Night had settled over the Clearwater Mountains.
The world below glowed with scattered lights as lanterns flickered in the village, their warm golden light spilling from windows into the darkness.
Laughter occasionally drifted upward on the wind, softened by distance until it became little more than a comforting murmur.
Life continued.
As though nothing had changed.
High above the village, where the air was thinner and the cold bit deep beneath layers of clothing, I sat alone.
This place had become mine long ago.
The flat stone beneath me had been worn smooth by centuries of wind and rain, and I knew every crack that ran across its surface.
Lira had sewn the blanket wrapped around my shoulders herself, embroidering tiny moonflowers along its edges after realizing how often I disappeared into the mountains.
She had never asked why.
She already knew.
Whenever the weight of being the only human in a werewolf pack became too much…
I came here.
Up here, there were no expectations.
No whispers.
No curious glances reminding me I was different.
No need to smile so others wouldn’t worry.
No need to pretend I was stronger than I felt.
I could simply…
Be.
The wind swept across the peak, carrying the scent of pine forests and distant snow.
Above me, countless stars stretched across the heavens like scattered diamonds.
I drew my blanket tighter around myself.
The cold didn’t bother me anymore.
Not compared to everything else.
Far below, the Clearwater Lodge looked impossibly small.
Tiny points of light.
A home filled with warmth.
With family.
With people who cared for me.
Even after everything that had happened today…
Lira and Kael had reminded me that I belonged somewhere.
That should have been enough.
I wanted it to be enough.
I stared toward the endless horizon until my vision blurred.
For hours, I had held myself together.
I had smiled.
I had spoken calmly.
I had reassured the two people I loved most that I would be all right.
Only now…
Only here…
Did the mask finally crack.
The first tear slipped quietly down my cheek.
I didn’t wipe it away.
Another followed.
Then another.
Before long, silent tears flowed freely, warm against skin already chilled by the mountain wind.
No sob escaped my lips.
Only my trembling shoulders betrayed how desperately I was trying to remain composed.
No one would see me like this.
Not Calix.
Not the pack.
Not even Lira or Kael, who were probably asleep by now, believing their daughter had accepted the day better than she truly had.
I wrapped my arms around my knees and lowered my forehead against them.
The rejection still echoed inside me.
Not because Calix had refused me.
But because, somewhere deep inside, I had allowed myself to hope.
Hope that fate might be stronger than prejudice.
Hope that years spent growing up beside the Clearwater Pack had made me one of them.
Hope that, just once…
Being human wouldn’t matter.
A bitter laugh caught in my throat before fading into another shaky breath.
Perhaps that had been my mistake.
Perhaps I had mistaken kindness for belonging.
The wind rose again.
It stole the tears from my cheeks before they reached the ground, carrying them into the endless darkness below.
The mountain alone bore witness to my grief.
And for tonight…
That was enough.