97- The Weight of Trust
POV Lunara Grimwald:
“It’s true. She said she was going to drown, that she was tired of swimming and couldn’t find the shore, so the wolf took control to save their lives—and they argued. They actually talked to each other. But Mom said it only happened once.”
“What a lie,” mocked another boy. “I’ve never heard of that.”
I doubted it even more. My wolf behaved so primitively that I couldn’t even imagine the possibility of hearing her speak to me. But I loved listening to the pups’ stories, discovering the legends passed down from generation to generation in each pack, whispered to the wind.
“And if the elders die, we’ll die too,” declared a blue-eyed cub.
“Why?”
He shrugged, his skinny little body swaying.
“I don’t know. That’s what my mom told me. She said if they die, we’ll catch fire—that’s why the leaders don’t fight.”
A little girl sighed.
“And there’s the story that the supreme alphas must find their destined mates. Only then will they live in peace.” She blinked dreamily, sounding romantic.
There were so many suppositions, so many legends, it was impossible to tell whether they were just stories or if there was some grain of truth buried in the words.
Celindra clapped her hands.
“All right, little wolves, let’s get back to our activities.” She looked at me. “I’m sure Lunara is fascinated by every story you’ve told.”
I nodded, hiding the shadow of a smile.
“Of course,” I agreed. “I wish I knew a legend too, to share with you.”
“Now Lunara will go to the kitchen to prepare the snacks. What do you say?”
They cheered and jumped excitedly. Celindra threw me a look, silently pleading for me to take on the task. I winked and nodded with a small gesture of my head.
It was a pleasure to spend time with her at the school, helping with the tasks and with the pups. They were incredible—sweet and well-mannered. At first, they were shy around me, hardly speaking, only answering with nods. But as time passed, they got used to my presence, as I slowly earned each of their trust.
The school had ready-made snacks prepared by others. It was always something practical and simple—fruits, bread, homemade cookies, or cake. But unlike the others, I enjoyed decorating them, cutting the fruits into different shapes, as well as the slices of bread.
I stepped into the adjoining room, a small kitchen. The school was simple, made of wood and stone. The desks and chairs had been carved by the males of the pack, just like the rest of the furniture. Edric sent for the materials from the city, as well as the textbooks that helped them learn to read and write.
“I saw Thalira running from Edric earlier,” whispered one of the omegas who worked in the kitchen.
They were Thalira’s friends—Ileana and Petronela, two wolves as... pleasant as their companion. The two didn’t usually come to the school every day—they were responsible for preparing the snacks—but since I had volunteered for the task, they took advantage and started skipping a few days a week. I wasn’t paid for it, so I did their work for free. Of course, they loved that.
“Really?” asked Petronela, shaking her red hair.
“Yes,” confirmed Ileana. “From what I saw, he pushed her away. He’s been pretty harsh lately.”
“Well, of all the things I imagined I’d see in my life, that one wasn’t on the list.”
Ileana nodded.
“Neither did I. After all those years, everything they went through together...” she murmured, pitying her friend’s situation.
“Edric discarded Thalira as if she meant nothing.”
I froze, absorbing what that meant.
My wolf was ecstatic, purring with delight, as if something wonderful had just happened. I, on the other hand, felt indifferent. He was taking a stand—showing me the respect he had promised.
But... if he could do that to an omega—to the she-wolf who had shared his worst moments, who had been his lover for fifty years—what assurance did I have that he wouldn’t do the same to me?
My heart raced, and I felt a sting in my chest, like something cutting me from the inside out.
Nothing could assure me of that. Absolutely nothing.
He wasn’t a liar like Alessio, but he had already proven he would do anything to achieve his goals, no matter what they were. He was keeping his promise to make Eldoria a good place for me to live, and he was searching for Elowen.
But what about my heart?
I still bore the scars Alessio had left, but I managed to piece myself back together. Would I survive another alpha’s disregard? The negative answer didn’t surprise me at all.
Thalira was a damned bitch, but she had been someone important in Edric’s past—someone he had relied on, someone with whom he had shared his pain—and now he was treating her with contempt, abandoning her after everything they had been through.
I had trusted too many people, and most of them had shown me that it was my greatest mistake. Though I felt something for him, I couldn’t let myself be swept away and foolish again.
It had been that way with my parents; it had been that way with Alessio; and it could be that way with Edric.
My father treated me as if I were worthless, nothing more than a trophy, a political object for him to manipulate. He forced me to marry Alessio, stealing my entire childhood and adolescence for himself, molding me into the perfect wife. I never questioned it—I accepted my fate as the daughter of the Twilight pack’s leader. I was to be the salvation of the pack; my pups would carry on our lineage.
What a terrible mistake.
He only wanted power; he didn’t care about my feelings or my choices. I was just a means to an end.
I grew up carrying that burden, accepting it without letting it crush me, even though I was aware of the scars. I was ready to play my part. But then came the second disappointment, the one that shattered my heart completely.
All my life, I had been used and discarded. My father used me to get what he wanted, and Alessio to fulfill his revenge. Neither cared for me, nor for my feelings. I was just an object.
Plain and simple.