Chapter 2

Pain ripped through me as I severed our mate bond, sending my body into spasms and leaving my back drenched in sweat.

I bit the inside of my cheek, staggered past Carl, and headed deeper into the shrine.

Carl went pale, but his pride wouldn't let him show weakness. He gritted his teeth and fought through the pain of our severed bond.

"Vera, did you stage all this just to force me to mark you?"

He grabbed my wrist.

The instant we touched, pain from our severed bond ripped through us both.

Carl grunted and staggered.

Carl was too proud to let go, even as the pain tore through him.

"I'm ordering you to get the hell out of the central territory! Find someone else to mark you for all I care. Just do me a favor and stop pretending you're my mate. You make me sick!"

I turned and studied his face in silence. I didn't even have the strength to be angry.

I already knew how he felt, but his words still cut deep.

My heart had raced last night when he told me to wear a wedding dress and promised to mark me.

I thought the mate I'd given half my life for had finally seen how much I loved him.

But a few hours later, I overheard them talking.

"Alpha, that idiot Vera actually thinks you're going to mark her tomorrow."

His Beta added with a sneer, "She should take a good look at herself. She's just jealous of Ms. Vale. That's why she keeps clinging to the mate bond."

Carl snapped, "That damn mate bond is nothing but a burden. Just seeing her face every day makes me sick."

"Then why'd you go out of your way to tell her to wear a wedding dress to the Moon Goddess statue tomorrow?"

Carl gave a soft laugh.

"I'm bored. Let's make a bet. All I have to do is say the word, and she'll show up tomorrow in a wedding dress, ready to make a fool of herself. If I win, I get the northern hunting grounds."

The group burst out laughing.

The Gamma chimed in with a laugh. "Ha! You sure know how to have fun, Alpha! But seriously, if Ms. Vale wore a wedding dress, her curves would make Vera look like—"

Thud!

Before he could finish, Carl flew into a rage and punched him so hard he went flying.

"Shut your filthy mouth!" Carl snarled. "Who gave you the right to talk about Aurora like that? Say one more word against her, and I'll rip your mouth open!"

I hid in the shadows, both hands clamped over my mouth, choking back a sob.

That was the man I'd loved for 18 years.

I'd dreamed countless times of marrying the Alpha I loved.

But now he'd crushed those dreams himself and was trying to push me onto another wolf.

The Alpha who used to fight anyone who touched a single hair on my head was dead and gone.