---- Chapter 28 No.28 Nyx POV: | left the Blackmoon Pack the next day, the question hanging unanswered in the air between us. | returned to the north, to the quiet solitude of my cabin, to the comforting presence of my chosen family. | found Mary mending a fishing net by the lake. | sat beside her and told her everything. About Kaelen's self-destruction, his pleas, his desperate attempts at atonement. About the flicker of something-not love, but a shared history, a deep, painful connection-that | felt when he touched me. "He hurt you," | finished, my voice quiet. "He broke you. And now he begs for a love he himself destroyed. Should | give it to him?" Mary set down her net and looked at me, her wise old eyes full of a fierce, maternal love. "No," she said, her voice firm but gentle. "You shouldn't. And you shouldn't forgive him." | looked at her, shocked. "Forgiveness is a fine thing, little wolf," she continued. "But easy forgiveness is a betrayal. A betrayal of the girl who suffered alone in that cell. A betrayal of the woman who had to claw her way back to the light. His atonement is his own ---- journey. It has nothing to do with you. Your journey is about healing, not about fixing the man who broke you." Her words were a bucket of cold, clear water. She was right. The bond between Kaelen and | was a ruin. And you can't build a new house on a foundation of rubble and ghosts. The money for the sculpture arrived a week later. | kept half and sent the other half back, with a simple note: "The price was too high." | would not be in his debt. He began to write to me, his letters sent via the merchant Alistair. They were not pleas for forgiveness, but simple accounts of his day, of his efforts to be a better Alpha, a better man. | read them, but | never replied. The last letter informed me that he was traveling north, "on pack business." | knew it was a lie. He was coming for an answer. | agreed to meet him one last time. We met at the Crystal Temple, a sacred place built inside a vast ice cave, where the aurora's light was refracted into a thousand rainbows. He looked healthier, but the sadness in his eyes was a permanent fixture. "Nyx," he began, but | held up a hand to stop him. "Kaelen," | said, my voice calm and steady. "Our lives are short. Too short to be spent looking backwards. What we had is gone. What we could have been is a ghost." | took a deep ---- breath. "There will never be an 'us' again. The love | had for you is dead. Maybe, many years from now, when the scars have faded, we can be... acquaintances. Perhaps even friends. But that is all." In "A Relationship Kept in The Dark" by CrushReel, the storyline unfolds as renowned photographer Jane finds herself drawn to the charismatic rookie model, Hector. Little does she know that Hector harbors a secret—he is actually the heir to a powerful business empire. As their romance blossoms, Hector grapples with concealing his true identity to capture Jane's heart. However, their love story takes a tumultuous turn when jealousy rears its ugly head, threatening to unravel the delicate balance they've built. This modern romance novel delves into themes of hidden identities, unexpected love, and the complexities of maintaining a relationship shrouded in secrecy. With its blend of sweet romance and suspenseful twists, "A Relationship Kept in The Dark" stands out for its exploration of hidden feelings and the consequences of revealing long-held secrets. For readers seeking a captivating tale that combines elements of romance, intrigue, and emotional depth, this ongoing story is available to read at CrushReel. Immerse yourself in the world of Jane and Hector as their journey unfolds against the backdrop of hidden truths and heartfelt revelations.