Wolves of Betrayal

Chapter : 35. A heart unburdened..

Killian’s body lay sprawled on the cold dungeon floor, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Blood dripped from his mouth and soaked his torn clothes, and his eyes were wide with fury and disbelief. Darius stood over him, his chest heaving, his eyes blazing with a protective rage. For a moment, it seemed like he would finish Killian right there, ending the threat once and for all.

But Amara's voice broke through the tension like a clear bell. “Darius, stop,” she said, her voice steady despite the tremor in her body. She had fought hard, harder than she ever thought she could, and now she stood tall, despite the wounds that covered her body. She took a shaky step toward them, her eyes locking onto Killian’s with a calm intensity.

Darius’s head turned sharply to look at her, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Amara, after everything he’s done—”

“I know,” she interrupted softly, her voice filled with a quiet strength. “But if we kill him now, we’re no better than he is. And I won’t have his death on my conscience. Not like this.”

Reluctantly, Darius released his grip on Killian’s throat and stepped back, still keeping a watchful eye on him. He shifted back to his human form, his chest still heaving from the exertion and adrenaline coursing through him. “He deserves to pay for what he’s done,” Darius growled, his voice thick with frustration.

Amara nodded, understanding his anger, but her gaze remained on Killian. She took another step closer, her expression filled with a mix of sadness and resolution. “Killian,” she said quietly, her voice carrying a surprising softness. “Look at me.”

Killian’s eyes narrowed, his breathing ragged as he stared up at her. His body was battered, his pride broken. He had lost. He had failed to get his revenge, and now he was faced with the woman he had vowed to destroy, standing over him with a strength he hadn’t thought possible.

“Why are you doing this?” he spat, his voice a mix of anger and desperation. “Why not just kill me and end it?”

“Because I know that beneath all this rage, there’s a part of you that remembers who you used to be,” Amara said, her voice unwavering. “A part of you that wasn’t consumed by hate. A part that was a good Alpha.”

Killian blinked, his breath hitching as her words cut through his fury like a knife. He wanted to deny it, to snarl at her and call her a liar, but there was something in her voice—something he hadn’t heard before. It was powerful and honest, a stark contrast to the madness he had let himself fall into.

“You were a good leader once,” Amara continued, her eyes never leaving his. “You cared for your pack. You loved your family. But somewhere along the way, you let your grief and anger destroy everything good in you. You let it turn you into something else—something dark.”

Killian’s face contorted with a mixture of anger and pain. “You don’t know anything about me,” he snapped. “You don’t know what it’s like to lose everything!”

“I do,” Amara said softly. “I lost everything the moment you chose to see me as your enemy. The moment you refused to see the truth.”

Killian fell silent, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. He could see the tears in Amara’s eyes, the way they glistened with the weight of her words. She wasn’t speaking out of hate or malice. She was speaking from a place of genuine pain, a place he hadn’t been willing to look at before.

“I never wanted to hurt you,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. “I loved you, Killian. I wanted to be your mate, your partner. I wanted to be part of your family. But you never gave me a chance. You never listened to me, never trusted me when I told you the truth.”

Killian’s heart pounded in his chest as her words sank in. He had been so blinded by his thirst for revenge, by his need to make someone pay for Marcus’s death, that he had never really stopped to consider her side of things. He had never considered that she could have been telling the truth—that she had only been trying to protect herself.

“You said you were protecting yourself,” he muttered, his voice weak, uncertain. “But… Marcus wouldn’t have… he was loyal to the pack.”

“Loyal to you,” Amara corrected gently. “But he couldn’t accept the idea of me being his Luna. He told me I was a disgrace to the pack. He said he’d rather see me dead than by your side. He was going to kill me, Killian. I was scared, and I reacted. I didn’t mean to kill him.”

The words hung heavy in the air, and Killian could feel them sinking deep into his bones, like a truth he had been running from for so long. He had always believed that Marcus was incapable of such hatred, that he was loyal and good. But he also knew Marcus had his own demons, his own sense of pride that had often clashed with his judgment.

For the first time, Killian allowed himself to see it from Amara’s perspective. He could see the pain in her eyes, the honesty in her voice, and he knew she wasn’t lying. She had loved him, had wanted to be with him, but he had thrown it all away.

“I loved you,” Amara said again, tears slipping down her cheeks. “I wanted us to build a life together. But all you ever saw was your brother’s death. You never saw me, and I’m so disappointed… in you, and in the Moon Goddess for choosing you as my mate.”

Killian’s heart twisted painfully at her words, the weight of them pressing down on him like a boulder. He had wasted his chance with her, had thrown away the possibility of a life with someone who truly cared for him. He had let his anger and grief consume him, and now he was faced with the consequences of his choices.

“I think it’s time to fix the mistake the Moon Goddess made. It’s time to cut the bond.” The determination in Amara’s voice made Killian’s eyes wide.

“No,” he whispered, his voice broken. “No, don’t say that. Don’t reject me. I… I made a mistake, Amara. I see that now. I should have trusted you. I should have believed you.”

Amara looked down at him, her eyes filled with a sad understanding. “Yes, you should have,” she said. “But it’s too late now. You made your choice, and I’m making mine.”

Killian shook his head, his expression desperate. “No, please,” he pleaded. “Give me another chance. I’ll change. I’ll be better. I’ll be the mate you wanted.”

Amara’s face softened for a moment, a flicker of the love she had once felt for him passing over her features. “I wish you had realized this sooner,” she said quietly. “But I can’t trust you, Killian. Not anymore. I can’t go back to who I was when I loved you. I’ve grown, I’ve changed, and now… I need to move on.”

Killian’s breath hitched, a deep, pained sound escaping his throat. He had never felt this kind of regret, this deep, gnawing sorrow that came with knowing he had truly lost something precious. The truth of it cut him deeper than any wound.

“No,” he murmured again, his voice breaking. “Please, Amara… don’t do this. Don’t reject me.”

Amara closed her eyes for a moment, her chest rising and falling with a deep breath. When she opened them again, they were filled with a fierce determination. “Killian Blackwood, Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack,” she said, her voice steady and clear, “I reject you as my mate.”

A shockwave seemed to ripple through the air, and Killian felt it in his very soul—the bond between them breaking, snapping like a taut cord that had been severed. He gasped, clutching his chest as the pain of the rejection flooded through him, a sharp, searing ache that left him breathless.

“No…” he whispered, his eyes wide with disbelief. “No, please…”

But Amara didn’t waver. She stood tall, her body trembling but her spirit unbroken. She had made her decision, and there was no going back.

Darius moved to her side, his presence steady and reassuring. “Let’s go, Amara,” he said softly, his voice filled with a quiet strength. “You don’t owe him anything anymore.”

Amara nodded, her gaze lingering on Killian for a moment longer. “Goodbye, Killian,” she said softly. “I hope you find peace someday. I hope you remember who you were and who you could have been.”

With that, she turned and walked away, leaning on Darius for support. Killian watched her go, his heart shattered, his mind reeling with the weight of his mistakes. He had lost her—lost the one chance he had for a true, loving bond. And as he lay there, broken and defeated, he knew he had no one to blame but himself.

Amara and Darius left the dungeon behind, the dawn breaking over the horizon as they stepped into the light. Amara took a deep breath, feeling the weight lift from her shoulders, the darkness beginning to fade.

She was free. She had chosen herself, chosen a new path. And for the first time in a long time, she felt a glimmer of hope. A new beginning was waiting for her, and she would face it with strength and courage, leaving the past where it belonged—behind her.