Let reject each other

Let’s reject each other, Damon said bluntly, going straight to the point.

Amara’s breath hitched, her eyes widening in shock. She hadn’t expected him to confront her so directly, and panic began to bubble inside her.

“Damon, I—”

He cut her off with a dismissive wave of his hand. “There’s no need to drag this out, Amara. Let’s get straight to the point. I don’t like you, and I sure as hell won’t accept this bond.”

His voice dripped with venom, each word slicing through Amara’s heart like a knife.

Tears began to fall uncontrollably down her cheeks, his harsh words shattering her from the inside out. Damon took a deep breath, as if steadying himself for what he was about to say next.

“Amara, I’m not going to accept this bond,” he declared, his voice resolute. “I want you to reject me.”

Amara’s eyes welled up with fresh tears as she shook her head, her voice trembling.

“Damon, please don’t do this,” she pleaded, reaching out to him, but he remained unmoved. “I can’t reject you. Please, just give us a chance.”

Damon let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. “How delusional of you to think I would ever give this bond a chance. What makes you think I would ever want you? A bastard.”

He sneered, his voice harsher than he intended—but he didn’t care. If anyone else had said those words, Amara might have been able to brush them off.

But coming from the man she loved, these words tore her apart.

“But why? Why do you hate me so much, Damon? Did I do something to offend you when we were young? Did I make any mistake?”

Her voice cracked under the weight of her pain. “If I did, please tell me, and I’ll apologize.”

She choked out the words through her tears, desperate for an answer to the question that had haunted her for the past ten years.

Ever since their eighth birthday—when Damon suddenly turned cold toward her—she had wondered what she had done to make him hate her so much.

They used to be inseparable, sharing meals, doing everything together, even sleeping in the same bed despite Luna Anita’s scoldings.

She had fallen in love with him at such a young age, but since that fateful birthday, Damon had become someone she couldn’t recognize anymore. He was hostile, quick to get angry, and always shouting at her.

Every night as she went to bed, she would ask herself the same question: What did I do?

“Tell me, Damon,” she pleaded again, clasping her hands together before him. “Tell me what I did, and I’ll apologize for it.”

For a brief moment, Damon’s eyes softened, a flicker of regret and pain crossing his features—but it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by a cold, indifferent look.

“Things change. People change. I’ve changed,” he said, his tone emotionless. “I don’t owe you an explanation for my choices.”

Amara’s tears flowed freely now, her sobs shaking her entire body. “Damon, please,” she begged. “I need to understand. I need to know why you’re doing this.”

Damon sighed, running a hand through his hair, as if trying to keep his frustration in check.

“I’m giving you a month,” he said finally, his voice cold and distant. “We’ll reject each other then. I don’t want to do it now because you just got your wolf, and I don’t want to cause you unnecessary pain. But after a month, this will be over.”

Amara’s heart sank, her mind reeling from the weight of his words.

A month.

He was giving her a month to come to terms with the fact that he was going to reject her—a month to prepare herself for the inevitable heartbreak.

It felt like a cruel countdown to the end of everything she had ever wanted.

“Damon—” she began, but he cut her off.

“Listen, Amara, I’m not the only man in the world. If you open your eyes, you’ll see that you’re genuinely wanted and loved—but just not by me. I will never want you. Get that into your head.”

His voice was cold, final.

“And if you tell anyone about this, or try to force this bond on me, I’ll make sure you regret it. Do you understand?”

Amara’s heart shattered at his words, the finality of them cutting through her like a blade.

She couldn’t believe this was happening—that the one person she had loved for so long was standing before her, telling her he didn’t want her, that he was going to reject her.

She wanted to cry, to plead, to beg him to reconsider. But she knew Damon—his word was final, and he would never go back on it.

She nodded slowly, her head bowed in defeat. “I understand,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, her wolf whimpering in her mind.

Damon didn’t say anything more. He just stood there for a moment, watching her with an unreadable expression, before turning and walking out of the room—leaving her alone with her pain.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Amara’s composure crumbled.

She collapsed onto the bed, her body shaking with sobs as she buried her face in the pillows.

The weight of Damon’s words—the certainty of his rejection—was too much to bear.

Her wolf whimpered in her mind, trying to comfort her, but it was no use.

Even Olivia knew, deep down, that no matter how much Amara wanted to believe otherwise, Damon wasn’t going to change his mind. He was going to reject her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

And the worst part? She would have to live with the knowledge that she wasn’t enough.

That she had never been enough for Damon—not for the bond, not for anything.

We have one month, Amara. One month to make him change his mind, her wolf tried to give her hope.

But Amara knew better than to let her hopes rise.

A loud knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she quickly wiped the tears from her face.

When she opened the door, a male servant stood before her.

“The Alpha requests your presence immediately,” he announced, causing Amara’s breath to catch in her throat as she wondered why the Alpha was calling for her.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” she said to the guard, who quietly left.

Taking a deep breath, she returned to her room, splashed cold water on her face, and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

The woman looking back at her seemed so fragile—so broken.

You’ll be fine, Amara. You will, her wolf whispered, offering a small shred of comfort.

With those words echoing in her mind, Amara straightened her posture and left the room.

As she neared the garden, Amara spotted Austin, the Beta’s son, leaning casually against a tree. His smirk was the first thing she noticed—a look that had always made her uncomfortable.

He straightened up when he saw her, his eyes raking over her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine.

“Well, well, who do we have here?” Austin drawled, his voice laced with lazy arrogance that grated on her nerves. “Isn’t this our lovely Amara?”

Amara frowned, pulling her arm away as he reached out to touch her. She was in no mood for his usual flirtations—especially not after what had just happened with Damon.

“What do you want, Austin?” she grumbled, trying to keep her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her.

Austin inhaled deeply, his eyes darkening as his wolf stirred within him. “Damn, Amara, you have an intoxicating scent,” he grunted, his voice thick with desire.

Amara took a step back, her frown deepening.

She knew all too well about Austin’s reputation. He was known for his charming looks and silver tongue—but also for how quickly he discarded women once he got what he wanted.

The last thing she needed right now was his flirting.

“Austin, I’m not interested in whatever game you’re playing,” she said firmly, trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

But Austin moved closer, a predatory gleam in his eyes.

“Come on, Amara,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a low, seductive tone. “You don’t have a mate now, so why not be with me? I can show you what it’s like to be loved.”

Amara frowned. If there was one thing she would never do, it was have anything to do with Austin, who slept with every woman he laid eyes on.

“Over my dead body,” she spat, her voice trembling with anger and disgust. “I’d rather be alone than with someone like you.”

Austin’s smirk faltered, his expression darkening as a low growl rumbled in his chest. His wolf was clearly enraged, stirred by her rejection—but Amara didn’t care.

“No?” he challenged with a raised brow, then let out a soft chuckle. “It seems you’ve forgotten, Amara, that I always get who I want. And you won’t be an exception.”

He threatened, rubbing his palms together as he stepped toward her menacingly.

“Are you okay, Luna Anita?” he asked mockingly, his tone dripping with false concern.