Chapter 9

Aria's POV

Cold river water rushed in from every direction, and the freezing chill shot through every pore of my skin.

I dove deeper, searching through the murky water for that pocket watch. Moonlight filtered through the surface, barely giving me enough light to make out shapes around me.

Finally, my fingers found that familiar shape buried in the mud at the riverbed.

I gripped it tight and pushed upward.

But I was out of breath. My lungs burned like they were on fire, and my vision started to blur. Werewolves are stronger than humans, but we're not made for water—stay under too long, and we drown just like anyone else.

And then there was Lily. She was thrashing in the water, and her arms had tangled around my legs. She couldn't swim. She'd grown up in an inland pack, and she'd been terrified of water her whole life.

I tried to break free, but my body wouldn't cooperate anymore. Everything was going dark.

Then a massive splash exploded above me.

Ethan had jumped in.

His Alpha aura hit me like a wall, even underwater. It drowned out everything else in an instant.

I wanted to call out to him. Every instinct screamed at me to reach through the bond.

But I stopped myself.

The Moonbreak Herb had already taken effect. He couldn't sense my call anymore.

I forced my eyes open and watched it all unfold beneath the surface.

Moonlight cut through the water like a cruel spotlight on this whole scene.

Ethan moved through the water with powerful strokes. He was a born Alpha, and even underwater, every movement was quick and precise. He took one look at the situation and made his choice.

He swam straight for Lily.

He pulled her thrashing body into his arms, wrapped one strong arm around her waist, and kicked toward the surface.

He never once looked my way. It was like I'd already vanished from his world.

The Moonbreak Herb had severed our mate bond completely. He couldn't sense me anymore—couldn't catch my scent or hear my heartbeat.

To him, I'd been erased from his instincts entirely.

And his wolf had chosen to save Lily.

A coldness spread through my chest, colder than the river had ever been.

I used every last bit of strength I had and pushed myself toward the surface.

The afternoon sun hit my eyes like a knife. I gasped for air, and my lungs burned as I took in breath after breath.

I dragged myself onto the shore and saw Ethan kneeling beside Lily, performing CPR. His movements were precise and practiced, but his face held a desperate look I'd never seen before.

"Lily! Wake up! Lily!" He called her name over and over, his voice thick with worry.

I looked down at the pocket watch still clutched in my hand. The silver case was covered in mud, but the crescent moon engraving was still visible.

I got to my feet, and water dripped steadily from my hair and clothes, pooling on the ground beneath me.

I started walking toward the shore.

When I passed them, Ethan finally noticed me.

"Aria," he said without turning around, "you know how to swim, so I saved Lily first. You okay?"

His tone was calm and matter-of-fact, as if he were simply stating the obvious.

My steps faltered for just a second. "I'm fine."

My voice came out rough and broken, but I didn't care.

Just then, Lily stirred awake and immediately grabbed Ethan's arm.

"Ethan... I was so scared... I feel dizzy..." Her voice was soft and helpless.

Ethan's attention snapped back to her instantly. He glanced at me, and I could see the hesitation in his eyes—like he was torn between two choices.

"Go take care of her," I said, my voice hoarse. "Don't worry about me."

"I'll take her to the hospital and come right back to be with you," he said quickly.

I turned my back to him and shook my head, my eyes stinging with tears he couldn't see.

It didn't matter.

What I meant was—from now on, you don't need to worry about me anymore.

Because starting today, our mate bond is completely severed.

I'm finally free.

I stumbled to the roadside and yanked the car door open.

"Aria!"

His voice came from behind me, laced with something like panic.

I didn't look back.

The engine roared to life, and I pulled away from the riverbank. In the rearview mirror, I watched him standing frozen in place with one arm still wrapped around Lily. Confusion flickered across his face—he was probably wondering why his chest suddenly felt hollow.

That was the aftermath of a severed mate bond.

But he'd get used to it soon enough.

When I got back to the villa, the butler had already prepared hot water and herbal tea. He must have received word ahead of time.

"Luna, the Alpha instructed me to have these ready for you. He said he'll be home for dinner tonight, and he specifically asked me to prepare your favorite—"

"That won't be necessary," I cut him off.

I went upstairs and changed into clean clothes, then came back down, dragging the suitcase I'd packed days ago.

The butler stared at me in shock.

"Luna, what are you—"

"When Ethan gets back, tell him to take a good look at what I slipped into his drink thirty days ago."

My voice was terrifyingly calm.

"Tell him his role in my life has officially wrapped. We're done."

I walked to the front door and unclasped the necklace from my throat—the silver moonstone pendant I'd worn since the day I became the Alpha's mate, placed around my neck before the entire pack as witness.

I set it down on the foyer table.

*****

My car rolled to a stop just outside my South Bay Villa, and I cut the engine.

I pulled off my sunglasses and scanned the entrance, but there was no one in sight. Where was Cameron? He'd promised me a surprise. I'd just severed my mate bond and won my freedom—shouldn't he be here to greet me?

Confused, I pushed open the heavy gate. It was eerily quiet.

The moment it thudded shut behind me, a bright piano melody filled the air.

The great hall—pitch black just seconds ago—flooded with light, revealing everything that had been hidden in the darkness.

Silver evening primrose decorated every corner, and the faint scent of herbs drifted through the space. Dozens of wolves, some familiar and some I'd never seen before, stepped out from the shadows with wide smiles on their faces. They pushed an enormous celebration cake between them.

And there, seated at the grand piano in a fitted black suit, was Cameron. His delicate features were sharp with concentration, and his slender fingers danced across the keys as music poured out like a rushing stream.

I watched the scene unfold like something out of a dream, and my heart skipped several beats.

It didn't feel real. My feet moved on their own, carrying me toward the piano one step at a time.

I reached him just as the final note faded into silence.

Cameron looked up, his golden eyes brighter than starlight, and produced a bouquet of evening primrose like a magician pulling flowers from thin air. He held them out to me with a soft smile.

"Aria, thank you for choosing me. Thank you for coming back to me."

The room erupted behind us.

"Aria, congrats on cutting the old bond!"

"Congratulations!"

I wasn't used to this kind of attention—not after everything with Ethan. I pressed my lips together and felt heat creep up to the tips of my ears.

Cameron noticed. A gentle smile tugged at his lips, and he rose from the piano bench to pull me into his arms.

The cheering around us grew louder and louder, and I buried my face in the crook of Cameron's neck. His voice drifted down to me, warm with amusement.

"Aria, you once said you'd give me a title in your life. Does that promise still stand?"

I froze for a moment, then lifted my head to look at him in surprise. Under his steady gaze, I gave a slight nod.

The next second, Cameron released his hold on my waist and stepped back. Then he dropped to one knee.

The pack members around us erupted into screams loud enough to shake the rafters.

When he pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a ring set with a glowing moonstone, I felt like all the air had been stolen from my lungs.

And suddenly I understood. This whole elaborate surprise, that question he'd asked me—it had all been leading to this moment.

Cameron took my hand and pressed a feather-light kiss to the ring finger of my right hand. Then he looked up at me, his voice ringing out clear and reverent for everyone to hear.

"Aria, will you give me the chance to be your mate?"

The entire hall fell silent, every wolf holding their breath. The moment the words left his lips, the crowd burst into a unified chant. "Accept the bond! Accept the bond!"

My heart pounded harder with each wave of their voices.

I stared into those golden eyes so close to mine, bright with hope, and memories flooded through me in a rush.

The night we first met. I'd been drowning my sorrows at a bar, broken and bleeding from a shattered bond, and he'd caught me when I stumbled. He'd wiped my tears with such gentleness while I sobbed so hard I couldn't breathe.

When I'd jokingly offered to be his sugar mommy, he'd just laughed and pulled me close, saying he was honored to catch my eye.

All those endless nights when the ghost of my old bond kept me tossing and turning in agony, he'd stayed by my side. He'd talk about random things, silly things, anything to make me smile and forget the pain.

Cameron had shown me that my life as a wolf wasn't over. That I still had a chance to start again.

He'd made me believe that my love—the kind I'd thrown myself into like a moth to flame—wouldn't drown in a hopeless bond forever. It could rise from the ashes and be reborn.

I made it through the nightmare and finally reached the dawn.

And the one who kept me going, the one waiting for me at the end of it all—it had always been Cameron.

So even though part of me still felt lost about what came next, even though the thought of forming a new bond so soon after breaking free made my wolf restless, none of that mattered anymore. Not with him.

I made the choice my heart had been begging for, and I gave him my answer without a single doubt. "I do."