ElaraMy knees were pressed into the cold stone as I begged—really begged—for the first time in my life. My voice was hoarse, scraped raw from crying, yet I couldn’t stop. I clung to the only thing I had left: the memory of who my father used to be.“Papa… please,” I whispered, trying to reach him even as the ritual circle glowed sickly around me. I only called him Papa when we were alone, “Do you remember when you used to lift me onto your shoulders so I could reach the moonflowers on the balcony? You said I was your little star. You said stars were meant to shine, not to be caged.”He flinched a little but I saw it. The armor around his heart wasn’t impenetrable after all.Gerald stood near the altar, masking his impatience poorly. The priestess waited beside him, her hands hovering over the bowl that would sever my bond and bind my wolf. Her eyes were blank, like this horror was merely another day’s work.I swallowed hard and leaned forward, my voice, desperate. “Papa… when I broke
Last Updated : 2025-11-27 Read more