29the whole damn world,
18:31and my blind mate,
18:32catches me on the very first night,
18:34we didn't go any further,
18:35that night,
18:36we ended up on the rug,
18:37in front of the fire,
18:38the bottle of whiskey,
18:39between us,
18:40and we just,
18:41talked,
18:41he told me about irony,
18:43it was the only way,
18:44to stay alive,
18:45I told him about Lucian,
18:47all of it,
18:48what he was underneath,
18:50I didn't choose you,
18:52because I had no other options,
18:54I chose you,
18:54because you were the only one,
18:56worth choosing,
18:58I watched his soul,
18:59begin to shift,
19:00the gold bleeding,
19:02slowly,
19:02into a deep,
19:03and glowing lake,
19:05late into the night,
19:06he came back,
19:07the splitting pain,
19:08behind my temples,
19:09like an axe,
19:10working its way,
19:11through the bone,
19:12I tried to keep,
19:12my hands still,
19:13they were shaking anyway,
19:15Kyle stopped,
19:16mid sentence,
19:17your head,
19:18before I could deflect,
19:20his thumbs,
19:20were already at my temples,
19:22the pressure,
19:23exact,
19:24like he'd knocked the pain,
19:25before he touched it,
19:26my mother used to get them,
19:28I've known what to do,
19:29since I was a boy,
19:30the pain didn't ease,
19:31it vanished,
19:32we shared the same bed,
19:34his arm lay heavy,
19:35and warm,
19:35across my waist,
19:36my head settled,
19:37against his chest,
19:38I listened to his heartbeat,
19:40through my soul eye,
19:41I watched his soul settle,
19:43the gold softening,
19:44deepening,
19:45into a rich,
19:45and quiet pink,
19:46for the first time,
19:47in two lifetimes,
19:48I felt safe,
19:49the ocean's wedding dream,
19:50was not in the heart,
19:51in my last life,
19:52a maid tried to spike,
19:54his wine with wolf's fame,
19:55I caught her,
19:56before she could get close,
19:58I read the murder,
19:59in her soul,
19:59swapped the glasses,
20:01had her detained,
20:01before he'd taken,
20:02a single seat,
20:03this time,
20:04I did nothing,
20:05Celeste couldn't notice,
20:06she wouldn't know a threat,
20:08if it sat down beside her,
20:09and introduced itself,
20:11the next morning,
20:12Kyle and I arrived,
20:13at the Alpha King's estate,
20:15no sign of Lucian,
20:16no sign of Celeste,
20:17the corridors were alive,
20:18with hushed,
20:19urgent voices,
20:21the hair was poisoned,
20:22in his own chambers,
20:23he hasn't woken,
20:24they came to stop it,
20:26the carriage had barely,
20:27rolled to a stop,
20:28when Celeste appeared,
20:29at the gates,
20:30she looked like,
20:31she hadn't slept in the days,
20:32Zara,
20:34you poisoned him,
20:36give me the antidote,
20:38right now,
20:39I felt the temperature,
20:40inside the carriage shift,
20:42Kyle went very still,
20:43beside me,
20:44I placed a hand,
20:45on his arm,
20:45I've got this,
20:47I leaned in,
20:48and pressed a quick kiss,
20:49to his cheek,
20:50then I stepped out,
20:51into the morning air,
20:53antidote,
20:54I don't have one,
20:57whatever happened,
20:58to Lucian,
20:58has nothing to do with me,
21:00Liar,
21:02then how did you know,
21:04he'd be dying,
21:04on his wedding night,
21:06I tilted my head,
21:08that's a serious accusation,
21:10where's your proof,
21:12did you catch the killer,
21:14did you find the poison,
21:15I already knew she hadn't,
21:17the spy Marcus sent,
21:18was a professional,
21:20without my soul eye,
21:21she was a ghost,
21:22by now she was likely,
21:23across the border,
21:24untouchable,
21:25Celeste stood there,
21:27mouth open,
21:28nothing coming out,
21:28if you keep causing,
21:30a scene on my land,
21:32my warriors,
21:32will remove you,
21:35her eyes dropped,
21:36to my neck,
21:37she saw the red mark,
21:38Kyle had left there,
21:39you actually slept,
21:41with him,
21:42a blind girl,
21:43and a broken man,
21:44I suppose trash,
21:45finds its own level,
21:46I suppose trash,
21:47finds its own level,
21:48I thought about last night,
21:50the fire,
21:50the whiskey,
21:51the long silence,
21:52after he finally stood up,
21:53and I felt the full weight,
21:54of him for the first time,
21:56Kyle wasn't broken,
21:57he was 10,000 times,
21:58the man Lucian,
21:59would ever be,
21:59I laughed,
22:03what is so funny,
22:04I stopped,
22:05looked at her,
22:05we're close enough to it,
22:06I'm laughing,
22:07at how blind you are,
22:09Lucian is going to die,
22:11and when he goes down,
22:13he'll take you with him,
22:14if you want to survive,
22:16what's coming,
22:17sever the bond now,
22:18while you still can,
22:20that was it for her,
22:21she swung at my face,
22:22wide,
22:23furious,
22:24telegraphed,
22:24from a mile away,
22:25I shifted my weight,
22:26and stepped aside,
22:27I hit nothing but air,
22:28the momentum carried her forward,
22:30and she went down hard,
22:31palms and knees in the dirt,
22:32I looked down at her,
22:33remember this,
22:35because the next time,
22:36you raise a hand to me,
22:37I won't step aside,
22:38she stared up at me,
22:39from the ground,
22:40trembling,
22:41for the first time in her life,
22:42she was actually afraid of me,
22:44the blind girl,
22:44she used to torment,
22:45wasn't there anymore,
22:47someone else,
22:48had taken her place,
22:49Kyle was waiting,
22:50when I stepped back,
22:51into the carriage,
22:52he just watched me,
22:53with those gray eyes,
22:54and in them,
22:55not worry,
22:55not pity,
22:56admiration,
22:57he trusted me,
22:58to handle my own affairs,
22:59that respect landed heavier,
23:00than any shield,
23:01he could have raised,
23:02he turned to his lead guard,
23:03and spoke well,
23:05no one from Lucian's pack,
23:06crosses onto my land again,
23:08for any reason,
23:11ever,
23:13after Celeste,
23:14was distorted out,
23:15he turned to the business,
23:16of leaving,
23:17we were heading,
23:17for Thorn Harbor,
23:18the courtyard filled,
23:19with people and supplies,
23:21controlled chaos,
23:22and through all of it,
23:23my soul,
23:24I found a single target,
23:25a guard named Vaughn,
23:27his soul was a muddy,
23:28treacherous gray,
23:29I leaned close to Kyle's ear,
23:31who is that man,
23:33Vaughn,
23:34he's been with me,
23:35since I was 15,
23:37saved my life twice,
23:38I pulled back,
23:39and let him,
23:39Kyle do you trust me,
23:41his soul flushed,
23:42deep darkly,
23:43all at once,
23:44you're my mate,
23:45of course I do,
23:46he's a traitor,
23:48we changed the route,
23:49to Thorn Harbor,
23:51and we tell no one,
23:52in my last night,
23:53this was where,
23:54it ended with Kyle,
23:55ambushed on the road,
23:56to the harbor,
23:57means that never healed,
23:59he died defending,
24:00the city walls,
24:01I finished speaking,
24:03let my lips,
24:03brush his cheek,
24:05Kyle's arm,
24:05came around,
24:06my waist immediately,
24:07pulling me in,
24:09across the yard,
24:10I felt Vaughn,
24:10watching us,
24:11he clocked,
24:12how close we were,
24:13and lifted up fast,
24:14Kyle pressed,
24:15his face,
24:15into the curve of my neck,
24:17his breath was warm,
24:18against my skin,
24:19you're trying to fix,
24:20my legs again,
24:21because I'm happy,
24:22to wait until tonight,
24:24or we could start now,
24:26the next morning,
24:27Vaughn was gone,
24:28Kyle sat beside me,
24:29at breakfast,
24:29cutting my steak,
24:30into careful pieces,
24:31without being asked,
24:33you were right,
24:35Vaughn was Marcus's man,
24:36buried so deep,
24:37I never suspected him once,
24:39in seven years,
24:41it took some,
24:44persuasion,
24:44to get him to talk,
24:46he looked at me,
24:47how did you know,
24:48Zara,
24:49I looked into his soul,
24:50gold and pink,
24:51wound together,
24:52no suspicion,
24:53no fear,
24:54lucky guess,
24:56the words were barely out,
24:57when the pain hit,
24:58white,
24:59hot behind both temples,
25:00at once,
25:01my hand went to my head,
25:02before I could stop it,
25:03Kyle didn't say a word,
25:04he just moved his chair,
25:05flush against mine,
25:06un in hand,
25:07kept cutting my food,
25:08the other reached up,
25:09and wrapped around,
25:10the back of my neck,
25:10the pain dissolved,
25:12he has stopped asking,
25:13why it happens,
25:14he just makes sure,
25:15he is there when it does,
25:16Thorn Harbor,
25:17Kyle's territory,
25:19the land was rough,
25:20resources thin,
25:22the kind of place,
25:23the Alpha Council,
25:23never bothered to look at twice,
25:26the wolves here,
25:27were loyal to Kyle,
25:28the way wolves are loyal,
25:29to someone they've chosen,
25:30out of true devotion,
25:32when I went to the market,
25:34they called me Luna,
25:34and refused my crime,
25:36every stall,
25:37every vendor,
25:38I had to set the money down,
25:39and walk away,
25:40before they touch it,
25:41I came back to the estate,
25:43breathless,
25:43and my maid,
25:44watched me come through the door,
25:47the Luna is blind,
25:49but she moves faster,
25:50than any soldier,
25:50I've trained with,
25:53Kyle heard her,
25:55that night,
25:55his fingers,
25:56found the edges of my eyes,
25:58Zara,
26:00is it really just,
26:02nothing,
26:03I nodded,
26:05he pulled me in,
26:05against his chest,
26:06and held me there,
26:08it doesn't matter,
26:09I'll be your eyes,
26:11every sunrise,
26:12every star,
26:14whatever you want to see,
26:15I'll find the words for it,
26:16I watched his soul,
26:17through all of it,
26:18the gold was shifting,
26:19becoming something warmer,
26:21deeper,
26:21the more time,
26:22we spent together,
26:23the deeper the gold grew,
26:24every shared meal,
26:26every quiet evening,
26:26beside him,
26:27it only became richer,
26:29but then something strange,
26:30started happening,
26:31when I was away from him,
26:32even briefly,
26:33I got restless,
26:33not just missing him,
26:34it was physical,
26:35a deep pulling ache,
26:36I couldn't reason away,
26:37the further I walked,
26:38the worse it pulled,
26:39until it hurt,
26:40I told myself,
26:41it was the intensity,
26:42of a new bond,
26:43but I knew that wasn't it,
26:44I don't have a wolf,
26:46I was never supposed,
26:47to feel this,
26:48that night,
26:48when he kissed me,
26:49his soul shifted,
26:50into something,
26:50I'd never seen before,
26:52a pink so saturated,
26:53and alive,
26:54it looked like,
26:54the first day of spring,
26:55breaking open all at once,
26:57the most beautiful thing,
26:58I had ever seen,
26:59it didn't last,
27:00the next morning,
27:01a piece of encrypted,
27:02intelligence arrived,
27:03Lucian is awake,
27:04but the damage,
27:05is permanent,
27:06intermittent mania,
27:07he has lost control,
27:08of his wolf,
27:09a slow smile,
27:09touched my lips,
27:10this was just the beginning,
27:11of what was coming for him,
27:13but then,
27:13the catch,
27:14the alpha council,
27:15had issued,
27:15a mandatory summons,
27:16Marcus was hosting,
27:17a banquet,
27:18every heir was required,
27:19to attend,
27:20no exceptions,
27:21Kyle had no choice,
27:22we were going back,
27:23Marcus's estate,
27:24reeked of bad intentions,
27:25before we even stepped inside,
27:27I swept the ballroom,
27:28with my soul eye,
27:29the moment,
27:29across the threshold,
27:30oily green for greed,
27:31thick in every corner,
27:33of the room,
27:33a deep sickening,
27:34crimson for lust,
27:35and underneath all of it,
27:36something flat,
27:37and purposeful,
27:38that made my skin crawl,
27:39I found Kyle's hand,
27:40under the table,
27:41and held it,
27:42don't eat,
27:43don't touch the wall,
27:43in my last life,
27:44this banquet ended in blood,
27:46their souls,
27:47were a flat,
27:47professional gray,
27:48the color of people,
27:49who had killed before,
27:50and slept just fine after,
27:52last time,
27:53when the blades came out,
27:54I didn't think,
27:55I just threw myself,
27:56in front of Lucian,
27:57and took a poison silver dagger,
27:58to the ribs,
27:59carried that scar for years,
28:01once a when Lucian,
28:02was already king,
28:02I mentioned it,
28:03he looked at me,
28:04with something close to boredom,
28:06protecting your mate,
28:07is your duty Zara,
28:09you're already Luna,
28:10what more do you want,
28:11I don't make the same mistakes,
28:12twice,
28:13it happened fast,
28:13the three dancers,
28:15reached into their silks,
28:16short blades,
28:17jagged,
28:18silver,
28:18and they lunged,
28:20Kyle moved,
28:21before I could blink,
28:22he didn't care,
28:23about the secret anymore,
28:24he came half out,
28:25of his chair,
28:26one arm sweeping me,
28:27behind him,
28:28and his guards,
28:29materialized from the dark,
28:30like they'd been part,
28:31of the shadows all along,
28:32a wall of bodies,
28:33between us and everything,
28:35we were safe,
28:36I looked past them,
28:37toward Lucian,
28:37no one moved,
28:38to cover me,
28:39the moment,
28:40the first blade flashed,
28:41Celeste screamed,
28:42and ran,
28:43straight for the exit,
28:44didn't look backwards,
28:46Lucian was surrounded,
28:47silver dagger,
28:48soaked in concentrated,
28:49wolfsbane,
28:51buried itself,
28:52into his thigh,
28:52dark blood hit the floor,
28:54he went down hard,
28:55gasping,
28:56through the screaming,
28:57the overturned chairs,
28:59the crush of bodies,
29:00trying to flee,
29:01his eyes found mine,
29:03he was begging,
29:04his soul was a wreck,
29:06terror,
29:06and pain,
29:07and underneath it all,
29:08a dark,
29:09green tide of regret,
29:11I held his face,
29:12kept my face,
29:13completely still,
29:14didn't move a single muscle,
29:16I am blind after all,
29:17I can't see a thing,
29:18I didn't make it,
29:19two steps into the carriage,
29:21the spike hit the moment,
29:22the door closed,
29:23red hot,
29:24straight through the center,
29:25of my skull,
29:25it was the worst backlash,
29:27I'd ever suffered,
29:28I scanned the entire ballroom,
29:30every soul,
29:31every shadow,
29:32every blade,
29:32before they struck,
29:34it cost me everything,
29:35the world went black,
29:36my knees folded,
29:38Kyle caught me,
29:39before I hit the floor,
29:40his arms locked around,
29:41my waist like I am,
29:43pulling me hard,
29:44against his chest,
29:45Zara,
29:45I'd never heard that,
29:46in his voice before,
29:48fear,
29:48my head,
29:49was all I could get out,
29:50he didn't wait,
29:51he pulled me in against him,
29:52and pressed both arms,
29:53to my temples,
29:54and something happened,
29:55that I still can't explain,
29:57it wasn't just pressure,
29:58it wasn't just warmth,
29:59it felt like a hand,
30:00reaching for the pain,
30:01and pulling it out,
30:02from the root,
30:02gone completely,
30:04in the seconds,
30:05I lay against his chest,
30:06dazed,
30:07listening to his heart pound,
30:08why does his touch do that,
30:10this isn't comfort,
30:11this is something older,
30:13something that runs deeper,
30:14than either of us understands,
30:16and it is starting to frighten me,
30:17while I recovered,
30:18in Kyle's arms,
30:19this one was learning,
30:20what that blade actually felt like,
30:22the wolf's vein on those daggers,
30:24was pure,
30:24it doesn't just wound,
30:26it destroys whatever the body,
30:27would normally feel,
30:28it shredded his body's ability,
30:30to heal from the inside out,
30:31in my last life,
30:32I took that blade for him,
30:34I felt the silver eat into my flesh,
30:36I felt the poison dissolve,
30:37everything I had,
30:38I survived it barely,
30:39and he never once mentioned it again,
30:41he treated my body like a shield,
30:43he was entitled to stand behind,
30:45this time I got to find out,
30:46what it actually costs,
30:48the healers couldn't do a thing,
30:49the damage was permanent,
30:50Lucian would never walk again,
30:52the man who spent his whole life,
30:53looking down at everyone,
30:55from a great height,
30:56is never going to stand again,
30:57the intelligence reports kept arriving,
30:59one after another,
31:01like a slow collapse,
31:02Lucian confirmed permanently disabled,
31:05Celeste began her exit strategy,
31:07the moment he lost his strife,
31:09she spent months,
31:10petitioning the alpha council,
31:12to dissolve their bond,
31:13six months later,
31:14the alpha king had seen enough,
31:16he stripped Lucian of his inheritance,
31:18no title,
31:19no claim,
31:20no future,
31:21in the werewolf world,
31:22no one pledges their sword,
31:24to a man who can't lead from a point,
31:26in our last life,
31:28Lucian thought seizing the throne,
31:29was simply a matter,
31:30of wanting it badly,
31:32he had no idea,
31:33what was actually holding him,
31:34he thought those allies,
31:36followed him by choice,
31:38I made sure they were worthy,
31:39long before they ever pledged themselves,
31:41the traitors he feared,
31:43never had the chance to strike,
31:44I silenced them first,
31:46and the commanders he trusted,
31:48with his army,
31:48were placed there by my hand,
31:50one by one,
31:51paid for in blood,
31:52without me,
31:53he couldn't have held,
31:54a border crossing,
31:56let alone,
31:57where,
31:58Celeste didn't know,
31:59she stripped his estate clean,
32:01jewelry,
32:01gold,
32:03every coin she could find,
32:04then she was gone,
32:05she went back to Marcus,
32:07but the terms had changed,
32:09he didn't want a Luna this time,
32:10he took her as a mistress,
32:12I ran into her yesterday,
32:14a high end perfume shop,
32:15near the harbor,
32:16I was holding a bottle,
32:18a rare blend,
32:19when she reached over,
32:20and plucked it straight out of my hand,
32:22I'll take all of these,
32:23she told the clerk,
32:24she was draped in diamonds,
32:26her soul was the same toxic green,
32:28in the always been,
32:29she looked me over,
32:30oh Zara,
32:31she said,
32:32perfume seems a bit pointless for you,
32:34doesn't it,
32:34she leaned in,
32:36expensive wine on her breath,
32:38it's not as if your man can stand up,
32:39to get close enough to smell it,
32:41a little gasp,
32:42a hand over her mouth,
32:44eyes wide with performed regret,
32:46that was awful of me,
32:48you don't mind,
32:49do you,
32:49I smiled,
32:50not at all,
32:51I said,
32:52take them all,
32:53the clerk looked baffled,
32:55I didn't explain,
32:57there is no point arguing,
32:58with a woman who's already walking,
33:00toward her own end,
33:01she just doesn't know,
33:02the road she is on yet,
33:04it was late,
33:05thorn harbor was in a hard rain,
33:07my head guard appeared in the doorway,
33:09his face tight,
33:11Lupien is at the front gate,
33:12Luna,
33:12he has been dragging himself,
33:14through the mud,
33:14for the better part of an hour,
33:16he won't leave,
33:18I walked out to the entrance,
33:19and looked through the iron bars,
33:21he was there,
33:22soaked to me,
33:23shaking,
33:24coated his throat,
33:25and rode,
33:25when he saw me,
33:27something desperate,
33:28ignited in his eyes,
33:30the words should go,
33:31and the garlic's throat came back,
33:33he went down,
33:33no,
33:35why,
33:35the word tore out of the blanket,
33:37and caught on fire,
33:39Zara tell me,
33:40in the last life,
33:41you always knew what was coming,
33:43I thought if a blind girl,
33:44could build a kingdom for me,
33:46then all I had to do,
33:47was take the credit,
33:48so why did I lose everything,
33:50he started screaming,
33:51slamming his fists,
33:52against his own useless legs,
33:54the sound of it,
33:55got swallowed up,
33:55by the thunder,
33:56when he finally,
33:57ran out of breath,
33:58he looked up at me,
34:00he looked small,
34:01the arrogance was gone,
34:02what was left underneath,
34:04wasn't much,
34:05Zara,
34:05like he said,
34:06quietly,
34:07his voice doing something,
34:09approximating humility,
34:11I made a mistake,
34:13come back,
34:15come back,
34:17the Luna title,
34:18it's yours,
34:19truly this time,
34:20we can rebuild,
34:22together,
34:23like before,
34:24we can take it all back,
34:26I looked at his soul,
34:27thick,
34:28oily green,
34:29bottomless with it,
34:30he wasn't performing,
34:31he was genuinely drowning,
34:33in regret,
34:33that almost made it worse,
34:35Lucian,
34:36you still don't understand,
34:37what you had,
34:38I was never your Luna,
34:39because you became king,
34:41you were only ever king,
34:43because I chose,
34:43to stand beside you,
34:45I turned my back on him,
34:46walked toward the warm lights,
34:48of the estate,
34:49locked the gates,
34:51if he sets foot on his land again,
34:53you have my permission,
34:54I'm permission to see him accordingly,
34:56the iron gates slammed shut,
34:58the sound cut through the rain,
35:00like a verdict,
35:01he was still screaming my name,
35:02when I walked through the front door,
35:04I didn't hear the bathroom,
35:06that door was never opening again,
35:08Celeste's death,
35:09the report arrived this morning,
35:11history repeated itself down,
35:13to the last detail,
35:14Marcus left her until,
35:15there was nothing left to go,
35:17and they carried her body,
35:18out of her estate,
35:19someone noted the scent,
35:20the door on her,
35:21and the hurt me,
35:22and she'd snatched,
35:23from my hands in that shot,
35:24she was wearing it,
35:26when she died,
35:27Lucian heard the news,
35:28he didn't breathe,
35:30he didn't rage,
35:31good,
35:31she watched me fall,
35:33and ran straight to another man's bed,
35:35I gave up everything in this life for her,
35:38and that's how she repays it,
35:40he beat his fist,
35:41against the wheels of his chair,
35:42until his knuckles fled,
35:44I never should have poisoned Zara,
35:46I never should have chosen Celeste over Zara,
35:48I was still holding the report,
35:49when I heard the bedroom door,
35:51I crumpled the paper in my fist,
35:53Kyle walked in,
35:55I turned toward the window,
35:56the sun had gone down,
35:58I was just,
35:59before I could finish,
36:01he reached out,
36:01and took the crumpled note from my hand,
36:04he smoothed it flat,
36:05then lifted it to the light,
36:07then he lowered it,
36:08and looked straight at me,
36:09you're not blind,
36:10in the way you let everyone believe,
36:11are you?
36:13my throat closed,
36:15I couldn't find a single word,
36:17I looked into his soul,
36:19it was burning,
36:20a sharp,
36:20and a small orange,
36:22and a period,
36:23don't I deserve the truth?
36:25I marked you,
36:27I made you my mate,
36:28I would have protected you regardless,
36:30blind,
36:31wolfless,
36:32it didn't matter,
36:33but for a year,
36:34you let me believe,
36:35I understood you,
36:37and I didn't,
36:38the blind girl,
36:39and the people,
36:40two people who had made,
36:41an art form of being,
36:42something they weren't,
36:44standing in this room,
36:45in the dark,
36:45every mask,
36:46we'd ever worn,
36:47was gone,
36:48he turned for the door,
36:49and I felt something,
36:50I hadn't felt in two lifetimes,
36:52genuine terror,
36:54I threw myself off the bed,
36:55and wrapped my arms around him,
36:57held on,
36:58I could feel the anger in him,
37:01but underneath it,
37:02his soul was already shifting,
37:04the orange cool,
37:05leading towards something else,
37:07the harder I held on,
37:09the faster it faded,
37:10my voice came out small,
37:12I pressed my face against his back,
37:14and just held on,
37:15his soul turned pink,
37:17his pride hadn't mewed,
37:18he was still standing there,
37:20every muscle rocked against me,
37:22but his heart had already answered,
37:24I came around to face him,
37:27pressed my cheek against his chest,
37:28and listened,
37:30his heartbeat was fast,
37:32uneven,
37:32his soul was so pink,
37:34it was almost blinding,
37:35Kyle,
37:36I steadied my voice as best I could,
37:39that wasn't the only thing I lied about,
37:41this was the secret I'd carried through two lives,
37:44without telling a single person,
37:45I see souls,
37:46I can read the truth inside people,
37:49he went completely still,
37:50and I know what's coming,
37:52the werewolf world is about to burn,
37:56Thorn Harbor will be under siege,
37:58I looked up at him,
38:00in my last life,
38:01you died when the city walls fell,
38:03his breathing changed,
38:04I searched his soul one last time,
38:06not a flicker of doubt,
38:08not a trace of fear,
38:10only gold of fear,
38:12shimmering gold,
38:13do you believe me,
38:14I asked,
38:15he didn't answer with words,
38:17he pulled me into his chest,
38:19both arms no space between us,
38:21and buried his face against my neck,
38:23I believe in you,
38:27that's the only thing in this world I'm sure of,
38:29five hours,
38:30that is what it took to decide,
38:32Kyle gave me the Alpha War seal,
38:35and put every warrior in the pack under my command,
38:37and didn't just hold Thorn Harbor,
38:39we took the fight to the Alpha War's forces,
38:41then came the first night,
38:43the Great Siege,
38:44the boss army hit the valley,
38:45and the black,
38:46the sea of Blackbird,
38:47and Walter Wall,
38:48as far as the dark sea,
38:50Kyle sat in his chair,
38:51at the edge of the fortress wall,
38:53watching it come,
38:54then he stood up,
38:55not in our bedroom,
38:56not in the dark,
38:57where no one could see,
38:58the front of every soul,
38:59at night,
39:00he shrugged off the heavy coat,
39:02he'd hidden behind,
39:02for seven years,
39:03and let it drop,
39:04his bones began to crack,
39:06and shift into the new world,
39:07he transformed,
39:08a massive silver wolf,
39:10he was huge,
39:10larger than any Alpha in history,
39:12his fur shimmered like liquid metal,
39:14in the dark,
39:15he stood on the edge of the fortress wall,
39:16and he let out a howl,
39:17that shook the very power,
39:19every wolf on that field,
39:20ally and enemy alike,
39:22dropped their heads,
39:23not from orders,
39:24from something older than orders,
39:25seven years of buried power,
39:27of swallowed rage,
39:28of playing the broken man,
39:30while the world underestimated him,
39:31he snapped his head around,
39:33before the echo had died,
39:34that silver gaze,
39:35cut straight through the smoke,
39:36through the fire,
39:37through everything between us,
39:39and found me,
39:39I felt at the moment it landed,
39:41not just a look,
39:43something that went all the way down,
39:44to the bone,
39:45like a string he taught,
39:46over two lifetimes,
39:47had finally been released,
39:49faded Napalm,
39:50he had kept his wolf,
39:51locked away for seven years,
39:53the bond had been sealed with him,
39:55but now his wolf,
39:56was falling away,
39:57and everything he could,
39:59held back to him for at once,
40:00and he shifted back,
40:02dropped one knee on the stone,
40:03chest healing,
40:04hands braced,
40:05against the ground,
40:06crumbling,
40:07when he looked up at me,
40:08it was like the first time,
40:10like he was seeing something,
40:11he'd been reaching toward,
40:13without knowing it,
40:14it's you,
40:15his voice was loud,
40:16it was always you,
40:20the moon goddess,
40:21didn't give you to me,
40:22for your gift,
40:24she gave you to me,
40:25because you're mine,
40:27I felt the truth,
40:28in my own head,
40:29every piece of it,
40:30clicking into place,
40:31all at once,
40:32the jolt,
40:32when our fingers,
40:33first touched,
40:34at the meeting ball,
40:35the way his hands,
40:36could feel the pain,
40:36coming out of my skull,
40:38the suffocating dread,
40:39every time he left the room,
40:41I don't have a wolf,
40:42so the bond,
40:43had come through quietly,
40:45a whisper,
40:45where it should have been born,
40:46but it had always been there,
40:48from the very first moment,
40:50when he reached out,
40:51and touched his knee,
40:52our blood,
40:52had already made it,
40:55take your place,
40:56as alpha king,
40:57the grand hall,
40:59was in ruins around him,
41:00dust still settling,
41:01in the siege,
41:02and Zara,
41:03shall be your luna,
41:05Kyle didn't hesitate,
41:07no,
41:07one word,
41:08it landed in that hall,
41:10that the stone,
41:10dropped into stone,
41:11I'm issuing two commands,
41:14first,
41:15we are establishing,
41:17a dual kingship,
41:19Zara and I rule together,
41:21as equals,
41:22the silence cracked,
41:25impossible,
41:26there has never been,
41:27a woman on that throne,
41:29Kyle stepped up,
41:30onto the platform,
41:31he looked out,
41:32across the council,
41:33every face,
41:34every objection,
41:35with the kind of calm,
41:36that has nothing left,
41:37to prove,
41:38when Thorn Harbor,
41:38was under siege,
41:40Zara stood on the front lines,
41:41beside me,
41:43every wound I took,
41:45she felt,
41:46every sacrifice I made,
41:48she had already,
41:49paid a higher price for,
41:50he brought his hand down,
41:52flat on the stone table,
41:53crack of it echoed,
41:55without her,
41:56I'd be in an unmarked grave,
41:57on the battlefield,
41:59you don't get to erase,
42:00what she built,
42:00just because she isn't,
42:01what you expected,
42:05I am the alpha king,
42:07and so is she,
42:09alpha king,
42:10he leaned forward,
42:11voice dropping,
42:12if anyone here,
42:13has a problem with that,
42:14step forward now,
42:16no one moved,
42:17I have spent seven years,
42:18being underestimated,
42:19I have no patience,
42:20left for it,
42:20not for myself,
42:22and not for her,
42:23the bond had been a river,
42:24with no outlet for years,
42:25the night the war ended,
42:26the dam broke,
42:27he marked me,
42:28the moment his teeth,
42:29found the back of my neck,
42:30something detonated,
42:31beneath my skin,
42:32not pain,
42:33or not only pain,
42:34something that felt like,
42:36being struck by lightning,
42:37from the inside,
42:38my bones began to shift,
42:39I screamed,
42:40Kyle didn't let go,
42:41he pulled me harder,
42:42against his chest,
42:43and held on,
42:44his soul blazing gold,
42:45in my sight,
42:46steady as a fixed star,
42:47an anchor in the middle,
42:48of everything from my heart,
42:50something that had been,
42:51waiting under my skin,
42:51for seven years,
42:52was finally waking up,
42:54it was never missing,
42:55it was just too powerful,
42:56to sort my sound feelings,
42:57it needed something,
42:58equally matched,
42:59to call it out,
43:00I shifted,
43:00white,
43:01pure,
43:01absolute white,
43:02a wolf larger,
43:03than any female,
43:04in reported history,
43:05her coat,
43:06caught the moonlight,
43:06the way fresh snow,
43:07catches it from within,
43:09Kyle's silver wolf,
43:10circled me,
43:11on spider,
43:12three times,
43:13then he stopped,
43:14pressed his massive head,
43:16against my neck,
43:17and let out a sound,
43:18so low and so full,
43:19it barely qualified,
43:20as a sound at all,
43:22the elders hadn't moved,
43:23in the old legends,
43:24the white wolf,
43:25is the living avatar,
43:26of the moon goddess,
43:28she hadn't walked,
43:28the earth in 500 years,
43:30I had never been broken,
43:32my wolf had never been missing,
43:33she was just waiting,
43:35for the one person,
43:36strong enough,
43:36to bring her home,
43:38Kyle shifted back,
43:39he pulled me,
43:40into his lap,
43:40and held me there,
43:41both of us,
43:42still catching our breath,
43:44the soul,
43:45as I looked at it,
43:46I had no words,
43:47golden pink,
43:48woven together,
43:49so completely,
43:51they'd become,
43:51a single color,
43:52that didn't exist,
43:53anywhere else,
43:55he said into my hair,
43:57from the moment,
43:57you chose me,
43:58at the ball,
44:00I didn't know,
44:01what you were,
44:03but I knew,
44:03you were something,
44:04the world hadn't seen before,
44:07you were just waiting,
44:08for someone,
44:08to finally find you,
44:10I never let myself,
44:11dream this far,
44:12in my last life,
44:13I was too busy,
44:14holding someone else,
44:15to ever look up,
44:15for myself,
44:16now I sat,
44:17at the highest seat,
44:18in the council hall,
44:19Kyle beside me,
44:20every alpha,
44:21in the middle of his heads,
44:23the intelligence network,
44:25was mine,
44:25the land rights,
44:26were mine,
44:27to grant or revoke,
44:28the power,
44:29I had spent a lifetime,
44:29building for someone else,
44:31it was finally,
44:32in my own hands,
44:33and then they brought,
44:34in Lucian,
44:35he dragged himself,
44:37across the stone floor,
44:38on his hands,
44:38he reached my boots,
44:40and stretched out,
44:41one trembling hand,
44:42toward the hem of my robes,
44:44a guard stepped forward,
44:45his sword flashed,
44:47the blade stopped,
44:48an inch from Lucian's fingers,
44:49Lucian didn't even register,
44:51he just started,
44:52sitting over,
44:53this isn't right,
44:55that seat belongs to me,
44:57you were my instrument,
44:58Zara,
44:59I promised to make you,
45:00my Luna,
45:01why isn't that enough,
45:02for you,
45:03get down,
45:04help me up there,
45:05that's where I'm supposed to be,
45:07I looked at him,
45:07for a long moment,
45:08I remembered the last line,
45:10the rebel wolves,
45:11had us surrounded,
45:12he didn't reach for me,
45:14he didn't hesitate,
45:15he turned and ran,
45:16and when they caught him anyway,
45:18he offered me up,
45:19to buy himself another day,
45:20and at the very end,
45:21he was the one,
45:22who forced the wolf's van,
45:23down my throat,
45:24he was the one,
45:25who gave Celeste,
45:26my title and my burial,
45:28he threw my body,
45:29to the crows,
45:30and now he was,
45:31on the floor of my hall,
45:32demanding I come down,
45:33and handed our back to him,
45:35I looked at his soul,
45:36there was nothing left in my head,
45:38hold him,
45:39the guards pinned him,
45:40to the stone,
45:41he crashed,
45:42he tried to bite,
45:43he screamed,
45:44until his voice cracked,
45:45they forced his jaw open,
45:47and I poured the wolf's bane myself,
45:49a quick death,
45:50would have been mercy,
45:51and I had none left,
45:52to give him,
45:53this was something else,
45:55a slow,
45:56total erasure,
45:57first,
45:57the taste would go,
45:59then the smell of air,
46:00then the light,
46:01fading at the edges,
46:02dimming inward,
46:03then sound,
46:04then touch,
46:05then nothing at all,
46:06a living body,
46:07with no world left inside it,
46:09trapped in the dark,
46:10he had always carried,
46:11with nothing for company,
46:12but his own guilt,
46:13it took a week,
46:14the guard came to me,
46:15on a quiet morning,
46:16and delivered the news,
46:17without ceremony,
46:19Lucian was dead,
46:20died in total silence,
46:22total darkness,
46:23without a single sensation,
46:25to mark the end,
46:26what should we do,
46:27with the body,
46:27I didn't look up,
46:28for my work,
46:29take it outside the territory,
46:31no rats,
46:32no marker,
46:33leave nothing,
46:35I gave his remains,
46:36exactly what he gave mine,
46:38down to the last detail,
46:39the account was closed,
46:41the fire had burned down,
46:43to embers,
46:43the room was almost quiet,
46:47Kyle's arms,
46:48came around my waist,
46:49from behind,
46:50his breath was warm,
46:51and even against my neck,
46:56you went to see him today,
46:58I did,
46:59I watched a monster,
47:01reach the end he earned,
47:02I leaned back into him,
47:04are you jealous,
47:05of a dead man Kyle,
47:06a low sound in his chest,
47:08not quite a laugh,
47:09he reached up slowly,
47:10and found the knot,
47:11of the silk blindfold,
47:12I still wore in public,
47:14worked it loose,
47:15let it fall,
47:16the moonlight came,
47:17through the window,
47:18neither of us,
47:19spoke for a while,
47:20then he took my hand,
47:21and guided it to his chest,
47:22pressed it flat,
47:23right above his heart,
47:24Zara tell me,
47:25what color it is,
47:26I laughed,
47:26soft surprised by it,
47:28I closed my eyes,
47:29and turned everything,
47:30I had heard him,
47:31this man,
47:31who gave me his trust,
47:32before I deserved it,
47:34who stood up,
47:34in front of an army,
47:35to unmake seven years,
47:36of his own,
47:37carefully constructed lie,
47:38who fought his way,
47:39to a throne,
47:40he didn't want,
47:41just so I could stand,
47:42beside him on equal ground,
47:43his soul,
47:44I don't have the words,
47:45for it,
47:46even now,
47:46a pillar of gold,
47:47deep and unwavering,
47:49and running through,
47:49the heart of it,
47:50a tide of pink,
47:51so rich and so dark,
47:52it looked like,
47:53the last light of a sunset,
47:54seen through clear water,
47:55the kind of color time,
47:56can't bleach,
47:57the most beautiful thing,
47:58I've ever seen,
48:00and I've seen,
48:01a lot of ugly things,
48:03his arms,
48:03tightened around me,
48:05describe it,
48:06you wanna hear it,
48:07I turned in his arms,
48:09found his chest,
48:10pressed my lips,
48:11to the place above his heart,
48:12and held them there,
48:13I don't think any language,
48:15is the right words,
48:16I looked up at him,
48:17I have the rest of my life,
48:18to try,
48:19to try,
48:20to try,
48:25to try.
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