Broken tiles

ELEANOR

I stood frozen as Cedric stood beside his new mate. My world, already falling apart, was breaking for real. I watched them, unable to move or speak.

Kate, still innocent, asked softly, “Mommy, who dat? Why Daddy mad?”

I didn’t answer her. I couldn’t. The words wouldn’t come.

“We need to talk,” Cedric said, his voice distant.

I stood, waiting for him to explain. “What do you mean? What’s going on, Cedric?”

He sighed, looking detached. “I’ve booked plane tickets for you and Kate. You both need to leave.”

I blinked, trying to process his words. “Leave? What do you mean, leave?”

His expression grew cold. “You don’t understand, Eleanor. The mate bond—it’s different. You can’t expect me to ignore it.”

The words hit me hard, leaving me breathless. “You promised, Cedric,” I said, my voice breaking. “You knew what Tristan did to me. You knew how broken I was, and you said you’d never hurt me. I trusted you. You told me I was safe with you, that you’d never leave me. And now, you’re just pushing me and Kate away? How can you do this to us?”

His silence was unbearable. Cedric had been my safe place, and now he was tearing it all apart.

Cedric’s eyes hardened as he finally spoke. “You don’t get it, Eleanor. I stayed with you because I promised you stability, because of Kate, and because I thought I had to. Our marriage was never full of passion—it was always just going through the motions. But now I’ve found my fated mate, and I can’t ignore it. I can’t keep pretending. I’m sorry if it hurts, but I need to follow this. I never meant to break your heart, but I can’t let go of the chance for real love, the one thing I’ve always wanted. I didn’t want to leave you feeling like you weren’t enough, but I can’t deny what I feel now.”

The words cut deep, and I fought to hold back my tears. “Please, Cedric… just let me stay. I won’t interfere. I promise.”

But he shook his head firmly. “No, Eleanor. You and Kate can’t stay. My mate doesn’t want to raise a child that isn’t hers. She can’t bear to have you two here.”

I had no idea how to fight this. “She’s your child too, Cedric. How can you be so cold?”

“I’ve already made arrangements. You’ll be on a flight back to the Nightshade pack tomorrow morning.”

My legs felt weak, but I caught myself before I fell. Beatrice, his mother, appeared from the hallway, smiling faintly as she walked toward Cedric. She didn’t look at me, just went straight to him and hugged him tightly.

“Welcome back, son,” She greeted, her voice filled with a warmth I hadn't felt in years. “How was the mission?”

Cedric’s voice softened as he responded. “It went well, Mother. We found her.”

I stared at them in confusion.

We found her? What the hell is going on?

Before I could process what he’d said, Beatrice turned to me, her eyes now cold and dismissive. “What’s this? Why are you still here?”

The words hit me like a slap. I opened my mouth to speak, but Beatrice spoke again, her tone firm and unforgiving. “Pack your things. Do as Cedric says.”

Beatrice had disapproved of our marriage, and now she didn’t bother hiding it. “You’ve always been a distraction for Cedric,” she said, her voice sharp and unforgiving. “I knew this day would come.”

I could feel the weight of her words pressing down on me. “What do you mean? I’m his wife.”

Beatrice’s lips curled into a sneer. “You were never meant to be his mate. The mate bond is stronger than anything else. Cedric’s true mate was always out there. I just didn’t know when it would happen.”

Her words froze me. I had always known she didn’t like me, but hearing her belief in the Mate Bond made it clear—she’d always seen me as an obstacle.

I wanted to shout, to tell her she was wrong, but the weight of her words left me silent, drowning in pain.

She didn’t wait for me to say anything else. “You’ve never understood Cedric, have you? The bond between a mate and their wolf is beyond anything we can explain. It’s primal. I’ve known it from the beginning.”

Beatrice’s bitter tone was the final blow, and something inside me snapped. “You think you know everything, don’t you? You think this Mate Bond gives you the right to decide what’s real? Cedric and I built a life together. We raised a child! Is that nothing to you?”

Cedric’s voice cut through the tension, calm yet distant. “It’s not about what you believe, Eleanor. It’s about what’s true. I met her during the rescue mission with the other beta wolves. The moment I saw her, I knew.”

The words seemed to echo in the room. “How could you do this, Cedric? How could you just... replace me?”

He didn’t answer right away, glancing at his new mate behind him, who was quietly supportive. I couldn’t look at her. She wasn’t the one I was angry with—she was just part of this mess.

“She’s everything I need, Eleanor,” Cedric finally said, his voice soft, almost apologetic. “You’ll never understand, but I need her. I’m sorry, but this is what it has to be.”

I tried to hold back the tears, but they came anyway.

“Please, Cedric, don’t do this to us. Kate needs her father,” I pleaded, but my voice was barely above a whisper.

Beatrice, standing in the doorway now, shook her head. “Let him go, Eleanor. You can’t keep him here. You’ve never truly been a part of this pack, not like his true mate will be.”

She turned to the woman behind Cedric and gave her a soft nod. “You take care of him. He’s yours now.”

The woman nodded, her voice soft yet filled with conviction. “I will. I promise.”

I was shattered. Hearing Beatrice openly criticize me, especially with Cedric saying nothing to defend me, felt like a dagger to my heart.

Without another word, I grabbed Kate’s hand.

“We’re leaving, sweetie,” I whispered, forcing a smile through my tears.

Kate’s small voice broke the silence. “Mommy, where we goin’? We comin’ back? Daddy comin’ with us?”

I sank to my knees and pulled her into my arms. “No, sweetie. We’re not coming back. This is goodbye.”

Her face twisted with fear and confusion. “But why? I want Daddy…” She cried harder, and my heart shattered.

We walked to the room, Beatrice’s words still echoing in my mind: “Goodbye, Eleanor. Don’t come back.”

I barely felt the sting of her words. I looked back at Cedric. He stood with his new mate, their bond already strong.

Cedric glanced at me briefly, regret in his eyes, but quickly turned away to focus on his mate. The sound of Kate’s crying and the brokenness of everything I believed in crushed me.

Just like that, everything I fought for—the life I built, the love I hoped for, and the family I wanted—crumbled into nothing.