My wolf always failed to shapeshift when I needed her, and I ended up getting injured when hunting or when trying to fight against rogues. But Talon always spoke of independence. So I learned to fight my battles alone. Even when I was gravely injured, I didn’t dare ask him to come with me to the healer. I feared he would see me as weak.
For years, I reshaped myself to fit his vision, believing that one day, he would realize how devoted I was. But it wasn’t until I saw Lily that I understood the truth—I had become a shadow of her.
Whenever Lily called, Talon would drop everything to be by her side. His words still haunted me, “You’re strong, Sloane. You can handle being alone. Lily can’t. She needs me.”
Pretending to be strong and fitting to his vision had become his excuse to abandon me repeatedly.
After blocking him, I knelt before my mother’s grave, guilt gnawing at me. My father had died defending our pack’s land, and now, my mother had been taken by grief—both because of the Nightclaw pack. She raised me alone, hiding the pain from her heart’s slowly failing. Her greatest wish was to see our packs united in peace. Here I am, kneeling alone and crying because I had failed her.
I remained by her grave until it got dark. On my way back to Talon’s mansion, I saw them—Talon and Lily. He was supporting her fragile form, and in Lily’s hands, she cradled a small urn.
“It’s close to my home, Talon,” she whispered, her voice frail. “If I bury him here, it’s like he’ll never be far from me.”
The urn held the ashes of a small dog—a pet she had adopted a while ago. Seeing them together, a deep ache settled in my chest. I tried to walk past them unnoticed, but Talon’s sharp eyes caught me immediately. His expression soured.
“Sloane, are you following me?” he asked, his tone irritated. His accusing gaze burned into me. How could he not understand why I was here?
Lily stepped forward, her voice as soft as ever. “Sloane, my son died. Talon stayed to help me with the burial. Please don’t misunderstand.” Her words were sweet, but her eyes held the same smugness I had always known.
“Oh, you’ve got yourself a truly loyal mate,” I muttered.
Talon's frown deepened. “Sloane, show some sympathy. Lily’s been through a lot. You don't need to make this harder.”
I had no more energy to argue. My mother was dead. I had no patience left for them. “It’s not necessary. I’ll be leaving now.”