ログインCaleb.I felt uneasy the moment Melissa approached us.Something about the determined look in her eyes immediately put me on edge. I knew her well enough to recognize when she had already made up her mind about something, and right now, every instinct inside me screamed that she was up to no good.But never, not even for a second did I expect her to ask for a rejection.Was she insane?The mate bond wasn’t some meaningless connection that could simply be discarded like trash. It was sacred, powerful and dangerous.There could be consequences.Severe ones.Yet there she stood, speaking about breaking it like it was nothing.My jaw tightened instantly.Earlier before she asked for a rejection, images flashed through my mind against my will.It was that of Melissa kissing Davian.The memory alone sent something ugly twisting inside my chest again. Earlier, when I saw them together, all I wanted was to punish her a little for daring to kiss my cousin so openly.So I kissed Amelia instead.
Melissa.I stormed down the hallway the moment I was far enough away from Louis.My steps were fast, sharp, filled with frustration that had been building up steadily inside me. At this point, looking for Amelia was becoming exhausting.Honestly, it made no sense.Whenever nobody wanted her around, she would magically appear out of nowhere and create one dramatic scene after another. But now that I actually needed her—needed her to carry out one of those manipulative little episodes she was so good at—She was suddenly nowhere to be found.“How annoying,” I muttered under my breath, irritation evident in my voice.I kept walking, my thoughts completely tangled as I tried to figure out where else to search.And then, a familiar scent drifted toward me.I slowed instantly.My brows furrowed slightly as I turned my head, trying to confirm what I had just sensed.And sure enough…It was Amelia but she wasn’t alone.Caleb was with her.The both of them sat beneath the large olive tree nearby
Melissa.“Trust me, Melissa, it’s not what you think it is.”Louis’ voice pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts instantly.I blinked slowly, forcing myself back to reality as I stared at him. The intensity in his eyes only made my chest tighten further, and suddenly, I desperately needed to change the topic before I completely embarrassed myself.I plastered a smile onto my face.One that hopefully looked natural enough.“You probably haven’t eaten dinner, right?” I asked suddenly, my voice softer than intended as my gaze wandered everywhere except his face.The walls, the hallway, just anywhere but his eyes.“Yes, I haven’t,” he replied.Then, before I could even think of escaping the conversation again, he grabbed my shoulders gently, forcing my attention back to him.My breath hitched instantly.“Do you mind joining me?” he asked, a mischievous smile slowly spreading across his face.And gosh…that smile should honestly be illegal because I wanted to stay upset, at least for a lit
Melissa.I was suddenly short on words the moment Cypril casually went to sit on the bed.For a second, I just stood there staring at him, completely aware of what he was trying to do. And the annoying part was….It was smart.I wasn’t a fool.Even if I somehow managed to drag Cain and Caleb together to one place—despite the insults they would throw at me, despite the teasing and endless arguments—I was absolutely certain of one thing.The moment I returned to get Cypril…He would disappear.I knew him too well.He would never stay put long enough for me to complete the rejection. He was clearly enjoying this twisted little game, and the smug look resting at the corner of his lips only confirmed it.My shoulders slacked slightly at the realization.For a brief moment, defeat settled heavily in my chest.But only for a moment.Because regardless of his tricks, regardless of how much they tried to avoid it…We were still going to break this bond.One way or another.And then suddenly, a th
Cypril.I thought she was bluffing.I mean…this is Melissa Copper we were talking about.The same Melissa who had always loved us despite everything. The same woman who stayed, endured, and chose us even when we gave her countless reasons not to.It was never a secret.If she hadn’t been labeled as unwanted from the very beginning, if circumstances had been different, gosh, I would have acknowledged the mate bond without hesitation.Call me names if you want—selfish, cruel, coward….Maybe I deserved all of it.But the moment I saw that fire five years ago, something inside me shattered completely. All the pride I had carefully built, all the ego, all the cold walls I hid behind, they crumbled instantly.And for the first time, I realized the truth.I had always wanted her.Maybe I had been too blind to admit it back then. Maybe I had buried the feelings so deeply beneath duty, expectations, and fear that I convinced myself they weren’t real.But they were.After five long years, I fin
Melissa.I was clearly pissed.There was no hiding it—not from the way my chest rose and fell, not from the tension in my shoulders, not from the sharp edge in my gaze as I stared at Cypril. His words, his reactions, everything about him at that moment only fueled the anger already burning inside me.“Why are you so harsh on me, Melissa?” Cypril asked, as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn’t just crossed a line. He completely ignored my earlier words, ignored the obvious anger radiating from me like it didn’t matter.“Harsh?” I repeated, raising my brows slowly, almost incredulously. “You were spouting nonsense, Cypril…and I could only shut you up.”My tone was firm, unapologetic.But he didn’t back down.“How is what I’m saying nonsense, Melissa?” he asked, stepping closer, closing the little distance between us like he had every right to do so. “It is a fact that you are still my wife.”The way he said it, so certain, so confident, made something twist inside me.He even had th
Melissa.I sank onto the edge of my bed, the mattress dipping beneath my weight as if it understood how heavy everything inside me felt. My hands clenched into the sheets while my mind replayed Cain’s order over and over again, each word sharper than the last. It wasn’t even the command itself that
Melissa.I didn’t wait another second. Panic clawed at my chest, and my legs carried me on autopilot, taking me away from him, away from the suffocating presence of Davian, away from anything that might make me feel again. I ran down the corridor, my gown brushing against the cold stone floors, my
Melissa. Cypril’s voice cut through the room like a blade.“Kneel, Luna.”The command settled over me with crushing weight. For a heartbeat, I stood frozen, my body trembling, pride and fear colliding violently in my chest. Then reality won. My strength had long since been stripped from me, at the
Melissa.The breakfast was finally over.That single thought echoed in my head as I remained seated, my back stiff, my hands folded neatly in my lap like a well-trained servant awaiting dismissal. I had learned long ago that rising too early was considered disrespectful. I had to wait, wait for eac







