Chapter four: The weight of Fate revised

Chapter 4: The Weight of Fate

Lillias’s POV

The night was heavy with the quiet tension of a thousand unsaid things. I stood by the window of my chambers in the MacCrae Keep, watching the moon cast its silver glow across the sprawling forest. The wind carried the scent of pine and damp earth, but it was the faint trace of something else—something new—that tugged at my senses.

I knew he was out there.

My wolf, Scarlett, had sensed him too. The moment he had crossed into our territory, the bond had vibrated deep within me, a sharp tug that I couldn’t ignore. It was as if something within me recognized him, even though I had never seen him before.

“Why now?” I whispered, my voice almost lost in the quiet of the room.

Scarlett growled low in my mind, a rumble of agreement. He’s close, Lillias. We feel it, don’t we?

I nodded, though the question had already been answered. It wasn’t just my wolf that sensed him—it was something deeper. Something that tied us together, across the distance. A connection I couldn’t explain. A bond I wasn’t ready for.

I had heard whispers of an Alpha—one who had left his pack under mysterious circumstances. An outcast, they called him. The stories painted him as a rogue, someone who had betrayed his own, who carried blood on his hands. They said he was dangerous. But there was something in my heart, something raw and unspoken, that told me there was more to this man than what the rumors had claimed.

And now, here he was. My mate.

I turned from the window, walking slowly toward the center of the room, where my reflection stared back at me from the polished surface of the floor. My pale skin, the deep violet of my eyes, the sharp lines of my features—all of it seemed like a mask, a carefully crafted image for the world to see. The princess, the heir to the MacCrae legacy, standing on the precipice of a future that was not her own.

The weight of my duty pressed down on me, as it always did. The burden of being the chosen one, the daughter of the Alpha, the one who would carry the pack’s legacy forward. The expectations were unyielding, suffocating even. I had been raised to rule, to uphold our traditions, to marry for power and alliance.

And yet, here I was, standing at the edge of something that defied everything I had ever known. A mate—someone who could change everything.

But he’s an outcast, I reminded myself, my chest tightening. The rumors say he’s dangerous.

Scarlett whimpered in my mind, a soft but insistent sound that filled my senses. He is ours, Lillias. Don’t deny it. The bond is too strong.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. The bond was real. The pull was undeniable. But how could I reconcile the woman I was supposed to be with the woman my heart was beginning to crave?

I had always believed that my path was laid out before me. I was destined to marry another, someone who would be a strong match for our pack. A mate who would complement my strengths, who would stand by my side in the eyes of the MacCrae elders and the other packs. Someone who would help solidify our place in the world.

But the moment my eyes had caught that flash of dark hair in the distance—when my wolf had first growled in response to his presence—I knew that the path I had envisioned for myself had just shattered.

I paced the room, my thoughts a whirlwind. I didn’t know what to do. How could I choose between my duty to my pack and the call of my own heart?

What if he is the one I’ve been waiting for? Scarlett whispered, her voice filled with both excitement and trepidation. What if we’re meant to be together, Lillias?

I stopped in my tracks, my breath catching in my throat. Could it really be that simple? Could I leave behind everything I had been raised to be, everything my father and the pack expected of me, for a man I barely knew? A man whose past was shrouded in darkness?

I closed my eyes, letting the bond grow stronger, letting it guide me. There was a pull, yes—but it wasn’t just physical. There was something more. A recognition deep within me. A piece of my soul that seemed to know him, even from afar.

But if I follow him, will I lose myself? I asked quietly, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

Scarlett didn’t hesitate. You will never lose yourself, Lillias. We are strong. And together, we can create something new.

My breath steadied, the swirling doubts in my mind momentarily quieted by the certainty in Scarlett’s words. I had always been taught that my worth was tied to my title, to my bloodline. That my destiny was already written in stone. But was it really?

I couldn’t deny that the bond between Silas and me was real. It pulsed with energy, with history, with something that felt older than time itself. The Moon Goddess had chosen us—together.

For the first time in my life, I realized that I might have a choice. I didn’t have to follow the path that had been laid out for me. I didn’t have to be a puppet to the traditions of my pack.

I could choose a new path.

But it wouldn’t be easy.

My father’s voice echoed in my mind, warning me of the consequences. The pack’s future, my duty, the alliances I had spent my life cultivating—they were all at risk.

But I deserve a life of my own, I thought firmly. I deserve to be more than just a title, a bargaining chip.

And with that, the decision began to solidify in my heart.

I didn’t know what the future would hold, or what my bond with Silas would mean. But I knew one thing for sure: I couldn’t ignore the call of fate.

I was already tied to him.

And I would follow wherever it led.