Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
Summary & Review: Retain
Elaine entered the Alpha’s office with a heart brimming with joy and love, her steps light as if she were walking on air. The previous night had changed her life forever — she had discovered her fated mate, the man destined to be hers by the Moon Goddess herself: Michael, the future Alpha of the Silverblade Pack. Her wolf had howled in bliss, her heart overflowing with devotion and pride. Everything felt perfect, as though every dream she had ever carried had finally come true.Inside the room sat the most powerful figures of the Silverblade Pack: Alpha Efrein and Luna Beatrice, her parents Beta Richard and Lucille, her sister Kathy, and Michael himself. Elaine felt warmth fill her chest as she looked at them all, especially Michael. He was her mate — the one she had loved even before she knew destiny would bind them. Just thinking of the night before brought a blush to her cheeks and a flutter to her heart.
Last night at Michael’s welcome-back celebration, the mate bond had revealed itself in the most magical way. Michael had just returned from two years of training at the prestigious Alpha School, stronger and more confident than ever. Yet, when their eyes met across the room, the rest of the world disappeared. Sparks of recognition ignited between them, and the mate bond snapped into place. In that moment, Elaine had felt complete.
They had ended up alone, unable to resist the pull of the bond. Their passion had been fierce and consuming, driven by instinct and the ancient magic that tied fated mates together. Elaine, innocent and in love, had given herself to him completely — heart, body, and soul — believing it was the beginning of a forever promised by the Moon Goddess. She trusted that their union was sacred, unbreakable, and destined.
Now, standing in front of her Alpha, Luna, and family, Elaine’s heart overflowed with excitement. She was ready to officially share the news — to declare that she, Elaine Silverblade, was the fated mate of the future Alpha. Her happiness was so radiant that it filled the room like sunlight. But when her eyes met Michael’s, something unexpected flickered in his gaze. His jaw tightened; guilt clouded his expression. Elaine brushed it off, convincing herself it was nothing. Soon, he would smile again, and everything would fall into place.
Then Alpha Efrein’s calm but heavy voice broke the moment: “Elaine, we have something to tell you. We cannot approve your mating with Michael.”
Elaine froze, unable to comprehend the words. Surely she had misheard. “What… what do you mean? He is my fated mate!” Her voice trembled, panic creeping into her chest. She turned to her parents for reassurance, but their faces were grim. Her mother’s eyes held sorrow, her father’s lips pressed into a line of resignation. The silence in the room felt suffocating.
Finally, Alpha Efrein spoke again, his tone grave. “Elaine, Kathy is pregnant with the future Alpha’s child. She has trained for years to become the Luna of this pack. She and Michael chose each other long ago as chosen mates.”
The words hit Elaine like a thunderbolt. Her sister? Pregnant? With Michael’s child? Her breath caught, her vision blurred, and her world began to crumble. She shook her head in disbelief, tears burning her eyes. “No… that’s not possible. Michael is my mate! The Moon Goddess chose us!”
But no one spoke to comfort her. No one denied it. Her parents remained silent, the Alpha’s expression firm, and her sister stared at the floor, unable to meet her eyes. Elaine felt as though the earth had been ripped out from beneath her feet.
Alpha Efrein continued, his tone resolute. “You know our law. If the future Alpha does not find his fated mate before his thirtieth birthday, he may choose his Luna. Michael made his choice. Kathy is already carrying his heir. We cannot allow the next Alpha to be born illegitimate. The decision is final.”
Elaine turned desperately to her father. “Father, please… you can’t agree to this!” But Beta Richard’s face held no mercy, only grim acceptance. “Elaine,” he said quietly, “this is the way it must be. The future of the pack cannot be compromised. Kathy will be Luna.”
Those words shattered her completely. Her family — her blood — had chosen duty over her. Her sister had betrayed her. The man she loved had betrayed her. Even the Alpha and Luna she respected had betrayed her.
Kathy tried to speak, her voice trembling. “Sister, please—” But Elaine’s glare silenced her. Rage, pain, and disbelief burned inside her chest like wildfire. Finally, she turned to Michael, her voice breaking as she said, “And you, my mate? What do you have to say?”
Michael’s expression was full of guilt and regret, but his voice remained steady. “I’m sorry, Elaine. I can’t let my child be born illegitimate. I have to think of the pack.”
Elaine’s voice cracked as she pleaded, “You can claim your child without rejecting me! You don’t have to throw me away!” But Michael only shook his head, avoiding her eyes. “Kathy has been preparing to be Luna for years. She knows the duties, the traditions—”
“I can learn!” Elaine interrupted, her voice breaking. “I can train, I can work harder than anyone!” But Michael’s silence was her answer. His decision was final.
Tears filled her eyes, blurring everything around her. The man she had given herself to, trusted with her soul, had chosen someone else — her own sister. Just that morning, she had woken up believing she was loved, destined, and blessed. Now, she stood alone, stripped of everything.
The room that once held her happiness now suffocated her with betrayal. Her wolf howled inside her chest, mourning not just a mate, but a bond torn apart before it could truly begin. The people she had loved the most had crushed her in the name of duty and tradition.
Michael’s final words echoed in her mind like a curse: “I’m sorry, Elaine. Kathy will be my Luna. It’s the best choice for the pack.”
“The best…” she whispered hollowly, her heart breaking piece by piece. Just hours ago, she had dreamed of being the best — the best Luna, the best mate, the best support for her Alpha. But now she realized that she had never truly been part of their plan.
As she stood there, surrounded by the people she had once trusted with her life, Elaine understood the cruel truth — love, destiny, and loyalty meant nothing against ambition and tradition. Her fated bond, the one thing she thought was sacred, had been sacrificed in the name of the pack’s future.
And in that single, unbearable moment, Elaine Silverblade’s world shattered — leaving behind only heartbreak, betrayal, and a wolf’s mournful cry for the mate who had chosen someone else.
Would you like me to make this summary more emotional and cinematic (like a tragic novel blurb) or formal and story-style (like a chapter recap)?
