Shunned By An Alpha, Cherised By A Lycan

Chapter 263:

I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell Seraphina that I wasn’t going back there, that I couldn’t. But the words stuck in my throat, a lump of fear and anger I couldn’t swallow. Instead, I whispered, “Why?”

Seraphina’s eyes softened. “He didn’t say, but… I think he wants to end this. To give you closure.”

Closure. The word felt hollow. What closure could I get from the people who stood by and let me shatter? Who pretended to care while my world crumbled around me?

I swung my legs off the bed, my feet touching the cold floor. My heart pounded, the dread settling in my stomach like a stone. Seraphina handed me a set of clothes—simple but comfortable. I took them with trembling hands.

“Take your time,” she said gently. “I’ll be right outside if you need me.” She left the room quietly, and I was alone with my thoughts. The silence pressed in on me, suffocating. My reflection in the mirror caught my eye. I barely recognized the girl staring back. Her eyes were shadowed, haunted. There was a tightness in her jaw, a heaviness in her shoulders.

This was what they did to me. What he did to me.

My fingers brushed over my neck, over the faint mark that still lingered there—Jason’s mark. It was faded now, almost gone. But it was still there, a reminder of everything I’d lost. A reminder of how stupid I’d been to ever believe he cared about me.

My heart twisted painfully. I should’ve rejected him. I should’ve let him go completely. But some foolish part of me had held on, hoping for a second chance, hoping that maybe… maybe it had all been a mistake. But there were no more second chances. There was only the truth now. And the truth was, I needed to face this. For myself. For the girl I used to be.

I dressed slowly, every movement feeling like it took more effort than it should. When I finally opened the door, Seraphina was waiting. Her eyes searched my face, and whatever she saw there made her give a small nod.

“I’m ready,” I said, though my voice barely sounded like my own.

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She walked with me through the halls, the air thick with unspoken words. My mind raced, thoughts tangling together. What was Ryder planning? Why did he want to take me back there?

The closer we got to the car waiting outside, the harder my heart pounded. My breaths came quicker, shallower. I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms. I could do this. I had to do this.

For Ryder. For myself.

When we stepped outside, I saw him. Ryder was standing by the car, his back to me, his shoulders tense. He turned when he heard us, his eyes locking onto mine. There was a storm in his gaze—anger, protectiveness, determination.noveldrama

But when he looked at me, his expression softened just a little.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice low.

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if it was true. “I’m ready.”

He studied me for a moment longer, like he was trying to see into my soul. Then he nodded and opened the car door for me. I slid inside, my heart a wild drumbeat in my chest.

As the car started moving, I stared out the window, watching the world blur past. Each mile that brought us closer to Silverclaw felt like a weight pressing down on me. But deep down, beneath the fear and the anger, there was a spark of something else.

Strength.

I wasn’t the same girl they betrayed. I wasn’t the same girl Jason could break.

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