5- Five Minutes

Five minutes.

That was all Alpha Zarius had granted me.

Five minutes to say goodbye to the only life I had ever known.

I stood frozen, staring into nothingness. 

The mark on my neck still throbbed, a cruel reminder that my fate had been decided without my consent. 

“Come.” He called his men.

Behind me, the warriors of Sapphire Blood obeyed with absolute silence.

No one dared rush their Alpha or dared to question him. With sharp nods, they followed their Alpha outside. 

The entire village watched me with pity.

I hated it.

I hated every pair of sympathetic eyes.

Most of all… I hated the man standing only a few steps away.

“Eve–” 

Robbie tried to reach but my mother pushed past him and engulfed me in a tight hug.

“Oh, my baby!” 

She broke into a miserable sob, clutching onto me with no intention of releasing.

“I am sorry… I am so sorry this happened to you…” 

“I'll be fine,” I whispered, neither of us believed it.

We all knew I wouldn't be. I only said it so they won’t be sad. 

She cupped my face with trembling hands.

“You don't have to be brave.”

“I know.” I smiled through my tears. “But, I must be.” 

“Eve…”  Father approached next.

For the first time in my life, the Alpha of Silver Pine looked defeated. He had no command, no strategy and especially no power.

“I failed you, baby…” He rested a hand on my head, releasing a painful tear.

"I couldn't protect my own daughter. I am a failure as a father.” 

"No. You are not. Please, Papa, don’t say that.” 

I wrapped my arms around him. He held me tightly, as if trying to memorize the feeling while kissing my head.

“I'm sorry…”

“So am I.”

When we finally pulled apart, neither of us could look at the other.

Because we both knew.

This wasn't a farewell.

It was an ending.

I tried to turn my heart stone-cold and not spare a glance at the man who betrayed me yet my eyes searched the crowd.

They searched… Until they found Robbie.

He stood alone, his shoulders slumped, gaze downcast. He hadn't looked at me once. 

How could he? After what he did to me.

I walked toward him slowly, each step was heavier than the last. 

When I finally stood before him, he still refused to meet my eyes, gritting his teeth.

“...Look at me.” 

He lowered his head more.

“Robbie.” My voice trembled. “Please. Look at me for the last time.”

He slowly lifted his head. 

The guilt in his eyes hurt more than anger ever could. Tears began to blur his vision, searching for the right words–there were none.

“You told him... Why?”

Silence.

I grabbed his shirt weakly.

“I am asking why, Robbie. Why did you do this to me?” 

An unwanted sob left my lips.

He closed his eyes briefly, giving a hurried response, “I did what was necessary.”

His reply shattered my leftover strength. 

“Necessary? To sacrifice your lover was necessary?” I whimpered.

I hit his chest, pushing him back with a trail of tears rolling down my cheeks. 

“You promised, Robbie…” I cried wretchedly.

“You promised you would protect me… that you would keep it a secret!” 

His expression twisted with pain. 

I hit him again for the last time, his back hit the nearby stone wall.

I broke, letting out a scream that was filled with nothing but pain.

“You were supposed to save me!”

He clenched his fists tightly, “I couldn't.”

“You didn't even try!”

“I tried to save everyone.”

I stared at him.

Unable to understand. Unable to forgive. Unable to forget. 

"You chose them..." I let out an unstable voice, “...instead of me."

I stepped back. 

Another, then another.

The man standing before me had become a stranger.

Father's voice thundered across the courtyard.

“My daughter loved you, she trusted you.” 

His eyes squeezed shut, “I know, Alpha.” 

“And you handed her to him?” 

Robbie didn’t dare to look up from shame. 

“Robbie Ashford.”

Every head turned. 

My father’s voice was colder than ever, he was trembling with rage, tears shining in his eyes. 

"You betrayed your future Luna. You betrayed this family. You betrayed our trust.”

Robbie remained motionless. Mentally, he had already accepted the punishment.

“From this day forward…” Father pointed toward the village gates. 

“..You are exiled from the Silver Pine pack.”

A collective gasp spread through the crowd. 

“You will never again call this pack your home.”

Robbie bowed his head, roughly wiping the single tear that escaped. 

“I… I accept your judgment.”

Not once did he defend himself.

Not once did he beg to stay.

He simply turned away. 

And walked.

I watched him disappear beyond the gates without looking back..

A part of me wanted to call his name.

Another part wanted to hate him forever.

Before I could reach an outcome, the dominant voice cut through the tension.

“Time’s up, little one.” 

Five minutes were already over?

I didn’t get enough time to cry on my parents shoulders, to tell them how much I loved them.

I wiped my tears away, giving my parents’ hands a one last squeeze before pulling away and turning towards the man who owned my soul.

He hadn't moved an inch.

Yet somehow… It felt as though he had been waiting for me all along.

His eyes settled on my face, scanning me up and down.

“End of a love story?” 

My face twisted with fury, “I'll never forgive you.”

His expression didn't change. 

“Doesn’t matter.” 

He turned around, gestured with one finger to follow

I took one final look at my home.

My parents.

At the people I loved.

At the village where my life had begun... and ended.

With hatred burning brighter than fear, I followed the monster who had stolen everything from me.