Chapter 4

A sharp ache went through my chest, and I tore my arm from his grasp. "I told you, Leo. I told you over and over again. You chose not to believe me."

From the moment our pup began to weaken, I'd called him again and again, begging him to listen.

He never did.

To Leo, every desperate call and every frantic message had been nothing more than another scheme to get his attention.

"I'm sorry." Leo lowered his head. "I should've believed you. This is my fault."

For the first time, I saw tears in the proud Alpha's eyes.

"I thought you were lying. I thought you were letting your jealousy get the better of you. And our pup..." His voice broke.

"I thought he was strong. I never imagined we could lose him. If I'd known he was really in danger, I would've brought you the Moondew myself.

"Please forgive me, Aurora. You know you and our pup mean more to me than anything. No one could ever come before the two of you."

Once, those words might have been enough.

I might have believed his tears, wrapped my arms around him, and forgiven everything because I loved him too much to stay angry.

Not anymore.

His tears meant nothing to me now.

There was no point in wondering what he would have done if he'd known the truth.

I'd told him the truth. He simply hadn't believed me.

No apology could bring our pup back.

And deep down, I knew something else too. If I could turn back time and live through that night all over again, Leo would still choose Lilian.

Lillian came up beside him and placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Leo, you can't blame yourself. You didn't know."

Then she turned to me, and the sympathy vanished from her face.

"You knew you were carrying the Alpha's heir, Aurora. As Luna, you should've been more careful. You failed to protect your own pup, and now you're blaming the Alpha for it?"

"Shut up!" Leo rounded on her so sharply that Lilian flinched.

She shot me a furious look but didn't dare say another word.

Leo turned back to me and took my hand. His eyes were still red. "Please forgive me, Aurora. Neither of us wanted this to happen.

"Don't put yourself through this anymore. We'll have more pups someday. As many as you want. I'll protect them myself, and they'll grow up safe and strong. They'll be my heirs.

"So please, stop talking about ending our mate bond. Don't leave me."

He sounded sincere.

It only made me sick.

I couldn't even tell anymore whether he meant a word of it or whether this was simply the same thing he'd always done.

Say whatever I wanted to hear whenever he thought I might actually leave.

I wanted to tell him there would be no future for us. There would be no more pups.

I wanted to tell him I was leaving him and the pack that had brought me nothing but pain.

Instead, I smiled.

"Alright. I promise."

I wouldn't ask him to end our mate bond again.

There was no need.

Soon, the petition I'd filed to have our bond dissolved without his consent would take effect.

For now, I only needed Leo to believe everything between us was fine long enough for me to get away.

I watched as he placed a bouquet of flowers on our pup's grave. While his attention was elsewhere, I quietly turned to leave.

I'd barely taken a few steps when he heard me. His voice was edged with panic.

"Aurora? Where are you going?"

I kept my expression calm. "I bought so many things for the pup. I need to go home and pack them away."

"I'll come with you." He started toward me.

"No." The answer came too quickly, and I immediately softened my tone. "It's okay. I can handle it myself.

"Besides, I'm sure our pup would like some time alone with his father."

That stopped him.

I walked away from Leo without looking back.

The Cullinan my father had sent was still waiting around the corner. By tonight, it would take me home to the Frosthaven Pack.

As the car pulled away, I gazed through the window at the clouds stretching across the horizon.

For the first time in years, I could breathe again.

I was free.

Tomorrow would be a new day.

I didn't need to build my life around anyone else anymore.

From now on, my life would be my own.