I had died just as he wanted, so why did he look like he was breaking?
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Chapter 7
- 15 BONUS
Aside from that brief moment when Connor saw my ring and let his sorrow slip through, he never showed grief again.
Life went on as usual. He worked, he led, he ruled–unshaken, as if nothing had changed.
But old habits betrayed him when he returned to the castle we’d once shared. He would instinctively reach back to hand off his
coat, calling my name–only to be met with silence.
Then, realizing I wasn’t there, a flicker of confusion would cross his face before he recovered, as if the moment never happened.
When the Blackclaw Pack’s festival approached, his warriors brought him reports on the supplies and preparations.
Frustrated, he waved them off. “Just let Luna handle it. Don’t bother me with this.”
Then, seeing their hesitant silence, that same confusion flickered again.
I understood his reaction all too well. When my father died in battle, I reacted the same way. There was only numbness, a strange sense of detachment whenever his name was mentioned. It wasn’t until it happened over and over that the numbness gave way to
grief.
His warrior once told me that I had struggled to accept my father’s death because I had loved him too much, and that was why I couldn’t bear to face reality.
So why was Connor reacting the same way?
Did he love me?
The thought was absurd. He was the one responsible for my death. How could he possibly love me?
Yet, strangely enough, despite knowing I was dead, Connor refused to bury me. He ordered his warriors to keep my body locked away in the ice chambers.
The elders urged him to cremate me, to lay me to rest. He ignored them every time.
Then came the night of the annual festival.
Connor stood before the gathered pack, his voice steady. He honored the fallen warriors who had died protecting the pack, speaking of their sacrifice and bravery. His words rang with conviction, and his presence was commanding.
The crowd watched him in reverence as he lifted the torch, ready to light the ceremonial pyre
Then–instinctively–he reached back
His fingers grasped nothing but empty air.
I knew in an instant what had happened. He had been reaching for me. Every year, I had stood beside him during this moment. Every year, our hands held the torch together, and we lit the pyre together.
His triumphant expression froze. The torch slipped from his grasp, landing in the dirt.
A tremor ran through his body. He could no longer hold it in.
He fell to his knees and broke into sobs.
+15 BONUS
15 BONUS
Chapter 8
When Connor finally accepted that I would never return, he drowned himself in alcohol.
Sometimes, in his drunken stupor, he would curse my name, calling me a cruel woman for how I had treated Belinda.
But more often, he would scream for me, stumbling into the ice chamber where my corpse was kept, pressing desperate kisses
against my decaying flesh
Even 1, the owner of that body, found it revolting.
When his drinking began interfering with his duties, the elders could no longer stand idly by. They summoned Belinda, hoping
she could pull him from his downward spiral.
She arrived just in time to witness the nightmare–Connor clutching my rotting corpse in his arms.
Her face turned deathly pale. A gag tore from her throat, and she doubled over, retching.
“Alpha, what are you doing?”
onger mattered.
But Connor didn’t respond. He just held onto me, drinking like the world outside no longer
Belinda lingered at the entrance, horror flickering across her face. But after a long hesitation, she finally stepped forward, steeling herself, and snatched the bottle from his grip.
Connor lashed out in blind fury, his hand locking around her throat, squeezing until she was on the verge of suffocation. Only
then did he recognize her.
Horror flashed across his face as he hastily let go. “Belinda–God, what have I done?”
Belinda clutched her throat, greedily sucking in air.
Fear flickered in her gaze for a moment, but she quickly smoothed her expression and tried to comfort him. “It’s okay, Alpha. I
know you’re just overwhelmed with grief.”
She paused before carefully asking, “Alpha… are you in so much pain because you loved Luna?”
Connor stiffened, like a wounded beast backed into a corner. “Love her?” He let out a bitter laugh. “That’s ridiculous! I only
married her to secure her father’s former allies, to strengthen my position.”
Then, a shaky breath escaped him, a single tear betraying his carefully constructed façade. “So why… why this unbearable
hurt?”
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