Chapter 3

I’m about to pack when Jayden’s enraged roar slams into my mind.

“Lacey! What did you do to Chloe?!”

His fury floods my senses.

"I didn't do anything," I reply calmly.

“Don’t lie to me! The Luna heirloom—it's rejecting Chloe! The magic is tearing her apart from the inside! Who else but you would curse it?!”

I can’t help but laugh coldly. “Curse? Jayden, that necklace can only be worn by a Luna. What did you expect would happen when a Beta tried to use it?”

“Enough!” His power crashes against our bond. “You were jealous of Chloe, so you tampered with it! Lacey, when did you become so venomous?”

Venomous?

I designed the wards that keep his pack safe.

I bled my magic for him.

I poured my soul into a gift meant only for him.

And he calls me venomous?

"I didn't curse anything," I answer, my voice ice. "If you don't believe me, ask the elders to check it."

Chloe's weak voice whispers through the link. "Alpha... don't blame Lacey... It was my fault... I just wanted to help the pack so badly..."

"No, it's not your fault," Jayden's tone softens instantly. “Did you hear that, Lacey? Chloe is defending you! And you tried to kill such a kind girl!”

My heart goes numb.

"I'm going to use my life force to heal her," Jayden declares. “Lacey, if anything happens to her, I will never forgive you."

The link cuts off.

I stand in the empty room, looking around.

Ten years of memories are everywhere.

I walk to the fireplace and start throwing things in, one by one.

Photos, magic crystals, wooden carvings…

Finally, I take out our bonding certificate.

The parchment, blessed by moonlight, holds our vows to never part.

The flames consume it, turning a decade of promises to ash.

I pull out the Mate Bond Rejection form I’d prepared.

I wrote it three months ago, the first time Jayden defended Chloe in front of me.

Now, it's time to use it.

The door to the infirmary is unlocked.

I push it open, and the sight inside freezes my blood.

Jayden is kneeling by the medical bed, his hands on Chloe's chest.

Golden life force streams from his body into hers.

Chloe lies there weakly, a satisfied smile on her face as she gazes up at him.

They look like lovers.

"Does healing require you to be that close?" My voice cuts through the silence.

Jayden looks up, startled. The golden light vanishes. "Lacey, you..."

I hold up the form. "I'm here to reject our bond. Sign it."

"What?" His face drains of color. "Lacey, are you insane?"

"Perfectly sane." I place the form on the nightstand. "Ten years was enough, Jayden. I'm tired."

He lunges to his feet, snatches the form, and rips it to shreds. "I will never agree to this! Never!"

The pieces flutter to the floor.

"Lacey..." Chloe says weakly. "Don't do this... You and the Alpha are meant to be..."

Before she can finish, my anger boils over. I lunge to pick up the torn pieces, and my arm brushes against her.

It was a light touch, but Chloe immediately cries out in pain. "Ah! Lacey, how could you attack a patient!"

"Stop it!"

Jayden's roar, backed by his Alpha command, explodes in the room.

But the crushing force of his Alpha command never hits. He just shoves me aside, planting himself in front of the bed like a shield.

He glances at the teary-eyed Chloe, a flash of annoyance in his eyes.

But then he turns to me, his voice cold and commanding. “Lacey, have you had enough? I don’t care what’s between you and Chloe, but right now, your jealousy has caused her magic to backfire, and she is dying. And I have to use my own life force to save her!”

He pauses, his expression complicated. “Now, apologize to Chloe. Then go home and wait for me. I can pretend this never happened. Don't test my limits again.”

Apologize? He wants me to apologize?

I look at this man, shielding another woman while blaming me.

And he thinks "pretending it never happened" is an act of mercy.

“Jayden,” I point to the scraps on the floor, my voice terrifyingly calm. “Since you won’t sign it, then let's just wait for the backlash to shatter our bond and kill us both.”

With that, I walk out, leaving his shocked and disbelieving face behind the closing door.