The Alpha Weredragon's Favorite
CHAPTER 97

Ryan

As I settled into the desk chair in my dorm room, I watched Whitney perch on the edge of my bed, her wavy brown hair cascading over her shoulders. Her warm brown eyes, usually sparkling with mischief, were now clouded with pain. It had been over a month since we really, really talked, and I could see the toll her breakup with Liam had taken on her.

"I just don't understand, Lyra," Whitney began, her voice quivering with suppressed emotion. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, a nervous habit she couldn't seem to shake. "I thought Liam and I had something real. He made me believe that we were meant to be mates, that our bond was unbreakable." She paused, taking a shaky breath as she tried to compose herself. "But now, it's like none of that even mattered to him. He threw it all away like it was nothing." She paused, her gaze drifting to the window as if seeking answers in the distant horizon. The fading light of the setting sun matching the yellowish pallor of her skin and highlighting the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. In that moment, she looked so fragile, so lost, that my heart ached for her. I wanted to interject, to offer words of comfort, to wrap her in a tight embrace and assure her that everything would be alright. But I held my tongue, letting her speak, knowing that she needed to let these emotions out, to give voice to the pain that had been consuming her.

"He was so convincing," she continued, her voice gaining strength. "He would tell me how much he cared, how he couldn't imagine his life without me. He even talked about our future together, about leading the Silver Tail pack side by side." Her hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white, the nails digging crescents into her palms. "But it was all a lie, a cruel deception. He was just leading me on, playing with my feelings like a cat toying with a helpless mouse. I was nothing more than a game to him."

I hesitated, searching for the right words. "Whitney, I... I understand. Betrayal, it cuts deep. It leaves scars that don't easily heal."

She looked at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You do? You understand?"

I nodded slowly. "More than you know. I've been there, felt that pain. It's like a knife twisting in your gut, a wound that festers."

"How... how do you move past it? How do you trust again?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Honestly? I'm still figuring that out. But I know holding onto the anger, the bitterness... it only hurts you in the end. You have to replace a way to let go, to heal."

"I don't know if I can." Her shoulders slumped, defeated.

"You can. You're stronger than you think." I reached out, squeezing her hand. "And you're not alone. I'm here, whenever you need to talk, to vent, to cry. I get it."

I was about to switch the subject, but Whitney pulled me right back in it.

"I mean, I gave him everything, Lyra. I trusted him, confided in him. I even introduced him to my daddy, for Moon's sake! And he just... he just threw it all away. He discarded me like I was nothing."

She looked at me then, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "How could I have been so blind, Lyra? How could I have not seen through his lies?"

I reached out, placing a comforting hand on hers. "Love can be blinding, Whitney," I said softly. "It makes us see what we want to see, not what's really there."

She nodded, sniffling. "I guess you're right. But it still hurts, Lyra. It hurts so much."

I wanted to tell her about my own struggles, about the Luna trials and Ryan. But every time I tried to steer the conversation towards me, Whitney would start talking about Liam again, her voice filled with a mix of anger and heartbreak.

As the night wore on, I found myself listening more and speaking less. Whitney's pain was raw, so front and center that it filled the room, pushing out all other conversations. And so, I let her talk, let her pour out her heart. Because sometimes, that was all anyone needed - someone to listen, someone to share our pain with.

And as I listened to Whitney, I realized something. We all have our battles, our heartaches. But it's how we face them, how we rise above them, that truly defines us. And I knew, deep down, that Whitney would rise above this. She was stronger than she thought.

By the time Whitney left, her eyes were dry, her shoulders squared. She looked determined, ready to take on the world once more.

As I closed the door behind her, I let out a deep breath. The night had been emotionally draining, but it had also been enlightening. I had learned more about Whitney, about love, and about myself.

And as I crawled into bed, my mind drifted to the Luna trials, to Ryan. I wondered what he was doing at this very moment, if his thoughts were consumed by me just as mine were filled with him. I pondered whether he was lying awake, staring at the ceiling, his heart as confused and torn as my own. The connection between us was undeniable, a force that pulled at our very souls, and yet the circumstances that divided us seemed insurmountable. As I closed my eyes, I couldn't help but imagine his face, those piercing blue eyes that seemed to see straight into my core...

But those were thoughts for another day. For now, I was content with the knowledge that I had been there for Whitney, that I had been a good friend. And sometimes, that's all that matters.

As I drifted off to sleep, I made a promise to myself. I would face my own battles head-on, just like Whitney. I would rise above my fears, my doubts. I would become the Luna I was meant to be.