Chapter 2 – Shattered Bonds

The house was quiet when Davina came downstairs. She had stayed in her room for hours, lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling, her feelings heavy and confusing. The smell of stew floated in from the kitchen, warm and familiar, but it didn’t make her feel any better.

Her mother moved slowly at the stove, sleeves rolled up, stirring the pot like nothing had happened. Her father paced the living room, hands clasped behind his back, footsteps heavy on the wooden floor. They both turned as they heard her footsteps, eyes full of concern.

“There you are,” her mother said softly, dabbing her hands with a towel. “You had us worried sweetie.”

Her father’s pacing halted. “Bunny… are you okay?”

She nodded, though it didn’t feel true. She sat on the edge of the couch, rubbing her fingers together. The words stuck in her throat, painful and hard to say.

“We got a call from the school,” her mother continued gently. “They said something happened today.”

Her father’s voice hardened. “Did someone hurt you?”

That question shattered something fragile inside her.

“I—I was insulted,” Davina whispered, voice trembling. “In front of everyone.”

Her mother knelt in front of her, cupping her face in her hands. “By who, baby?”

“At school… some of the higher-ranked students,” Davina said. Her voice cracked. “They called me useless. Said I was nothing because I don’t have a wolf… because I’m wolfless.”

Her father growled low in his throat. “They had no right.”

Davina shook her head. “That wasn’t even the worst part.”

Her parents froze.

“I met my mate today.”

Silence fell like a weight in the room.

Her mother’s hand trembled slightly. “Your… mate?”

Davina swallowed, her throat tight. “Yes. I felt it when I was in school. The pull… the bond. I didn’t understand it at first, but then I scented him.” Her voice broke. “He’s the Alpha’s son. Raymond.”

Her father’s eyes widened. “Raymond?”

“I know,” she whispered bitterly. “Of all people.”

Her mother tried a small, uncertain smile. “But that means”

“He rejected me,” Davina blurted, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Right there. He said he couldn’t accept a wolfless mate. He looked at me like I was… nothing.”

Her mother pulled her into a tight embrace, touching her gently. “Oh, my sweetheart,” she murmured. “I’m so sorry.”

Her father knelt beside them, jaw clenched. “That boy made a grave mistake.”

Davina wiped her tears with the back of her hand. “Everyone saw. Everyone already thinks I’m weak, and now… now it’s all true to them.”

Her mother held her face firmly. “Listen to me. You are not weak. You are not broken. Being wolfless does not make you unworthy of love.”

“But he didn’t see that,” Davina whispered, voice cracking.

Her father stood, eyes blazing. “One day, he will regret this. Mark my words.”

Raymond couldn’t breathe.

The moment he caught her scent in the school hallway, the world tilted. His heart slammed against his ribs, his wolf surging violently within him.

Mate..mate.

The word echoed in his mind like a roar.

He had imagined this moment for years. As the Alpha’s son, he believed his mate would be perfect, strong, confident, able to stand by his side. He had thought it would be Aria the queen of the school, beautiful, adored, untouchable. He had let himself fall for that fantasy.

But when he turned and saw Davina… everything shifted.

Her eyes were wide, shimmering with vulnerability, hope, and fear. The bond snapped tight between them, undeniable and raw.

No. This isn’t right.

His wolf, Rand, howled in warning. It’s her.

“She’s wolfless,” Raymond thought, jaw tightening.

She is our mate, Rand insisted, don’t you feel it?

He did feel it and that terrified him.

Wolfless meant weak. It means useless . It meant a mate who couldn’t run with him, couldn’t fight with him, couldn’t lead beside him. An Alpha with a wolfless mate would be questioned, mocked, challenged.

You’re wrong, Rand growled. Strength isn’t only in a wolf.

Raymond clenched his fists. I can’t be an Alpha with her.

You’ll regret rejecting her, Rand warned. She is important. She is ours.

He looked at her again, saw the hope in her eyes. It twisted painfully in his chest.

But fear of the future the judgment, his father, his status won.

He hardened his expression. He forced a mask of indifference. He rejected her.

"I Raymond Wood and the future Alpha of Red moon pack reject Davina Robinson as my mate and future Luna of the Red moon pack".

The moment the words left him, something inside him shattered. Sharp, searing pain tore through his chest as if the bond itself had been ripped from his soul. Rand’s howl of agony echoed in his mind. His fists shook uncontrollably.

He saw it in her eyes—the way hope flickered and died. The way her shoulders stiffened as if she’d been struck. Guilt flooded him, heavy and suffocating. Pride and fear chained his tongue. An Alpha could not hesitate. An Alpha could not show weakness.

Still, the ache in his chest was real, suffocating, permanent. Turning away from her felt like walking away from a piece of himself—but he did it anyway.