Chapter 25

The sun was dipping lower, casting a warm, amber glow over the land of the Moonlight Pack as I settled into the quiet comfort of my new home with my mother. I should've felt at ease here, but the air felt thick with the weight of memories and grief left unspoken.

Then the silence was broken by the arrival of Kayden and Francis, two faces from my past I'd hoped to never see again. They stood awkwardly, looking out of place, regret written across their faces so clearly it was almost laughable. Regret. That one emotion they hadn't felt when I needed it most.

Damon, my Alpha King, rested a steady hand on my shoulder, grounding me in the present. He was my anchor, reminding me to hold it together. I didn't want to hear their excuses, but still, I faced them.

"Malinda," Kayden started, his voice unsteady, eyes searching my face for any sign of forgiveness. "We... we needed to see you. Please, let us explain. Let us... make things right."

I locked eyes with them, my gaze as cold as ice. "Explain?" I asked, my voice sharper than I meant. "Explain what, exactly? How you stood by while my father died? How you chose Sharon over our pack?"

Kayden flinched, his shoulders sagging like my words had struck him physically. But I didn't relent. Not yet.

Francis, always the quieter one, took a shaky breath. "We... we're sorry, Malinda," he stammered, voice barely audible. "We should've been there for you. For your father..."

The anger I'd held back since that day surged to the surface, igniting every nerve in my body. "Should've?" I practically spat the word, my fury barely contained. "He's dead, Francis. Dead. Do you think 'sorry' changes that?"

Kayden's gaze dropped to the ground, his hands clenching into fists as my words landed hard. I could see the shame in his eyes, but it was too little, too late.

"I know, Malinda," he whispered, barely audible. "But please... let us make it right."

A bitter laugh ripped from my throat, unbidden and harsh. I raised a trembling hand and, before I could stop myself, I slapped him. The sound of it cracked through the air, loud and final.

Kayden's head snapped to the side, frozen in shock, his hand going to his cheek where I'd struck him. Francis's face drained of color, but he didn't move.

"Where were you?" I demanded, my voice breaking as memories flooded back like a crushing wave. "Where were you when my father was bleeding out, lying alone on that battlefield? Where were you when our pack needed you the most? Weren't you too busy rushing to Sharon's side?"

Francis couldn't look me in the eye, his gaze fixed firmly on the ground. He had no answer, not one I wanted to hear.

"I wanted to be there," Kayden muttered, his voice rough. "But... Sharon was in danger too."

Sharon. Just hearing her name reopened wounds I'd worked so hard to heal. My eyes narrowed, a new wave of fury rising within me.

"It's always about Sharon with you two, isn't it?" I snarled, stepping closer, feeling my wolf clawing to the surface. "She plays the helpless victim, and you two are right there, no matter the cost to everyone else."

Kayden squeezed his eyes shut, wincing as my words landed. But I wasn't done. I'd held this anger in for too long, and now they were going to hear it all.

"Two of you, two! And you couldn't even split up to protect your own pack?" My voice trembled with rage. "One of you could've protected her while the other fought for us. But no, you left us. You left my father to die alone!"

Francis tried to speak, but his voice cracked, and he choked on his words. He knew I was right. They both did. The shame was evident in the way Francis's shoulders slumped, the pain etched into every line of his face. But their regret didn't lessen my own hurt. If anything, it made it worse.

My chest tightened, fighting to catch my breath as my voice shook with everything I hadn't said. "I hate you both. I hate what you did, and I hate what you've become."

Kayden's face crumpled, his expression pained. "Malinda... please. I'd do anything to fix this."

Francis dropped to his knees, his head bowed, fists clenched in desperation. "We're begging you, Malinda," he whispered, voice thick with sorrow. "Please... forgive us."

Kayden knelt beside him, mirroring his plea, his face streaked with tears. "I know we failed you. Failed him. But please... give us a chance to prove ourselves. I still... I still love you."

The words hung in the air, raw and desperate. They were words I'd once longed to hear. But now? They meant nothing. I felt empty, hollow, as if everything they'd taken from me had left a void that could never be filled.

"You don't get to say that," I replied, my voice cold and unyielding. "You made your choice. Both of you. You chose Sharon over our pack. You chose her over me... and over my father."

The words dropped like stones, heavy and final, each one a weight they'd never be able to lift.

Francis's head fell lower, his shoulders shaking as my words settled over him. He barely whispered, "Please... just give us a chance to prove ourselves."

I shook my head slowly, letting the finality of my decision sink in. "No. I don't want to see either of you again," I said, my voice sharp, unyielding. "You're nothing to me now."

They stood there, eyes filled with horror and regret, but I felt nothing but a fierce sense of relief as I turned my back on them. Their voices calling out to me, begging, pleading, faded into the distance as I walked away, leaving them behind for good.