SILVER HOLLOW FAYE I needed air, I couldn’t stay in that house a second longer…not with all the whispers, the forced smiles, the weight of everything pressing down on my chest. I thought I could handle it, but it still stings. I walked out into the woods behind the pack house, hoping to catch my breath. Tonight, Jason became Alpha of Silver Hollow, and my sister—Sage—sat where I was supposed to be as his Luna. I was supposed to be long gone before this celebration even started, but Alpha Alexander left without me. He said someone would come for me tomorrow. Just like that, like I was luggage to be picked up…like I hadn’t just been handed off to a stranger to salvage an alliance. I didn’t realize anyone was following me until I heard my name. “Faye.” I stopped and turned…it was him. Jason. He was still wearing the same ceremonial cloak from the crowning ceremony. There were pine needles in his hair. His expression was half smug, half… I don’t know, something else. Like he still thought he had some kind of claim over me. I didn’t want to look at him, but I held my ground. “What do you want, Alpha Jason?” He gave me that stupid smirk. “You don’t have to call me that. Come on, Faye, we both know things could’ve gone differently. You were supposed to be the one sitting beside me tonight as Luna.” I stared at him, my nails dug into my palms. He went on like he hadn’t just ripped me in half. “But fate had other plans…I saw something in Sage, something I couldn’t ignore. I know you only found out yesterday, but it didn’t just start yesterday…we wanted to tell you but the time never felt right.” “Oh, did you?” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “At what point did you finally decide it was better I found out myself, was it before or after you marked her while still mated to me?” He flinched…barely, but I saw it. Good. “Look, I know it wasn’t ideal,” he said, trying to sound reasonable. “But everything happened so fast, I didn’t plan for things to go that way.” “You didn’t plan?” I almost laughed. “That’s your excuse? So what, you just… fell into bed with my sister? By accident?” “I was confused, alright?” he snapped, then softened his voice again. “You know how complicated these bonds can be, I didn’t want to hurt you.” “You didn’t want to hurt me?” I repeated, voice rising. “Jason, you almost destroyed me.” He stepped closer, and I could smell his scent… it used to draw me in, but now it just makes me want to hold my breath. “I just don’t want bad energy between us, Faye. I know you’re leaving soon, but the packs are allied now. We should be able to move forward… stay friends.” Friends. I looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Let me get this straight. You humiliated me, broke our bond without warning, and paraded my sister in front of me as your Luna—and now you want to be friends?” I know I was supposed to just brush everything off and act like I didn’t care, but the wound is still fresh, how could I not care? “Faye,” he said, reaching for my arm, “I never stopped caring about you…I swear.” I pulled away instantly. “Don’t.” “Just hear me out—” “No, Jason! You had your chance to talk. You had every chance to be honest.” “You have no idea what it was like,” he said, frustration creeping in. “I had pressure from the elders, from my father, from the pack. Sage—she was there, and she understood me in ways you didn’t.” I laughed…cold and bitter. “Wow! So now it’s my fault? I didn’t understand you? Is that your justification for betrayal?” “That’s not what I’m saying,” he muttered. “Don’t twist my words.” “Then maybe say what you mean for once,” I shot back. “Instead of hiding behind excuses and half-truths.” He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. “Look, I didn’t come here to fight.” “Then why are you here?” I demanded. “To ease your guilt? To see if I still care? What exactly do you want from me, Alpha Jason?” He hesitated. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” I stared at him for a long moment. “You don’t get to care now.” I turned to leave, but then he grabbed my arm. I froze. “I’m not here to fight,” he said quickly, still holding on to me. “I just didn’t want you to stay mad at me. Please, Faye.” I looked down at his hand like it disgusted me… It did actually. “Let go of me,” I said through gritted teeth. “And don’t ever try that again…not even in your dreams.” He raised both hands in mock surrender and released me. “Okay, okay. No need to get hostile. I’m just saying… maybe we can forget what happened and start over.” I actually laughed. “Oh really?” I asked, raising a brow. “You want me to forget that I walked in on you and my sister in bed on the night of our mating ceremony? Or forget that neither of you had the decency to even look sorry?” He stepped closer, reaching out again like a fool. So I slapped him…hard. SLAP! The sound echoed through the trees. Birds scattered above us. “Don’t you ever touch me again,” I said coldly. “How dare you.” He just stood there, holding his cheek, stunned. “You don’t get to rewrite this story, Jason,” I added, voice low. “You made your choice. You threw me away like I meant nothing, so don’t come crawling back trying to make it right now. Go back to your Luna…go back to your lies.” He swallowed hard, still stunned silent. “Enjoy your crown,” I whispered. “Just don’t choke on it.”
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