The unknown

“Eric…?”

Riley stood frozen at the doorway, her trembling fingers still curled around the handle, her breath caught somewhere between her chest and throat.

The room smelled of betrayal, of sweat and skin, of sounds she would never forget. Eric tore himself away from the woman beneath him with an annoyed growl, as if Riley was nothing more than a poorly timed interruption in his schedule.

He did not bother covering himself.

He did not bother hiding the disgust on his face.

“So you finally came,” he said, running a hand through his hair with slow arrogance, his voice dripping with ridicule. “I thought wolfless things like you moved slower.”

Riley shook her head frantically as tears blurred her vision. “Eric, why are you doing this? You are my mate. You marked me. You said I was your Luna. You said you loved me.”

Eric chuckled, the sound cold and sharp. He grabbed his pants from the floor, pulling them up with careless ease while the woman in his bed smirked triumphantly, as if Riley’s misery was entertainment.

“Loved you?” he repeated, stepping closer until she could feel the heat of his breath on her skin. “I never loved you, Riley. I marked you because it amused me. Because the pack elders wanted a royal name tied to the Alpha throne. Because you were easy to manipulate.”

Riley staggered backward, shaking violently as each word crashed into her like a blow. “You cannot mean that. Eric, please, you are lying. You are angry, or confused, or something happened. We just mated. Two hours ago, you promised me forever.”

Eric scoffed. “Forever with you would be a punishment.”

Her breath hitched. “But I am your Luna. I am the Alpha princess. The pack needs stability. You need a partner.”

“I need a real wolf,” he snapped, jabbing a finger at her chest. “Not a pathetic girl born without one. Do you think the pack respects you? They laugh behind your back. They call you the silent omega. Useless. Weak. A title without a spirit.”

She flinched as if his words were knives.

He leaned closer, lowering his voice, making it intimate only so it could hurt more. “That woman in my bed gives me more power with a single look than you could offer in your entire life.”

Riley’s knees buckled. Her hands clutched her chest as a twisting, searing pain bloomed from deep inside her ribcage, spreading like fire along her bones. A sob ripped out of her throat. “Eric, please, please do not do this. I feel like I cannot breathe. Something is wrong. Help me.”

He watched her crumble without blinking. “Nothing is wrong. That is just the mate bond reacting. I have not even rejected you yet.”

Her eyes widened. “Reject me? Eric, no. Please no, I cannot survive that. I already live without a wolf. I cannot lose you too. I will break. I will die.”

“Then die,” he said flatly.

Her breath shattered.

Eric stood tall, shoulders squared, voice loud and merciless as he declared, “Riley, daughter of Alpha Richard, princess of this pack, I reject you. I reject you as my chosen mate and as my Luna.”

The bond snapped.

Pain detonated through her like a thousand spears piercing her at once. The burning sensation in her chest intensified until she collapsed fully on the floor, convulsing, her fingers clawing at the wooden boards as she screamed through the agony. It felt as if her heart was tearing itself apart. Her soul felt as if it had been ripped clean from her body.

“Eric,” she sobbed, gasping for air that refused to fill her lungs. “Help me. Please. I cannot take it. I do not want to die.”

He stared down at her as if she were an inconvenience on his floor. “I already told you. I hope you die.”

The woman on his bed laughed softly. “She looks like a broken doll. Pathetic.”

Riley’s vision dimmed. She tried reaching toward Eric one last time, her fingers trembling, her voice barely a whisper. “Please… do not leave me like this…”

Her hand fell before it reached him.

Her world turned black at the edges. Her heartbeat faltered. Her breath became thin, disappearing.

Just before the darkness swallowed her completely, she heard Eric speak carelessly, as if discussing trash disposal.

“Dump her in the lake. Make it look like suicide.”

Then everything went silent.