Torn Between Destinies

Chapter 25: Chapter Twenty Five

I woke up to the cold side of the bed. Darius was already gone.

It wasn’t like him to leave without saying something. Not even a note. Not even a whisper. I sat up, hugging the blanket close as if it could shield me from the emptiness that had crept into the space he used to fill so easily.

I tried not to let my thoughts spiral. Maybe he had early training. Maybe council business. Maybe—

I got up, dressed, and made my way out of our shared room. My wolf had been restless lately, and I couldn’t tell if it was the lingering toll of the ritual or something else. Something darker.

The moment I stepped outside, a wind passed me. It was sharp. Different. And something in it twisted my gut.

There was a scent I didn’t recognize. It was faint, but distinct. Sweet like crushed berries, with an undercurrent of smoke. Not from Thornridge. Not one of ours.

And it clung to him. To Darius.

I didn’t want to believe it. Not at first.

But I followed it.

It led me past the training grounds, past the council chambers, and into the woods—the private hunting route the Alphas used. My steps slowed. The wind shifted again, and I caught it stronger this time.

The same scent.

And Darius’s voice.

Low. Soft. Too soft.

I crouched behind a thick tree, my heartbeat thudding like war drums in my chest. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. But I couldn’t move.

"...It wasn’t supposed to be this way," Darius said, his voice rough. "She’s changing."

A pause. Then a feminine laugh—light and smooth, like water running over stones.

"Maybe she was never yours to keep."

I couldn’t see her face, but I didn’t need to. I already hated her.

Darius sighed. "Don’t say that."

"Then what are we doing here, Darius? What am I to you?"

Silence.

Then, finally, his voice again, softer. "A reminder."

That was all I could take.

I stepped out. "A reminder of what?"

Both of them turned. Darius’s eyes widened, the color draining from his face. The woman—tall, dark hair braided down her back, dressed in fine leathers—didn’t flinch. She looked at me with a calm curiosity that made my skin crawl.

"Luciana—" Darius started.

"I smelled her on you." My voice didn’t even shake. I was proud of that. "I followed it. And now here we are."

"Listen to me—"

I held up a hand. "How long?"

"Luciana, she’s not—"

"How long, Darius?" My voice cracked now. "Don’t lie to me."

His jaw tightened. He looked at the ground, then at me. "We met before the prophecy. Before you."

"And after?"

He didn’t answer.

The woman stepped forward, arms folded. "I’m not here to cause trouble. He reached out to me, not the other way around."

I shot her a glare. "No one asked you."

She raised an eyebrow. "You should know the truth. He’s been torn for weeks. If he stayed quiet, it was to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" I asked, stepping closer. "From betrayal? From this... connection that I thought was real?"

Darius opened his mouth but then closed it again. "I was confused, Luciana."

"No. You were *weak.*"

The hurt in his eyes almost made me stop. Almost.

I turned around and walked away, fast. My heart thudded painfully, my wolf howling in protest inside me. The bond between us trembled, flickering like a candle about to go out.

Back in my room, I slammed the door shut and collapsed against it. My chest ached.

The woman’s scent still lingered. I couldn’t get it out of my nose. It wrapped around me like a curse.

I pressed my face into my hands and let the tears come.

Why hadn’t he fought for us?

I had crossed worlds. I had battled monsters—both human and wolf. I had protected my mother, saved Kiani, fulfilled a damn prophecy that had stolen pieces of my soul.

And now?

Now, I was losing him too.

Hours passed before I heard the knock.

I didn’t answer.

"Luciana," came his voice. "Please open the door."

I stayed silent.

"I didn’t mean for it to happen," he continued. "I never stopped loving you. I just... I thought I’d lost you when you left for the human world. I reached out to her then, out of anger and fear."

"And you kept seeing her after I came back?" I said through the door.

Silence.

"I knew something was wrong," I whispered. "You stopped looking at me like I mattered."

The door creaked open. I hadn’t even locked it.

Darius stood there, looking broken. "You always mattered."

I stood too, facing him. "Then why?"

"I was afraid." He looked down. "Afraid of what the prophecy would turn you into. Afraid you’d choose power over me. And then you left. Without telling me. You risked everything and I... I felt like I’d lost you before you were even gone."

"So you turned to *her*?"

He swallowed. "She made me feel less alone."

I nodded slowly. "And now?"

He took a step closer. "Now I realize what I’m losing. What I already may have lost."

"You made your choice."

His voice broke. "Luciana, don’t say that."

I stared at him, searching for the man I used to know—the one who had held me beneath moonlight and promised we were forever.

But I didn’t see him now. All I saw was doubt.

"I don’t know if I can trust you again," I said.

He nodded once, slowly. "Then I’ll earn it back. However long it takes."

He turned to leave, and the door clicked shut behind him.

I stood there for a long time, silent.

Eventually, Kiani came in, her small hand holding mine tightly. "Are you okay?"

I forced a smile. "I will be."

"You smell sad."

I laughed a little at that. "Wolves are too honest sometimes."

She tilted her head. "Do you still love him?"

The question hit like a blow. I knelt to meet her eyes. "I don’t know, Kiani. Love is complicated."

She nodded like she understood, even if she didn’t.

Later that night, I walked to the cliffs outside the pack lands. The moon hung low, heavy and bright. My wolf stirred inside, quiet but present.

"Tell me what to do," I whispered.

But she didn’t answer.

Instead, I caught the wind.

And on it... another scent.

Not the woman.

This one was colder. Hungrier.

Watching.

I turned around fast—but nothing was there.

Yet something deep in me shifted.

The betrayal was just the beginning.

Something darker was coming.

And I needed to be ready.