Broken heart of a warrior

Chapter 2

After Blade left my room, the silence that followed was suffocating. My thoughts returned with relentless force, each one sharper than the last, pressing against my mind until I could barely breathe. Alone, I felt the weight of everything—the betrayal, the loss, the emptiness—settling into my chest like ice. I moved instinctively to the window, seeking relief, a breath of air that could cut through the haze of my thoughts.

I pushed it open, and the cold Siberian night rushed in. The wind clawed at me, sharp and unforgiving, chilling the room to an almost unbearable degree. Frost quickly spread along the edges of the window, crawling across the floor, brushing against my skin. The bite of the cold was nothing compared to the cold in my chest, but I welcomed it. It was a reminder that I was still alive, still present in this cruel world.

I leaned against the window and looked up at the night sky. The moon hung high, pale and indifferent, casting its silvery glow across the snow-covered landscape. Stars littered the heavens, distant and unreachable, and for a moment, I let myself remember the nights I used to gaze at them as a child. How many times had I wished upon falling stars? How many times had I whispered desperate pleas for a family that loved me, for a home that would accept me, for a mate who would cherish me?

Those wishes had never been granted. The stories of falling stars, the promises of magic and hope—they were lies told to innocent hearts, meant to give them something to cling to. But I am no longer innocent. I am no longer the girl who believed in miracles. I am a killer now. I destroy targets without hesitation. I see the world in black and white. Pain, death, betrayal—they are all familiar to me.

And it all traces back to one person. One person who I believed loved me beyond measure. How foolish I was. How blind. I trusted his promises, his words, the plans he made for me. He told me that going to boarding school would make me stronger, better, ready for my mate. He told me it was only for two years. I believed him. I trusted him completely.

I did not know then what life had in store. I did not know the darkness that awaited me. I did not understand the secrets he carried, secrets so dark that they would destroy more than just him if they were ever revealed.

Flashback

"Why do I need to go?" I had cried, my voice raw and trembling. "Clarynn didn't go to boarding school. Joshua didn't go. Why me? It doesn't seem right. Tomorrow is the mating announcement for the prince—I need to be there. I need to stand beside him so everyone will see who his mate is."

Tears streamed down my cheeks, blurring my vision, and my voice broke with desperation. "Please... please think about it. Don't do this to me."

"Enough, Alina." His words were calm, precise, and final.

"You are going," he continued, his green eyes fixed on mine. "It's only for two years. When you come back, you'll be stronger. Better. Worthy of being the perfect mate for our prince."

Perfect. The word echoed hollowly in my mind.

"It will go by quickly," he said, softening his tone just enough to sound comforting. "Before you know it, you'll be home. Then the prince will announce you. You have nothing to fear."

I wanted to believe him. I wanted so desperately to believe him.

"I don't want to go..." My whisper was barely audible.

"Please... I won't tell anyone. I'll be good. Just don't send me away. I need to be near my mate. Please... what did I do wrong?"

But deep down, I already knew the answer.

He never changed his mind. He never acted against his own will.

And yet, I trusted him.