Chapter 5 : Fractured Bonds

Cia’s POV

The second our eyes locked across the room, the world shifted.

His scent, strong, earthy, and powerful crashed into me, pulling me in and choking me all at once.

My stomach twisted violently as my mother’s words echoed in my head.

"Alejandro… my brother?"

No. No. No. This couldn’t be real.

This had to be some twisted mistake. Or maybe a prank.

 "It’s a lie."

"It’s a lie."

"Our bond is too deep, too wild. He can’t be my brother."

But my wolf whimpered, howled in agony, clawing against the walls of my chest. She knew.

I could feel her cracking inside me.

"We found our mate. And the Moon Goddess... ripped him away from us." Nira howled tearfully. 

Ale stood frozen, his jaw clenched, body tensed, his wolf prowling beneath his skin.

His aura thundered across the room.

His lips parted, but no words came. None could fix this. 

I wanted to run. I wanted to scream until my lungs bled. I wanted to tear out of my own skin, to shred the cruel bond that I have with him.

But I stood there paralyzed, trapped in a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

Worse, I couldn’t even react in public. Because the family’s reputation, image and name will be tainted if anyone finds out about Ale and I. 

Throughout the party, we circled each other like hunted animals, our gazes locked, speaking in shattered glances, our souls bruised and bleeding.

When he offered to take me home, I refused.

I should have refused strongly. Actually, I did refuse.

But of course, Alejandro didn’t take no for an answer.

He drove me back anyway, his scent coiling in the air between us, dragging my wolf to the surface. She whimpered, desperate, still reaching for him.

The car ride was a graveyard of silence. 

No words, no touch. All I could feel was the heavy pull of our bond, tightening mercilessly around my chest, stealing my breath, sinking its claws into my ribs like a snare I couldn’t escape. But I fought it, because this is not just wrong but forbidden.

‘No!’ I screamed inside, but she clawed back, her voice raw and wild. ‘He’s ours. He will always be ours.’

Tears burned behind my eyes. My head said run but my heart said stay and my wolf said mate.

When we reached my dormitory, I ran.

I didn’t look at him, I didn’t speak.

But my wolf kept saying, ‘don’t leave him!’

‘Don’t leave our mate!’

I staggered into the hallway, my breathing ragged, my chest caving in from the weight of what I was losing, from the agony of what I could never have.

The further I walked, the harder the bond snapped, pulling, tightening, screaming. It felt like I was ripping my soul in half with every step.

Because if I turned back, I would never leave him again.

But I kept walking till I was in my room 

And then, I collapsed.

The tears burst out, shaking my entire body with deep, gut wrenching sobs.

Gabrielle found me seconds later. She didn’t ask, she just held me as I shattered in her arms. And for the first time that day, I let myself break.

Alejandro vanished with no calls, no messages, he wasn't picking his calls nor replying to his messages. He was just gone.

The pain in my heart didn’t fade. It lived inside me, gnawing at my bones.

I buried myself in school, drowning in work, pretending the ache was just something I could outrun.

But my wolf never let me forget.

 "He’s ours."

"He’s our mate."

"We were born for him."

I wanted to believe I was fine, but I wasn’t.

And then things got worse.

I came back from class in the evening, exhausted, worn down by grief. I pushed open my dorm door and to my greatest surprise that shattered every single memory of Ale and I. 

I saw Gabrielle naked in Alejandro’s arms. Who was also naked in her bed.

My wolf snapped, unleashed. A guttural scream tore from my throat, sharp and wild, shaking the walls.

“ALEJANDRO?!”

His eyes, horrified, pleading as they met mine.

Gabrielle just smirked, like she had won.

“How could you?!” My voice cracked, shaking under the weight of betrayal. “Gabrielle, I trusted you!”

I spun to him, my heart bleeding out of me. “You disappeared for weeks. No calls, no messages, didn't pick nor respond to my messages, just to show up in my room, in bed with her?”

Ale scrambled, pushing Gabrielle away like she was poison.

“Cia, wait…”

But I didn’t.

I ran.

Because if I stayed, I would create havoc.

Alejandro’s POV

When my phone buzzed that day, I didn’t know who it was.

The number wasn’t saved. But I answered, hoping it would be Cia. 

I know I wronged her by leaving her at this vulnerable time. But I needed to clear my head too. 

After ignoring all her messages and calls, I came to the realization that I needed to talk to her. At least, explain what happened. 

But now, she's avoiding me like a disease.

The voice at the other end of the call, brought me back to reality. 

“Hello?”

“Please, is this Alejandro Rossi?” The voice was soft. Feminine. Familiar.

“Yes. Who’s this?”

“My name is Gabrielle,” she said. “Crystal’s roommate. I can help you. I can make her talk to you.”

A dangerous offer. But I was desperate enough to listen.

“How?” My wolf growled, pacing, restless.

We need her. We need our mate.

“She finishes lectures by three. Meet me by two thirty at our dormitory and I’ll make it happen.”

Without thinking, I cleared my schedule and raced to her dorm.

Cia.

Crystal.

The name didn’t sit right on my tongue. She would always be my Cia.

When I arrived, Gabrielle welcomed me with a sweet, smile.

“She’ll be here soon. Relax.”

I let her hand me a drink.

I shouldn’t have.

I took a few sips, and suddenly the room spun, the walls closing in. My body betrayed me, my wolf slamming against me in panic.

“Get up! GET UP!”

But everything went dark.

The next thing I heard was her. My mate, my Cia.

“ALEJANDRO!”

I forced my eyes open, sluggish, dizzy, reaching for her, but she was already retreating. With tears streaming down her cheeks. 

“Cia…?” My words slurred. I tried to sit up. My head throbbed. And that's when I felt someone's skin, bare, brushing against me.

I turned.

Gabrielle.

Naked with a venom-laced smirk. 

“No. No. No!”

I shoved her off, anger rising in my chest as I scrambled to pull on my clothes.

“What the hell did you do?!” I roared, my wolf snapping his jaws, ready to tear her apart.

Gabrielle just smiled lazily, the sheets clutched around her like a queen on her throne.

“You’ll thank me later.”

I stormed out, my balance unsteady, my wolf howling in rage and grief.

I chased after Cia, but I was too late.

I lost her.

“She’ll never believe me.”

“She’s gone.”

“We lost our mate.”

I clenched my fists, the edges of my control fraying, my wolf gnashing his teeth.

“Fight. Bring her back. Claim her.”

But I didn’t know how.

Gabrielle’s POV

When the door slammed, I let out a slow, satisfied breath.

Victory tasted sweet.

I stretched out on the bed, savoring the lingering heat of Alejandro’s scent, letting it soak into my skin.

Finally.

I slid off the bed, sauntering to the mirror, admiring the woman staring back at me.

Smirking, glowing and dangerous.

“This is what I deserve,” I whispered, trailing my fingers down my neck.

Poor Crystal.

The precious little heiress.

Daddy’s perfect daughter.

Born into privilege, handed the world. Never had to fight, starve or sell herself just to survive.

Me?

I crawled through filth.

I danced in sleazy bars for money.

I was used. Discarded. Until I made myself impossible to ignore.

But even after all that, Alejandro still looked at Crystal like she was his sun, his moon and reason for existing. 

But it doesn’t matter now.

“Soon, the Rossis will believe I carry his heir.”

They’ll make sure we get married as soon as possible to avoid a scandal.

Alejandro will hate me. But he’ll stay.

“I mean, it's not my fault his fated mate is his sister.”

And I'll watch Crystal break and suffer, while I wear her crown as the future Luna to the Garcia pack. 

“Who’s the golden girl now, Cia?”