Survivor

I kept falling, kept extending my hands, as if reaching for an invisible lifeline. That stupid skirt of the gown I was wearing tangled between my legs, limiting my movements. The bubbles of air escaped my mouth, leaving me to suffocate underwater. I could have drowned in this freezing darkness, and no one would care. Not my pack, and especially not the one I loved…

‘So, you think you're fit to become my Luna?’ Lance's words spiraled in my head. ‘A pathetic weakling like you? A wolf who risks breaking into pieces because her body is too fragile to transform?’

He didn't know how wrong he was. I might have been hurt, heartbroken, and crushed by his betrayal, but I was stronger than he thought. And unfortunately for those bastards who hoped I'd drown, I was a damn good swimmer.

My wolf roared inside me, anger fueling my exhausted body. I tore up my skirt and pushed myself to the surface. Unsurprisingly, by that time, the yacht had already sailed away. A bitter laugh escaped me. I wondered if anyone would even notice me gone. Probably not.

My chest ached again, but I drew a deep breath and locked my eyes on the distant cliffs and a few dim lights marking the harbor. An average wolf wouldn't have made it to the shore. That distance would have been challenging even for the experienced swimmers. Still, I could bet they would have said that I'd died because I'd been weak. Raw fury burned in my blood. Ignoring the pain, I ground my teeth and began to swim.

The scenes from the yacht replayed in my mind as I used every remaining sliver of my strength. My tears mixed with the seawater, carrying my anguish as I swam to the shore. The moment my body touched the wet sand on the Silver Beach, I finally surrendered, slowly sinking into unconsciousness.

***

The sky was slowly turning gray when I managed to open my eyes. I was lying on an empty beach with the lower half of my body still drenched by freezing seawater. I clenched my jaw and slowly pulled myself up.

I rose to my knees first and checked the state of my dress. A dry laugh escaped me when I realized that the tightly laced bustier of my gown was still in place. The skirt, of course, turned into messy shreds, but at least they covered… something.

Perhaps it was fortunate that the pack was still asleep after the Blood Moon feast. I didn't need anyone to witness me in the most miserable state. My wolf fell silent, recovering from the rejection. My body sure as hell needed a recovery, too. I could have used a few of my aunt's healing potions, but I knew that going to her now would mean telling her about everything that happened. Then she would have called my dad, and he… should never find out about Lance's rejection.

Every fiber within me ached, but at least I was healing faster than most wolves—one of the few benefits of having a powerful spirit. Unfortunately, the shattered heart of mine would need much longer to mend itself.

I dragged my fingers through my hair, trying to comb through the sand-coated mess. My makeup must have been smudged all over my face, too. Thank the gods that the streets around the harbor were empty and quiet at this hour.

Still, I chose narrow passages between the buildings, hoping to avoid every potential sleepless soul. I was a few blocks away from my apartment when I noticed a large figure in a dark hood standing on the opposite side. My breath caught.

I couldn't see the man's face, but I felt his eyes on me. He didn't move, and neither did I. I could have sworn I noticed a faint smirk curving his lips. Who the hell was that guy?

A light wind carried his scent; it reminded me of high-mountain snow and lavender. I hated the cold, mountains, and I wasn't fond of lavender either, but now, breathing it in, I felt… captivated, intrigued, and… even aroused.

I almost took a step forward before something crushed down in the alley. My head snapped to my right, and I found a broken flower pot. It must have fallen from one of the balconies. Sighing, I shifted my gaze back to the opposite side of the street, but the man in the hood was already gone.

Chills rushed down my spine as I scanned the empty street. That man literally dispersed into thin air.

“Snap out of it, Kara,” I mumbled, clasping my cheeks. I had to get out of here. I shouldn't have strained my luck. Sucking in a sharp breath, I grabbed the shreds of my skirt and ran the few remaining blocks home.

***

It had taken me twenty more minutes to get to my apartment. It'd been cold and empty, somehow compatible with my life in Blue Moon Pack. My mom had been killed in the Lycan attack when I'd been three, and four years ago, my dad had been sent by the border to lead the first line of defense in case the Lycans entered our territory. He'd been coming to Auroris once every six months, and had never stayed longer than two days. But I'd gotten used to my loneliness… or rather, I'd been given no choice but to adapt.

I'd taken a long shower and then lay in bed for about an hour. I couldn't sleep. My mind kept racing, processing, replaying the painful scenes, wondering what I should do now…

I remembered what my aunt had told me once. The half-broken bond meant a true torment in the presence of the one who had rejected you, and that part I'd already learned to be true. This pain would remain until the rejection was completed, but it could only be done on the night of the full moon…  

That left me with two options, and neither sounded like a good idea. I could wait a month, try to make Lance hear me out, and pray that it would work, or… I could avoid him for three years to make the bond naturally disappear.

I burst into bitter laughter. How could I avoid him while studying at the same school?! And how could I force him to listen to me accept the rejection when he was not the one in pain?!

Groaning, I covered my face with my hands. How could this all happen? Had everything I'd shared with Lance been a lie? Then why had he stayed with me? Had he done it to humiliate me? To laugh at my devotion for him?

I pressed my hand to my chest and rubbed the aching spot. A second later, my phone rang; it was Aunt Felonia. I hesitated, wondering whether I should pick up or ignore her. Finally, I drew a deep breath and answered.

“Hi, Aunty.” I stretched my lips into a smile, trying to sound as cheerful as I could.

“Don't 'aunty' me! Tell me what happened!” she demanded.

I jerked up to sit. “W-what do you mean?”

“I can sense when my family's in pain, and you're suffering. So, spill it.”

I muttered a curse. Aunt, my father's half-sister, had witch blood running in her veins. She was an amazing healer… but some of her unique skills were quite annoying. “Promise you won't tell Dad,” I started.

“I make no promises. I need to know what's going on first.”

A few more curses formed on the tip of my tongue. I bit the inner side of my cheek, trying to put my words in order. Then I cleared my throat. “I… found my mate, and I was rejected.”

Silence fell. It lasted several heartbeats before Aunt spoke again, this time softly. “I'm sorry, Kara. Then again, this pack has always been full of assholes.”

I almost laughed. My aunt and our precious Alpha King had a history together—a brief one with a disastrous ending. That should have told me long ago that no Thornfield was the loving mate material.

“And it's even worse,” I went on. “He didn't let me accept his rejection, and now—”

“I want his name,” she hissed. “Rejecting you is one thing, but letting you suffer like this redefines being an absolute piece of shit!”

I could almost sense her bloodthirst through the phone. Gods, I knew she would have poisoned the entire royal family had I told her the truth. She would have most likely stood and watched them die, writhing in agony.

A hysterical laughter bubbled in my throat. “Aunty, you know I love you, right? And because I love you… I'm definitely not going to tell you the name.”

She drew a deep breath. “It was Lance, wasn't it?”

I closed my eyes as last night's events replayed in my head. I didn't say a word; my silence already was the answer she needed. “Please, don't tell Dad,” I whispered.

The sounds of shattering glass came through, all blended with a long line of curses. Then I heard her clear her throat. “I won't tell your dad, but you need to go to Alpha Lucien and tell him about it.”

I winced. “And why do you think Lance's father would help me?”

“Because if anyone knows that his son rejected his gods-given mate, that will not look good in the public's eyes.”

I had to admit that she was right. That could probably work, but then what? I could never be with Lance after what he'd done to me. “Aunt… but what if Alpha Lucien doesn't want to help me break the bond?”

She sighed. “If he proves he's still a dickhead, then you'll need to act on your own.”

My stomach churned. I couldn't face Lance right now, and I certainly couldn't let him humiliate me again. My hands curled into fists. “Aunty,” I started carefully. “What if… I'm not strong enough… to act on my own?”

“Are you afraid of Lance?” she asked.

I wished I could have said I wasn't. I wished I could have been confident and brave, but the reality was different. “He has the whole pack on his side,” I whispered. “And I have no one.”

“You have Dad and me,” Aunt protested.

“You won't be in Evermore to help me, to protect me every day at school,” I argued.

“Then maybe you shouldn't go to Evermore,” Aunt blurted.

“What?” A nervous laugh tore through my throat.

“It's not the only elite school in Altheris,” she explained. “You can always choose the Winterbourne Academy.”

Shivers rushed down my spine. It certainly was an elite school, and it was a few miles from Brumaville, where my father was stationed. But the academy was also best known for two things: brutal physical training and accepting all shifters… including Lycans.

“You want me to study with our enemies?” I strained through my teeth. “What if I encountered sons or daughters of those bastards who killed my mother?!”

“Think about it carefully, Kara,” she said curtly. “It's either that or risking pain and humiliation in Evermore War College.”