The Alpha Who Let Me Go

Liora's POV The night came faster than I wanted. The cold still clung to me, even after I shut the apartment door behind me. I hadn't realized how long I'd walked after the bar—maybe hoping the night would swallow me up before the party found me again. It didn't. Instead, I found myself sitting at the edge of my bed, staring down at the napkin the bartender had given me. I had asked who gave it to him.“Found it at the doorstep of the backyard and it spelled your name.” That was his only response.I understood the message clearly. But—“You always look so pale before a party,” I was startled as the words caught me off guard. I immediately slipped the napkin into my coat pocket.“Hello.” Seraphina said again, standing at the doorstep. Her hands were full—one with a garment bag, and the other with a steaming cup of something too herbal to taste good.“Oh gosh! That smells disgusting,” I muttered, dragging myself off the bed.“Good. Your senses are working just fine.”She dropped the

Liora's POV Two guards flanked me, one on either side, each gripping my arms like I might run. I didn't. If I wanted to, I couldn't.Aldric walked ahead of us, silent. And in his hand, crumpled but unmistakable, was the napkin. The napkin with the message—You deserve better. He doesn't see you.He had asked me about it when I opened the door. Who sent it? How did I get it? Since when I've been receiving messages from someone other than him? And I couldn't give him any answers. My lips were only part but no words came through. He had said it like I was seeing someone.My throat went dry. How did he get it? My eyes flicked from the napkin to his clenched jaw. Did Seraphina see it? Did someone else go through my things? Was it even him who found it?I had no answers. Just questions clawing at the inside of my head.The hallway curved toward the big hall where the party was still ongoing but not like when it started. Music still played faintly in the distance—soft but with fading notes

Liora's POV My breath caught in my throat. I stared at it—the silver moon-shaped curve, the faded runes carved along the edges, the thin black cord fraying at the sides. Every inch of it screamed memory. My mother's voice echoed inside me like a ghost I couldn't outrun.Keep it close. When the time comes. It will know where to lead you.But Seraphina… she shouldn't know about this. She shouldn't even be touching it.I took a shaky step forward, my fingers curling into tight fists at my sides. “Where… How did this get to you.”Seraphina tilted her head like a cat toying with a dying bird, letting the pendant swing lazily between her thumb and forefinger. Her smile stayed on her face… but her eyes were filled with curiosity.“This?” She asked sweetly, holding it a little higher, just enough to make me tilt my chin to follow it. “Found it lying on the ground. Figured it wasn't Silverclaw-made. It looks… different.” Her gaze slid over the silver like she was inspecting an artifact. “Old.

Liora's POV Flames danced in the shadows of my memory, licking up the stone walls of our home like wild, hungry beasts. The air was filled with sharp, choking smoke. I could hear the screams. High. Broken. Too many screams.I blinked once and I was there again. The gate of the Crimsonhide had already fallen. They came at night. Not one pack. Not two. But three. Three full packs—each carrying their own banners, their own scents, their own hatred—all merging into one brutal force that stormed the Crimsonhide borders like a tidal wave of claws and fury.We were a small community, mostly women, children and elders. The warriors transformed into their hybrid form—baring fangs, eyes glowing silver and claws tearing through flesh—and they had fought valiantly. Some of the women used their psychic abilities to withstand the opposition. But they were not the only ones who could transform into hybrid form. Everyone could the moment they have their wolf. So, they were outnumbered and their bod

Aldric's POV I didn't say a word as I climbed the stairs. My boots hit the marble like gunfire in an empty hall. Even the guards kept their heads bowed when I passed. And that was really smart of them. Tonight wasn't the night to test me.Tiring appeared from the right corridor, his usual calm face flickering when he saw me. He opened his mouth but I guessed he thought better of it and stepped aside. That's also a size choice. I didn't need his reports, his questions or his concern. I needed silence.That damn conversation still kind of echoed in my skull. Her voice. Her words. “Why the hell would she tell me that?” I muttered under my breath. And I should've been the one walking away, not her. I should've felt nothing… but instead, it burned. I pushed open my chamber door, but before I could even exhale, I froze.Seraphina was already inside.She stood from my chair the moment she saw me, smoothing her red silk dress that left very little to imagination. Her perfume hit first… ye