Awakening The Silver Wolf

RAVENNA POV 

Once the words started flowing, they wouldn't stop. I couldn't tell if the expression on Darius's face meant I should have kept quiet or if I should continue. It felt like a mix of both; he was just as confused as I was.

I had stopped hating Darius for a while now, my head just took a while to catch up on that update. 

Darius remained silent as he stared at me with his eyes filled with pain and longing. Why was he pained? Did he want me to hate him? But that kiss earlier says otherwise. And what was he longing for? It couldn't be… me? 

Now, now, Ravenna, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

"Say something," I whispered when the silence stretched on. 

Darius swallowed, hard, before he looked away from me and swallowed again. That was a lot of swallowing in just three seconds. 

"I... " he trailed off, still not looking at me. Then in a quiet, almost broken voice, he said, "I'm sorry." 

My heart skipped a beat. This was the second time Darius had apologized to me, and I knew he didn't say that word often. 

Why does that word make me feel… relieved and vulnerable? 

"Why are you sorry?" I asked, my voice low. 

Darius swallowed again and I wanted to tell him to let his poor throat rest but I couldn't say the words as I waited for his answer. 

"I've cost you pain, Ravenna," he answered in that quiet tone. "I have no right to be sitting here with you or even kissing you. I'm sorry."

I stared at him, trying to keep the emotions down. He had caused me pain indeed and cost me my best friend. I'm supposed to hate him but why then do I not? 

I said nothing and just stared at his side profile, at how tense his shoulders were and how he was clenching and unclenching his fist. 

At that moment, he didn't seem so imposing anymore; he looked just as vulnerable as I felt. This fierce alpha, feared by nearly everyone in the wolf territories, appeared small.

Before I could think twice, I reached out and took Darius's hand. He glanced down at our joined hands before meeting my gaze.

"It's okay," I said softly, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions swirling within me. "It's okay." 

I could see the turmoil in his eyes, the regret etched into the lines of his face.

Darius didn't respond with words; instead, his gaze locked onto mine, a storm of feelings swirling in the depths. It was as if he was searching for the right thing to say but couldn't find the words. His eyes spoke volumes—an apology, a longing, and a hint of vulnerability.

In that silence, something shifted between us. The walls we had built over weeks of enmity began to crumble, revealing a fragile connection that pulsed with possibility. I could feel my breath hitch as Darius leaned closer, the tension between us crackling like electricity.

Without breaking eye contact, Darius reached out, his hand gently cupping my cheek. The touch sent a rush of warmth through me, and I leaned into his palm instinctively. There was no animosity now—just a raw, undeniable pull that drew us together.

And then he kissed me softly, not like the kiss earlier, but more tender, like an apology. The world around us faded away as his lips brushed against mine, a tender acknowledgment of all that had come before and all that lay ahead. It was a kiss filled with promise, a bridge between our past and the uncertain future.

I melted into the moment, feeling the weight of our shared pain lift slightly as we both surrendered to the newfound intimacy. When we finally pulled apart, breathless, I could see the flicker of hope in his eyes—an unspoken vow that perhaps we could forge something beautiful from the ashes of our rivalry.

It thrilled me, and it scared me.

***

I walked into my room to see Mia sitting by the window, the curtain drawn. That was where the only light was coming from. The room was completely dark even though it was still mid-day. 

I walked to the window and sat beside her, gazing outside. I remained silent, giving her space while letting her know I was there for her.

"It's strange, don't you think," she finally spoke, her voice low and her eyes still fixed outside the window. 

"What is?" I asked, looking at her. 

"That I feel this great amount of grief over a pack who saw me as a traitor, an outcast," she answered. "I still mourn for them like I've lost something great." 

"They were your pack," I said softly. "Your family. You're all connected in some way. So you'll feel grief for them even though you weren't close to them."

I didn't grieve when I was banished from my pack; I had never felt connected to any of them. In fact, I despised them all. The only person I mourned was my father.

Since I was being honest with myself today, I had to admit that I felt a sense of relief when Lila banished me. It meant I was finally leaving a pack that saw me as nothing but an outcast and a burden, just like how Mia is viewed. But Mia was the bigger person; she mourned for them and felt sadness for their loss.

I had felt none of those things. 

Mia looked down, her fingers tracing the patterns on the ground as she absorbed my words. "I guess that makes sense," she murmured, a hint of vulnerability in her voice. "Even if they pushed me away, they were still a part of me. It's hard to let go of that connection, to mourn what could have been." She paused and finally raised her head to look at me, her eyes glistening. "I just wish things had been different."

I breathed in. "If wishes were horses…"

Finally, Mia smiled, a small, sad thing. "Beggars would ride," she completed. She reached out and took my hands into hers, squeezing tight. "You're my pack," she said, looking deep into my eyes. "I may have been born into this pack but you're the one I choose. My family." 

I swallowed the lump in my throat and hugged her. "And you're mine."