The betrayal was unexpected.

And that was why it cut so deeply.

Tristan Mendez only had two things he held dear: his family and his music. After his dazzling debut at the opera house, the world seemed within reach. Applause still echoed in his ears, the bow still warm in his hand. For one fragile moment, he believed the future was bright.

Then the ground was ripped from beneath him.

Accused of theft by his own brother, and met with silence from the family who should have defended him, his sentence was sealed, and he was cast into a merciless mining camp under the orders of Lady Arriane.

There, days blurred into years. Cruelty, hunger, and despair stripped him down until even his music was silent. The boy who once lived for melody nearly vanished in the dust.

But one man remembered.

Lord Shannon, Alpha of his clan, had been among the audience that night, transfixed by the young musician’s song. When Tristan disappeared, disbelief turned to determination. Refusing to accept the impossible, Shannon searched, uncovered the truth, and found what no one else dared to look for.

Freed from chains, Tristan faces a world both familiar and foreign. The past has left scars that will not vanish overnight. Healing will not be easy. Trust must be relearned. But at his side stands the Alpha who swore to protect him, even against shadows that wait to strike again.

This is a tale of betrayal and survival. Of music once silenced and a voice reclaimed. Of an Alpha’s unshakable vow and the fragile soul he refuses to let fall.

The manor's rear field was damp with dew when Shannon called them out. The air was sharp, the kind that cleared the lungs and left no room for excuses. Tara, Kim, Mira, and Therese gathered, their eyes steady. Tristan followed, slower, arms crossed against the chill.


"You will train again," Shannon said, his voice carrying. "This time harder. Three against one."


Shannon's frost-blue eyes fixed on them. "Me."


Silence followed. Even the wards around the manor gave a low hum.


Mira shifted uneasily. "Alpha… that isn't fair."


"That is the point," Shannon answered. His tone left no argument. "You will not win by strength. You will learn by pressure."


"You will watch," Shannon said firmly. "Your eyes are sharp. You learn by seeing. You will note what they do wrong, and you will remember it."


Tristan swallowed, but he nodded. "Then I'll watch carefully."


Chapter 76 - Three Against One