Silas’s P.O.V
With Anika by my side, we ran through the forest, our paws barely making a sound as we moved with the grace of our wolf forms.
The forest grew denser the more we ascended, the shadows growing deeper and more impenetrable. However, we tried to make use of whatever daylight remained.
The rocky terrain demanded every ounce of our lupine agility. Our paws met the ground with a primal rhythm, a testament to the untamed spirit of the wilderness.
Finally, we reached the mountain's summit, a place where the trees receded, giving way to a breathtaking panorama. The world unfurled before us, a sprawling canvas of valleys, bathed in the twilight.
It was as if we stood on the threshold of the heavens, gazing down upon a realm untouched by the hands of man. Anika and I exchanged a knowing look as I told her, with a nod of my head, on which direction to turn to next.
It wasn’t long before we reached the area that was supposed to be where I had hidden the dagger. Thanks to Ezra already warning his patrol wolves of our arrival, we weren’t stopped by anyone. However, I could feel eyes on us all throughout the way. Even though we didn’t get interrupted, that didn’t mean we weren’t being watched.
We changed into the clothes we had brought with us before we shifted into our wolves just so we wouldn’t look silly with our bare asses searching for a dagger under a rock, not bothered with the lack of decency. It wasn’t uncommon for wolves to not care about decency…however, I didn’t want anyone spying on Anika either.
"Why did you come with me?" I finally broke the silence, my voice a low rumble that echoed within my chest.
My eyes, locked on the path ahead, stole glances at her. Anika was a fierce and resilient woman, and her presence by my side was both unexpected and heartening.
Anika's gaze met mine, her amber eyes reflecting the moon's gentle radiance. "You may not see me as your mate, Silas, but I still see you as mine."
Her words were honest, each syllable carrying a weight of vulnerability that tugged at something deep within me.
“To tell you the truth,” she continued, “I’m not sure of our future now, because we still don’t have a proper mating bond…” She sighed. “But just the fact that I’m not affected by the curse is telling enough that you never considered me to be your mate in the first place.”
Her confession caught me off guard, my steps faltering for a moment as I absorbed her words, unable to formulate the right words to say.
“I mean, in this context, I guess I should be grateful and all because that means that even though we’re involved, at least I’m safe from all this bullshit in your family,” she said. “Still… it stings a bit, you know? But then again, it can’t be helped…” She trailed off.
Our relationship had always been complicated, defined by past pain and uncertainties. Yet here she was, beside me, despite all of that.
I stole a glance at her, the twilight dancing in her eyes, and the words tumbled out before I could stop them. "Anika, I've been unjust to you,” I said, “just like my father was to Ezra's mother."
The admission hung in the air between us, heavy with the weight of truth.
It was a realization that had clawed its way to the surface, refusing to be ignored any longer. As we continued our search, I felt a need to explain, to lay bare the complexities that had shaped me.
"My father," I began, my voice a mix of bitterness and regret, "he was relentless in his demands. He drilled into me that I had to be perfect, excel in every aspect of our world." The memories of grueling training sessions, of endless pressure to meet impossibly high standards, flooded my mind. "And I grew up to be just like him. Meanwhile, I was always pushed by my mother to be better than Ezra, to outshine him in everything."
A bitter smile tugged at my lips as I recalled the echoes of those childhood days. "I knew, even as a child, that there existed no real rivalry between me and Ezra, because we were brothers. We were bound by blood.”
My gaze remained solely on the earth before us as I continued, “But my parents, they never seemed to see it that way. My mother's constant comparisons, her insistence that I be the best… it built walls between us."
After hearing myself speak, I could clearly sense just how much my words held an agonizing amount of pain and resignation, a realization that my parents' expectations had driven wedges between us.
I felt Anika's hand brush against mine, a gesture of support that warmed my heart, despite myself.
"After his mother's death, when Ezra moved away, I thought things would change," I continued, my voice softer now, the vulnerability of those memories creeping into my words.
"But the expectations remained, the weight of our family's history pressing down on me."
I didn’t know what was compelling me to bare my soul to her in a place like this, but once I began to speak, I could no longer stop.
My heart felt heavy as I looked into Anika's eyes, my words carrying a weight that had long needed to be spoken. And I didn’t know what I felt when I saw that she was looking at me with pity in her eyes.