Farewell, Alpha

In the middle of the night, a fierce pang of hunger jolted me awake.

I walked to the kitchen, only to freeze in my tracks. Silas was home.

He had bought Chloe a massive villa. They lived there together; she cooked for him, spoiled him, and waited for him to come home. Silas was living an enviable life.

He hadn't stepped foot in our house for months.

He was leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window, a cigarette dangling from his lips, watching me with dark, unfathomable eyes.

I kept my head down, trying to walk past him, but he grabbed my wrist. He frowned and asked softly, "How did you get so thin?"

His tone was so gentle, as if he still loved me.

Startled, I violently yanked my hand away. "Silas, what the hell is wrong with you? Are you crazy?"

He stared at his empty palm, the warmth in his eyes freezing over instantly.

I walked to the dining table and stopped dead. Sitting right in the center was an exquisite strawberry cake, its candles unlit.

The phone call hadn't been a dream.

I said I wanted cake, and the great Alpha of the Silvercrown Pack actually went out and bought one. What was this? An olive branch?

But I was dying. I didn't need cake anymore. And I didn't need Silas anymore, either.

I grabbed the box and dumped the entire cake straight into the trash can.

Silas's jaw twitched. Moving with lightning speed across the room, he grabbed my shoulders and slammed me hard against the wall.

"Are you fucking playing with me, Aria?!" he snarled, his fangs elongating.

I smiled, looking him dead in the eye. "Yeah, Silas. I was messing with you. So what?"

"I say I want cake, and you run out to get it like an obedient little dog. Why are you still so pathetic?"

I deliberately twisted the knife deep into his pride. I watched the color drain from his face, instantly replaced by a terrifying, beastly fury.

His wolf was waking up.

He crushed his cigarette against the wall, dragged me into the bedroom, and threw me onto the mattress.

He was out of his mind. Like a wild animal, he ripped the collar of my nightgown.

I fought back fiercely, my fists pounding against his rock-hard chest. "Silas, you bastard! Don't touch me! You disgust me!"

He pinned my legs and trapped me beneath him. Burying his face in my neck, he bit down hard—not the intimate nip of pack mates, but a savage bite that brought tears to my eyes.

"Can't you just be gentle, Aria?" he growled low against my skin. "Do you know how many years I've waited just for you to really look at me? Do you know how happy I was when you called to ask me for a cake?"

"And then you treat me like a joke?" He raised his head, his eyes flashing with the wrath of his wolf, the amber glow reflecting his inner rage.

I fought back my tears and glared at him.

In the dimly lit room, neither of us spoke. Neither was willing to surrender.

Silas lowered his head, his lips hovering mere inches from mine—when his phone rang.

It was Chloe.

Silas stiffened, but he still answered it.

I could hear her crying through the receiver. "Silas... did you abandon me for Aria? You said you loved me... I'm at a neutral territory bar right now, and some men are following me... I'm so scared. Please come save me..."

Silas didn't answer her. He just stared down at me, a cruel smile touching the corners of his mouth.

"Beg me, Aria," he commanded softly. "Beg me to stay. Just say the word, and I won't leave."

He had forgotten. A long time ago, I had swallowed my pride, fallen to my knees at his feet, and begged. "Silas, can we please just talk? Can we stop torturing each other? Could you just be gentle with me?"

That day, Silas looked at me with eyes as cold as ice and said, "You don't deserve it, Aria."

Those words had festered in my chest for years, brewing into a rich, malicious torment.

Today, I could finally say them back.

I grabbed his collar, pulled him close, and whispered, "You don't deserve it, Silas."

He went completely rigid.

Then, he covered his eyes with one hand and let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Fuck!"

He brought the phone back to his ear. "Stay there. I'm coming to get you."

He stood up without looking back, walked out, and slammed the door behind him.