Chapter three: The Choice revised

Chapter 3: The Choice

Silas’s POV

I stood in the clearing, the moonlight washing over me as the weight of Lucan’s words hung heavily in the air. The pull of the bond with Lillias MacCrae throbbed in my chest, an undeniable force that I couldn’t ignore. But neither could I ignore the past that lingered like a shadow, threatening to swallow me whole.

You can’t outrun the past, Lucan’s voice echoed in my mind, biting and true.

I clenched my jaw, the taste of bitterness sour in my mouth. I knew he was right. The fire, the betrayal, the things I had done… they couldn’t just be forgotten, no matter how far I ran. And now, with Lillias—an Alpha’s daughter, the future of a powerful pack—bound to me by fate, I found myself standing at a crossroads.

I had always known that one day my past would catch up with me. I’d thought I could live a life of solitude, away from the pack, away from the politics and the power struggles that had once consumed me. But fate had a different plan.

She deserves a better future than what we can give her, I thought, the guilt eating at me.

My wolf, Rafe , growled in frustration within me. You can’t deny her, Silas. She’s our mate. She’s already tied to us, whether you like it or not.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to clear my mind, but the pull of the bond with Lillias was overwhelming. It wasn’t just physical; it was spiritual, primal. It called to me from across the distance, and I couldn’t ignore it.

The longer I stayed away, the harder it became to resist.

“Dammit,” I muttered under my breath.

Lucan stepped closer, his sharp gaze never leaving me. “You’re not thinking clearly, Silas. You know this won’t end well if you ignore it. The MacCraes won’t just let you take their princess without a fight.”

I felt my heart tighten at the thought of what could happen if I tried to claim Lillias. Alpha Callum wouldn’t hesitate to tear me apart if he thought I posed a threat to his daughter. And with my past hanging over me like a storm cloud, I had no doubt he would see me as just that—dangerous, reckless, a risk to everything he had built.

“I’m not here to start a war,” I said, my voice low and steady.

“You’re already in one,” Lucan shot back. “Whether you like it or not, Silas. The question is, what are you going to do about it?”

I closed my eyes, leaning against the tree behind me. The coolness of the bark against my back did nothing to calm the chaos inside me. I had always been a lone wolf, moving from place to place, never staying long enough to make ties, to make connections. And now, I had been forced to face the one bond I could never escape.

Lillias.

Her face flashed in my mind again, her violet eyes shining in the moonlight, filled with curiosity, strength, and a vulnerability I hadn’t expected. She was so different from me. She deserved peace, safety, a future free from the violence that had followed me for years. And yet, fate had bound us together.

But I couldn’t drag her into this world—the world I had left behind.

“I don’t have the right,” I said quietly, almost to myself.

Lucan raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. “You’re not the one who gets to decide that. The Moon Goddess doesn’t care about your guilt or your past. She chose you, Silas. You and Lillias. You don’t get to turn your back on her.”

I shook my head, the conflict inside me only deepening.

“I didn’t ask for this,” I muttered.

“No one ever does,” Lucan replied with a shrug. “But the question remains. Will you take what the Moon Goddess has given you, or will you run from it? Because once you meet her, there’s no turning back.”

I felt the weight of his words settle in my chest, and I couldn’t escape them.

There’s no turning back, Rafe agreed softly. She’s ours. You’ll never be able to forget her.

“I know,” I whispered, my voice breaking through the silence. “But I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”

Lucan stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You don’t have to be ready. You just have to be honest with her. That’s the only way you’ll know if this is meant to be.”

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure I believed him. The choice wasn’t that simple.

With one last look at me, Lucan turned and began to walk away, but not before adding one final comment.

“Just remember, Silas, there’s no easy way out of this. Not anymore.”

As his footsteps faded into the night, I was left alone with my thoughts and the haunting tug of the bond that connected me to Lillias. I could no longer ignore the truth—I had a choice to make, and whichever path I took, the future would never be the same.

Would I walk away from her, from the bond that seemed to call me with every breath? Or would I face the past and the consequences of my actions in the hope that Lillias and I could build something stronger than the weight of our shared fate?

I didn’t know. But I had to decide soon.