Se connecterNORA’S POV
I was stunned to my bones, too stunned to move. I gaped as the drama unfolded around me. My heart bled like someone was ripping it out of its cage.
For a few minutes, I couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening. The world was spinning around me, and everyone seemed to be okay.
I was rejected in the same second, my best friend was pronounced the new Luna of Riverstone pack.
A lump gathered around my throat. “Celeste…”
Her signature gentle expression wore off. She rested one hand against her waist, and the other on her lower abdomen. “What do you think?” She began. “That, I’ll leave my man for you, because of some mate bond?”
“We’re best friends,”
Celeste snickered. Her calm demeanor rolling off. “Best friends don’t take what belongs to their best friend,” She spat. “Nora, you’ve always been a bad choice for Aiden, and I’m glad he realized it pretty fast,” she giggled, wrapped her hands around Aiden’s neck, and pulled him into a deep kiss.
Aiden smiled sheepishly, like a teenager in love. I was his wife, and fated mate, and the closest I’d seen him smile was a devious smirk, right before he did wicked things to me.
He was tossing me out, like a cheap distraction. Like I never mattered. Like the fated bond we shared was an illusion.
Celeste scrunched her nose. “Guess what, we’re having a baby!” She squealed.
The crowd erupted in cheers. Everyone rushed to them, almost knocking me over me. I watched with blurred vision as they congratulated the new couple.
Broken. Scared. Rejected. Betrayed. Weak.
All in a split second. My heart felt like it was getting ripped out of my ribcage. I spun around on my feet, with what was left of my strength, and started making my way out of the hall.
“Nora!” Aiden cried.
I stopped in my tracks, but didn’t turn to face him. I couldn’t let him see how broken I was. “One last thing, before you move to the maids quarters,” he said. “Sign this.”
“Don’t let us argue because of a mere signature,” Beta Austin snarled. He handed me a pen, and held out the file to my face.
Another round of heartbreak spread like poison through my blood, as my eyes scanned the content of the document.
DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS.
On the same day he’d rejected our bond. The pen trembled violently, as I scribbled my signature onto the paper. My tears dropped on it, earning me a low growl from Aiden.
“One more thing Nora, you have to move to the room down the hallway on Alpha Aiden’s floor,” Celeste began, “You cannot imagine how stressful it is to be pregnant with an Alpha pup. I need all the help I can get.” she added with a strained sigh.
Doris snickered. “She’s good for nothing,” she said, and quickly added. “You heard your Luna. She needs the help of an Omega, and you’re the perfect fit.” her tone was demeaning.
I simply turned, dragged my heavy legs towards the exit. My body numb, from the shock it’d been put through. For years, I’d endured the pain, and humiliation of a wolfless Orphan, in the same pack that once doted on me.
Enough!
I wasn’t going to stay back, and watch these traitors walk over me. I wiped the tears off my eyes, and made my way straight to Aiden’s suite.
I looked around the room, memories of Aiden etched like a nightmare in my brain. This was the room he made me a woman. He was going to share it with someone else.
I ran my hand over the king sized bed we shared every other night.
The sex had been rough, heck! A punishment to me. He relished in subduing me, even though I succumbed easily to his wolf.
Aiden derived pleasure in breaking me shred by shred. I was done this time. I was done lurking around a pack that avoided me like a plague. I turned my head sideways, staring at my reflection in the full-length mirror.
I ran my hands over my scar. It was ugly, but it didn’t take away my person. Who I truly was. Aiden might’ve dropped me like I was trash, to him I was.
It didn’t matter anymore. He made his choice.
I let out a laugh— a soft sound filled my empty heart. I ran my hands over the scar on my face, and my heart sank. I wasn’t going to stick around, and take in the disgrace.
I was done being hopeless. It was time to take powers into my hands. I shoved a few clothes into my bag.
“Goodbye ex-husband,” I said out loud even though I was the only one in the room.
“And where do you think you’re going?” Aiden’s steely voice entered my ears. I stopped in my tracks, clutching my hands tight against the strap of my bag.
Deafening silence stretched the air between us.
I had a thousand things to say. More than anything, I wanted to curl my hands into a fist, and hit him so hard until he bled out.
‘Pleaseee. You’re too weak to stand up to an Alpha,’ ’ a voice echoed in my head.
Alpha Aiden Reynolds rounded me, and stood in front of me. His face contorted in amusement. “Aha! It seemed the caged bird finally decided to spread her wings.”
A vein pulsated in my neck. Instead of fear, and my lungs fighting for oxygen, anger spread like venom in my bloodstream.
Aiden Reynolds reached for my hair, and tugged at it. I pushed his hands away. His face was pale red, it was obvious he was still suffering from the bond that had snapped dead.
He groaned, “Nora, if you walk out of the borders of the pack tonight, you know what that means,” he growled. “If no pack takes you in before the next full moon, which I’m pretty sure of…” his voice trailed off.
My breath hitched. “I become a rogue.”
A flicker of shock touched his eyes, and died an instant death. “Nora, you won’t survive that, and you know it. No pack will take a subdued in.”
I locked contact with him, my eyes and a quality mix of pain, regret, and resignation. “Let that be my hell to burn in.” sidestepped him, and walked straight to the borders of Riverstone pack.
Every memory of my childhood, and the love I thought I would live, faded away with each step I took. The warriors that manned the borders looked at me with scorn.
The moonlight casted shadows against the warriors faces, obscuring half their faces. “She’s not gonna last for long, before she comes running back.” one said amidst laughter.
“We’ll pick her body up, and bury her ruins beside her parents.” another jeered.
I pressed my lips together. “I’ll be back…” I held my breath. I stepped past the borders of the Riverstone pack.
I was going to rewrite my fate, this time Aiden Reynolds and the entire Riverstone would collapse on their knees.
THIRD PERSON’s POV Snow was beating relentlessly against the thick glass of the central war room.Two full days passed since the bloodbath in the eastern swamp, and Blackcrest Castle felt like a cold stone tomb. Down in the quiet medical wing, Halil lay in a deep, silent coma. Machines were breathing for the massive Beta. Every passing hour felt like a heavy physical weight pressing down on the pack.Inside the war room, Kai stood over the heavy oak table. He stared blankly at a sprawling map of the continent. He was not sleeping. He was surviving on black coffee and raw, simmering rage.Heavy double doors swung open. General Gideon marched into the room, followed by three grim-faced border commanders. Gideon carried a thick stack of printed intelligence reports. He threw the papers onto the table."We have a massive problem," Gideon announced.Kai did not look up from the map. "My brother is dying in a hospital bed. I already have a massive problem. What is this?""This is a politic
THIRD PERSON’s POV His massive chest heaved with violent, erratic breaths. His hands shook uncontrollably. The feral adrenaline was crashing hard, leaving a raw, volatile beast far too close to the surface. His golden eyes still glowed with a dangerous, unnatural light.Nora walked across the room. She did not hesitate."Kai," she said softly.He did not hear her. He was watching Dr. Aris pull a bloody piece of silver shrapnel from Halil's chest. A low, menacing growl vibrated deep in Kai's throat."Kai, look at me." Nora stopped right in front of him.He blinked. His glowing eyes snapped down to her face. For a terrifying second, he did not recognize her. The beast was ready to attack anything that moved."It is my fault," Kai whispered. His voice was a harsh, broken rasp. "I was too slow. Aiden was standing right there, and I was too damn slow.""You killed him," Nora reminded him gently. "You saved us.""Halil took the blade for you," Kai choked out. His whole body trembled. "If h
AUTHOR’S POV.Alarms were blaring from every machine. Six royal medics surrounded the steel operating table, their hands moving in a frantic, desperate blur.Halil lay in the center of the chaos. Black blood was spilling from his chest, staining the pristine white sheets a dark, sickening red.Nora stood frozen at the foot of the table. Her white dress was ruined. Warm blood soaked through the thin fabric, clinging to her skin. She was shivering, but she refused to move. While the medical team fought to keep Halil on this side of the veil, her mind struggled to process the sheer volume of violence they just escaped."Push two milligrams of epinephrine!" Dr. Aris shouted over the screaming monitors. He was pressing thick gauze directly into the gaping wound. "The silver is spreading! We need to clamp that artery right now!"A nurse bumped hard into Nora's shoulder. "Queen Nora, you need to step back!"Nora planted her feet. "No.""You are in the surgical field!" Dr. Aris barked. He did
KAIFreezing rain pelted the thick canopy of the eastern swamps. Black water splashed violently against Kai’s gear. He was tearing through the waist-deep mud with brutal, unrelenting force. Thick, rotting vines dragged against his legs, but he shoved them aside . General Gideon and the elite strike team were moving right behind him. They were cutting a relentless path through the dense brush, their heavy boots sinking deep into the freezing muck."Keep the flank tight!" Gideon ordered over the howling wind. "We do not know how many mercenaries are guarding the perimeter! Watch the tree lines!"Kai did not care about mercenaries. He only cared about his wife.Suddenly, the sharp, distinct crack of a suppressed rifle echoed through the storm.Kai froze in the mud.That was Halil's weapon.Before Kai could even key his radio to ask for a status update, a chaotic eruption of automatic gunfire shattered the quiet swamp. The loud, deafening roar of assault rifles echoed from the north."A
KAIFreezing rain pelted the thick canopy of the eastern swamps. Black water splashed violently against Kai’s gear. He was tearing through the waist-deep mud with brutal, unrelenting force. Thick, rotting vines dragged against his legs, but he shoved them aside . General Gideon and the elite strike team were moving right behind him. They were cutting a relentless path through the dense brush, their heavy boots sinking deep into the freezing muck."Keep the flank tight!" Gideon ordered over the howling wind. "We do not know how many mercenaries are guarding the perimeter! Watch the tree lines!"Kai did not care about mercenaries. He only cared about his wife.Suddenly, the sharp, distinct crack of a suppressed rifle echoed through the storm.Kai froze in the mud.That was Halil's weapon.Before Kai could even key his radio to ask for a status update, a chaotic eruption of automatic gunfire shattered the quiet swamp. The loud, deafening roar of assault rifles echoed from the north."A
HALILHis entire body was numb from the cold, but he ignored the physical pain. His mind was locked on the mission.A lone mercenary was patrolling the outer perimeter. The man was standing near the massive, rotting roots of a dead willow tree. He held an assault rifle loosely across his chest. He was smoking a cigarette. The tiny orange cherry flared in the dark while the guard took a deep drag.Halil did not hesitate. He sank slowly beneath the surface of the freezing water.While the mercenary was exhaling a thick cloud of gray smoke, Halil rose from the muck directly behind him.He wrapped one thick arm around the man's throat. He clamped his other hand firmly over the guard's mouth. Then Halil twisted violently. The man's bone crunched with a sharp, sickening pop.He dragged the limp body straight down under the black water.Bubbles broke the surface for a few seconds. Then, the swamp was still again. Halil moved forward like a phantom.He finally reached the solid ground of th
NORA’S POV. I groaned, struggling to pry my eyes open. “Our Luna decided to grace us with her consciousness.” A stern voice cut across the room. I made to sit up, but all my bones felt like they were crushed under the weight of a boulder. My eyes lingered around the room. It wasn’t like my room i
AIDEN’S POV I did the right thing. I was sure of it. Nora was no good. She couldn’t even bear me a pup, not even a female. Her body was frail, and clearly cannot carry my seed. I tightened my grip around my pen, as I scribbled some words onto the document, my heart in a completely different place
KAI’S POV You’ve got to be kidding me. A stray. A fucking stray that had tinges of rejection all over her. To make it worse, she was wolfless. My eyes hovered all over her, and my heart boiled with a mixture of disgust. Why on earth would the moon goddess think she could link us to a stray as a s
HALIL’S POV I clenched my hand around the edge of the Ebony table, as surges of electric current splintered through my chest. Fucking hell! A devilish smirk lined the corner of my lips. “This might just be our chance at easing the grief.” I spat. Kai grunted, and didn’t say a word. My Gamma Chi







