Ethan's POV
The hallway was quiet, too quiet. My footsteps echoed against the polished floor as I walked back to my room, but my mind was louder than the silence.
Soraya had said yes.
Even now, the words didn't make sense in my head.
Soraya — calm, careful Soraya — had agreed to be my mate.
Why?
I slowed my pace, my brows pulling together.
Every girl I'd ever met wanted this life, this title, this name. But Soraya was different. She had every reason to reject me, especially after what she heard at the dinner table.
Yet she didn't.
A strange weight settled in my chest. Was she hiding something from me? Some plan she's hiding?
No. Soraya wasn't like that.
And still, the thought lingered like a splinter I couldn't pull out.
I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. Part of me didn't care about her reason — I liked that she had said yes. Liked that she had chosen to stay close when she could have walked away.
I was still turning it over in my mind when I saw her.
The air left my lungs.
Lila.
Her name tore through me before I could stop it, and just like that, the memories came crashing back.
Lila's laughter ringing through the courtyard as I chased her under the summer sun. The way she leaned against the oak tree and rolled her eyes when I teased her. The way her breath caught the first time I kissed her, her hands gripping my shirt like I was the only thing holding her up.
Every memory hit me at once, sharp and unforgiving.
"Lila…" I said her name softly, almost afraid it would scare her away.
She stopped, her face half-lit by the glow of the sconces. The blue of her eyes caught the light, and the hurt in them nearly undid me.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then she asked, her voice quiet but cutting straight through me:
"Why?"
Just one word.
But it was enough to rip open every scar I had tried to close.
I swallowed hard. "Lila…"
Her chin trembled as she stepped closer. "You left me," she said, her voice breaking. "One day you were there — and the next, you were gone. No letter, no word, nothing."
Her eyes glistened. "Do you know what that did to me? I waited. I hoped. And every single day that passed, it felt like you had chosen to forget me."
Her words cut deep, but I stood there, unable to defend myself.
She took another shaky breath. "I thought I meant something to you. I thought…" Her voice cracked. "I thought you loved me."
The air around me felt tight, suffocating.
"I did," I said hoarsely. "I still..."
Her bitter laugh stopped me cold. "Then why bring her here?"
I froze. "What?"
"The human girl," she said, her voice sharp enough to cut through me. "You brought her here, Ethan. You walk these halls with her like she belongs here — like she's one of us."
My chest tightened. "Lila..."
"You chose her." Her words trembled, but her eyes didn't waver. "I saw it. Everyone saw it. You're claiming a human as your mate?"
Her voice cracked on the last word, and she turned her face away as though the sight of me was too much.
The weight of her accusation settled like stone in my gut.
I wanted to tell her she was wrong — that none of this was simple, that she was still the one my wolf howled for — but the words wouldn't come.
"I had to," I said, my voice rough.
Her gaze snapped back to mine, sharp and wet with tears. "Had to?"
I took a step toward her, my chest aching with every word I forced out.
"Lila, leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever done. Harder than anything you can imagine."
Her lips trembled, but her voice came out sharp, wounded.
"If it was so hard, why did you do it? Why leave me… and then come back with her? With a human — and call her your mate?"
God, if only she knew.
"I wanted to come back," I said, my voice rough, the weight of it pressing against my chest. "Every day, I wanted to. But I couldn't, Lila. You have to believe that."
She flinched, her hurt deepening. "And this—bringing her here—was that something you had to do too?"
I swallowed hard, forcing back the truth that threatened to escape.
"It wasn't about replacing you," I said quietly. "It was never about that. This is… bigger than you and me. Bigger than what either of us wanted."
She stared at me, confusion and pain warring in her gaze, her hands curling into fists as if she didn't know whether to strike me or hold on to me.
"You're not making sense," she whispered. "You broke me, Ethan. You broke us. And now you expect me to stand here and watch you give what should have been mine to someone else?"
Her voice cracked on the last word, and something inside me nearly shattered.
I reached for her, but she took a step back.
Before I could speak again, she turned and walked away, her shoulders stiff, her steps quick, like if she stayed one second longer, she would fall apart completely.
I didn't follow.
I couldn't.
My wolf howled inside me, furious and broken, demanding I go after her, make her understand, but my legs felt nailed to the floor.
When her footsteps finally faded, I let my back fall against the wall, dragging in a breath that felt like it might split me apart.
For a moment, I wished Soraya had said no.
At least then, I wouldn't be standing here feeling like I had two hearts to lose.
My chest felt like it was splitting open.
Lila's voice echoed in my head, every word tearing through me.
Why did you leave me?
Why did you come back with her?
I pressed the heel of my hand to my eyes, willing the storm inside me to quiet, but it didn't.
By the time I finally dragged myself off the wall and made it back to my room, I felt hollowed out, every step heavier than the last.
I shut the door behind me — and froze.
There, on my bed, was a scabbard.
Its black leather gleamed faintly in the dim light.
And resting on top of it was a folded note.
My father's handwriting.
I crossed the room slowly, my chest tightening as I picked it up and unfolded it.
Ethan, the ceremony begins tomorrow. You know what must be done. Do what is right.
My fingers crumpled the paper slightly as I lowered it, my jaw locking tight.
I reached for the scabbard and drew the dagger free.
Its silver blade caught the light, bright and merciless.
For a long moment, I just stared at it, feeling its weight in my hand.
Lila's face came back to me, her blue eyes burning with betrayal, her voice cracking when she asked me why.
Maybe this was the answer.
Maybe the only way to make it right was to end this before it could destroy her too.
I tightened my grip until my knuckles whitened, the dagger's edge glinting like it was daring me to choose.
I had loved Lila since we were kids. She had been there through every moment that mattered.
But Soraya...
Soraya had only just stepped into my world.
And maybe she was never meant to stay.
Maybe the safest thing I could do for Lila was to make sure Soraya never became anything more than what she already was — a stranger.
The blade gleamed, cold and silent, as I made my decision.
Tomorrow, everything would change.