All Chapters of Mine to keep, mine to break : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Nalini Maxine hesitated. “Where?”“Anywhere that’s not here.”We slipped out through the side gate, walking until the noise of the school faded behind us. The afternoon sun was warm against our skin as we made our way down a dirt path that led to a small clearing near the river — a place we used to go as kids when we wanted to hide from the world.Maxine sank onto the grass, pulling her knees to her chest. I sat beside her, watching the sunlight ripple across the water. The quiet was a balm after everything that had happened — but it also made it harder to hold back what I was feeling.“I don’t even know who I am anymore,” I admitted softly. “Every time I think I’ve got my life under control, something happens and I just… fall apart again.”Maxine turned to me, her eyes tired but kind. “Did you guys kiss?”My heart stuttered. “How did you—?”She gave a weak smile. “Nalini, you’ve been off all morning. You look like someone stole your soul.”A shaky laugh escaped me. “Maybe they did.”

Nalini That night, the Omega quarters were alive with laughter. It was rare—too rare—that we had moments like this, moments that weren’t overshadowed by fear, by whispered orders or the weight of pack hierarchy. Someone had found a bottle of sweet berry wine, probably smuggled from the Alpha’s stores, and the air was warm with its scent.I sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a few other omegas—girls who, like me, had learned to smile even when life gave them no reason to.Sara—my godmother, my rock—sat on the edge of her cot, mending an old apron by the dim light of a lantern. The glow softened her face, tracing the fine lines that years of servitude had carved there. Despite it all, she still smiled, still hummed little lullabies under her breath as if the world weren’t cruel at all.Beside her, Jocelyn was polishing a pair of Beta Nolan’s boots, her tongue sticking out slightly in concentration, while Richie—broad-shouldered and gentle, the youngest of us—was slicing up so

Myron I hadn’t slept much — not since the ball, not since that night everything had spiraled.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. Nalini. Standing at the edge of the ballroom with that quiet, unreadable expression — the same one that always made me feel like she saw right through me. And then Julie’s voice, her arm looped through mine like a chain, her laugh shrill and hollow.I’d told myself I did it for appearances, that keeping Julie close was necessary — that there were politics in play, expectations to meet, family pressure. Lies. I told myself lies to make it easier to look away from what I actually wanted.And yet, none of that mattered now. Because something about last night gnawed at me — the way Nalini had disappeared so suddenly, the faint tremor in her hands when she served wine, the way she avoided my gaze as though she were afraid I might see too much.I ran a hand through my hair and cursed under my breath.Julie had been unusually smug since the ball. She’d even h

Nalini The whispers started before first bell.At first, I thought I was imagining them—those half-muted giggles and glances that seemed to follow me through the hallways of Silvermist Academy. But the longer I walked, the more I realized… they weren’t fading.They were growing.“…did you hear? He lost it—right there in front of everyone.”“Myron Rudrah?”“Yeah. He almost shifted! Over an omega!”“No way. Over her?”The last word was spat like poison, and I didn’t need to turn to know who “her” was. My stomach clenched painfully, the way it always did when I heard that tone—half mockery, half pity.I kept my eyes ahead, clutching my books so tightly my knuckles turned white. The scent of wolves and wax polish filled the hallway. My footsteps echoed, steady and soft, even though my heart was anything but.By the time I slid into my seat in Lycan Anatomy, my thoughts were a tangled mess. Myron. Fight. Omega. Over her.He’d fought someone again? Why? Was it because of me?I didn’t want

Myron I couldn’t shake her face from my head.The moment Timothy’s hand closed around her wrist and pulled her away, everything inside me cracked — quietly, like thin ice splintering under weight. She didn’t even look back. Maybe she didn’t want to. Maybe she was just too tired of me — and honestly, I wouldn’t blame her.The hall had emptied after that ugly scene, but the echo of whispers still clung to the walls like smoke. “Did you see?” “He dumped Julie for the omega.” “The alpha prince has lost his mind.” They said it all like it was a show, like her pain and my confusion were something to feed on.I stayed behind after everyone left, standing alone in the middle of that chaos I’d created. My fists clenched, jaw locked so tight it hurt. I’d told Julie it was over. That I picked Nalini. That I was done pretending. The look on her face — red with disbelief, tears burning through anger — didn’t even compare to the look in Nalini’s eyes.She didn’t look happy. She looked… terrifi