The entire council, the elders, the other Alphas… they all underestimated her.
And now, they stand in awe of what she has built.
And so do I.
I swallow hard, stepping forward before I can lose
my
resolve.
“Siena.” My voice comes out rough, unfamiliar.
She turns, surprise flickering across her face before it fades into polite neutrality.
“Alpha.” The word is formal, impersonal.
It shouldn’t hurt.
But it does.
“May I speak with you privately?” I ask.
For a moment, I think she might refuse.
But then, after a measured pause, she nods. “Of course.”
I follow her to a secluded conference room, my heart pounding with uncharacteristic uncertainty. The door closes behind us, sealing us away from the watching eyes of the competition grounds.
Siena folds her arms across her chest, waiting.
I don’t know where to start.
You’re my mate.
I don’t want to lose you.
I never stopped loving you–I was just too much of a coward to admit it.
Instead, I blurt out, “I’ve been thinking about our marriage.”
Siena tenses immediately.
2/4
TUM, 22 AUT
Chapter 67
I see the way her shoulders go rigid, the way her lips press into a thin line.
16%
“Raiden,” she says slowly, carefully, “the competition results are expected. I understand that Silverfang will likely triumph. Windhowl accepts this outcome.”
It’s a diplomatic response, cool and professional, but it guts me all the same.
Because she thinks that’s why I called her here.
She thinks I care about standings more than her,
And that’s how completely she has given up on me.
I exhale sharply, raking a hand through my hair. “That’s not what this is about.”
She watches me warily. “Then what is it about?”
I hesitate. Not because I don’t know the answer–because I don’t know if I have the right to say it.
I take a step closer.
Siena doesn’t back away, but she doesn’t move toward me either.
Her walls are still up.
I don’t blame her.
I’ve given her every reason to doubt me.
“I was wrong about you,” I admit, my voice low. “About… so many things.”
A flicker of emotion crosses her face, too quick for me to decipher.
But then her chin lifts, her expression unreadable. “It took you this long to realize that?”
I flinch, but I deserve that.
“Yes.” The word comes out raw. “It did.”
She exhales, shaking her head as if she doesn’t understand why we’re having this conversation.
“Raiden,” she says, and there’s exhaustion in her voice now. “We don’t need to do this. We’re past this.”
“No.” I shake my head. “I don’t think we are.”
Siena’s brow furrows slightly, but she remains silent, waiting.
I force myself to meet her gaze, to say what I should have said a long time ago.
“I never saw you,” I admit. “Not the way I should have.”
Her lips part slightly, but she doesn’t speak.
“I thought I knew who you were, but I was only ever seeing what I wanted to see. And when you didn’t fit into that, I… I pushed you away. Over and over.” I take a breath, my chest tight. “But you never stopped trying. Even when I made it impossible.”
A shadow flickers in her eyes, something wounded and wary.
15:11 Tue, 22 Apr
Chapter 67
73%
“I thought you only cared about power,” I continue. “I thought you were trying to manipulate me, to control me, when all you ever wanted was to be my partner. To stand beside me, not above me. And I” My throat tightens. “I failed you”
Siena inhales sharply, her fingers curling at her sides.
For a long moment, she doesn’t say anything.
Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she asks, “Why are you telling me this now?”
I don’t have an answer.
Because I don’t know.
Because I should have told her this years ago.
Because maybe, just maybe, I don’t want to let her go,
But how can I ask her to stay when I’ve given her every reason to leave?
Siena studies me for a long, searching moment.
Then, softly, she says, “I spent years waiting for you to say those things.”
My stomach twists.
“But I’m not that woman anymore, Raiden.You have made your choices, and so….so have I.”
I don’t know what hurts more–the words themselves or the
With finality.
With absolute certainty.
Like she’s already walked away.
And maybe… she has.
way she says them.