The betrayal was unexpected.

And that was why it cut so deeply.

Tristan Mendez only had two things he held dear: his family and his music. After his dazzling debut at the opera house, the world seemed within reach. Applause still echoed in his ears, the bow still warm in his hand. For one fragile moment, he believed the future was bright.

Then the ground was ripped from beneath him.

Accused of theft by his own brother, and met with silence from the family who should have defended him, his sentence was sealed, and he was cast into a merciless mining camp under the orders of Lady Arriane.

There, days blurred into years. Cruelty, hunger, and despair stripped him down until even his music was silent. The boy who once lived for melody nearly vanished in the dust.

But one man remembered.

Lord Shannon, Alpha of his clan, had been among the audience that night, transfixed by the young musician’s song. When Tristan disappeared, disbelief turned to determination. Refusing to accept the impossible, Shannon searched, uncovered the truth, and found what no one else dared to look for.

Freed from chains, Tristan faces a world both familiar and foreign. The past has left scars that will not vanish overnight. Healing will not be easy. Trust must be relearned. But at his side stands the Alpha who swore to protect him, even against shadows that wait to strike again.

This is a tale of betrayal and survival. Of music once silenced and a voice reclaimed. Of an Alpha’s unshakable vow and the fragile soul he refuses to let fall.

Back at the cottage, Eira tucked blankets around the twins while Marla produced a plate of "recovery biscuits." Little Eira solemnly distributed them like medals.


Shannon crouched in front of the twins, every inch the Alpha and the father. "You did well," he said. "Very well."


Riven studied his hands. "It was loud inside him."


"I know," Shannon said. "You don't have to carry loud things alone."


Tristan brushed a curl from Lyra's brow. "You listened to Auntie. You stayed behind her. That matters."


Lyra leaned into his palm. "I can make soft dreams," she said, suddenly shy. "Only if they want them."


"That's the rule," Eira said. "Only if they want them."


Eira held up a finger. "One: you do not touch someone's hurt unless a grown-up is beside you."


"Two," Shannon said, holding up his own, "you ask before you try."


Chapter 209 - Boundaries and Biscuits