Chapter 7

Cain's POV:

The pain hits me like a blade to the chest.

I’m awake instantly, gasping, my hand clawing at my sternum as if I can tear the sensation out of my body. My heart is racing, pounding so hard it drowns out every other sound. The room is dark, quiet,but inside me, something is screaming.

Cora.

The bond flares violently, white-hot and suffocating. Fear slams into me next, raw and primal, so intense it leaves me shaking. For a split second, I can’t breathe. I can feel it—her pain, her panic, the overwhelming sense of danger pressing in from all sides.

She’s hurt.

Badly.

My wolf surges forward, snarling, desperate, slamming against my control.

Find her. Now.

I swing my legs off the bed, already moving, already halfway to the door before the rational part of my mind can catch up. Every instinct I have is screaming the same thing—she’s dying, go to her, protect her.

I wrench the door open—

And nearly collide with my father.

He stands there like he was expecting this, arms crossed, expression hard and unreadable. The sight of him barely registers through the roaring in my head.

“Move,” I snap, trying to push past him.

He doesn’t budge.

“You felt it,” he says calmly.

My hands curl into fists. “She’s in danger. I need to go. Now.”

“No,” he says, voice ironclad. “You will stay.”

The bond pulses again, sharp and agonizing, and I barely suppress a growl.

“You don’t understand—”

“I understand perfectly,” he cuts in. “You made your choice, Cain. You rejected her. Whatever happens to her now is no longer your concern.”

The words land like a blow.

“She’s still my mate,” I choke out, even as the bond twists painfully in agreement. “Whether I accepted it or not.”

His gaze sharpens. “And that bond will fade. In time. But the pack will not survive if you abandon your duties every time instinct claws at you.”

I stand there, shaking, torn in half. One part of me is already running through the forest, following the echo of her pain.

The other is trapped here, buried under responsibility and expectation.

“The pack needs you,” my father continues, relentless. “Your warriors need you. Your future Luna needs you. You cannot afford weakness.”

My wolf howls in fury, pacing violently beneath my skin.

But I lower my head.

“…Yes, Alpha,” I say hoarsely.

The moment the words leave my mouth, something inside me fractures.

My father nods once, satisfied, and turns away. I stand there long after he’s gone, chest aching, the bond slowly dulling from a scream to a constant, unbearable throb.

I don’t sleep.

The night stretches endlessly, my wolf restless and agitated, pacing my mind like a caged animal. Every time I close my eyes, I see flashes, blood, darkness, fear that isn’t mine. I wake repeatedly with her name on my lips.

Morning comes, gray and heavy.

I sit at the breakfast table, untouched food cooling in front of me, staring into nothing. My parents speak around me about patrol schedules and pack matters, as if the world hasn’t nearly shattered in the night.

Then Aurora arrives.

She sweeps into the mansion like sunlight, bright and confident, her laughter filling the room instantly. She kisses my mother’s cheek, greets my father warmly, and launches straight into animated chatter about dress fittings, venues, colors.

“I was thinking silver accents,” she says, practically glowing. “Strong, traditional. Alpha-worthy.”

I barely hear her.

Then she pauses, eyes flicking to me. “You look awful,” she says lightly. “Did something happen?”

My mother answers before I can. “Cain had a… restless night.”

Aurora’s smile tightens just a fraction. “Because of her, right?”

The room goes quiet.

“She left,” Aurora continues, irritation slipping through her tone. “That should have been the end of it. Honestly, I don’t know why she can’t just accept the rejection and move on like everyone else.”

My jaw tightens.

“And now,” Aurora adds, looking directly at me, “you’re still somehow affected by her? The bond should be weakening by now.”

She steps closer, lowering her voice. “You chose me, Cain. You love me.”

I open my mouth but nothing comes out.

She doesn’t wait for an answer. She rises onto her toes and kisses me, soft and familiar, her hand resting possessively on my chest. My body responds out of habit, out of expectation—but my wolf recoils.

The bond pulses again, quiet but persistent.

Guilt coils in my stomach.

Aurora pulls back, smiling like she’s won something. “See? We’re fine. You just need to stop thinking about her.”

I force a nod.

But inside, I’m unraveling.

I obeyed my father. I stayed. I chose duty.

And somewhere out there, my mate nearly died without me.

My wolf paces endlessly, restless and furious, and I know with terrifying certainty that this choice will haunt me for the rest of my life.