Semua Bab Seven Bonds Seven Betrayals: Bab 1 - Bab 9

After we broke the bond, Corbin didn't contact me. Just like always, he lost himself in his time with Liana.But this time, I was different.I wasn't heartbroken. I wasn't obsessing over his every move, torturing myself by staying in their orbit."Are you sure you're done?" Maya asked, sliding a glass of champagne toward me at the werewolf bar. "He's your fated mate, after all."I let out a bitter laugh. "Fated? He's rejected me seven times. What kind of fate is that?"Maya shrugged. "At least he always comes back to you.""That's because he can't bear to lose the power I bring him as Luna," I said, the words bitter as I downed my drink."He knows his pack's strength drops by a third without me."It was true.As the daughter of an Alpha, my wolf is blessed by the moon. Any Alpha I bond with gains significant power and status.Corbin knew that. It’s why he couldn’t give up Liana, but didn’t dare truly lose me either."The Coalition gala is tonight," Maya said, waving the invitation. "Wa

The days without Corbin flew by. Before I knew it, I only had two days left.Even though we hadn't spoken, Maya kept me updated on his and Liana's drama."They had a fight," Maya said through a mouthful of toast. "Nearly woke up the whole building last night."I didn't look up from packing my last few things. One more day, and I would be free."About what?" I asked absently."You," Maya said, raising an eyebrow. "Liana demanded to know why he was still contacting you. Corbin said something like, 'She's my Luna,' and Liana lost it."A ridiculous, sharp pain stabbed through my chest. I paused. “He called me his Luna?”He finally remembered?After pushing me away, after he needed to soothe another woman, he finally remembered what that title meant."Yep," Maya shrugged. "Then Liana started crying, asking 'What does that make me?' and Corbin started cooing, saying it was just a 'temporary arrangement'..."I sneered.A temporary arrangement.Our three years, our seven bonds... all just a "t

Corbin's POVI drove back on autopilot. I killed the engine. The world fell silent. Terrifyingly so.The only sound was my own harsh breathing inside the car.She was really gone.Astrid really left me.I stumbled toward the elevator, my finger trembling as I pressed the button for the top floor.The doors slid shut, trapping me with my reflection: hair wild, eyes bloodshot. A man who’d lost his soul.The elevator doors opened.And then I smelled it.White roses and sandalwood.Astrid’s scent. Her scent. The one blessed by the Moon Goddess herself.My heart hammered in my chest.She's back! She has to be back!I practically burst into the apartment, following the scent as I ran for the bedroom."Astrid!" I threw the door open. "You're back, I knew—"The words died in my throat.It wasn't Astrid on the bed.It was Liana.She was wearing my black silk robe, her long blonde hair draped over her shoulders.On the nightstand, Astrid's favorite white rose and sandalwood incense was burning.

Astrid's POVCorbin found me at a lakeside café in the Southern Packs. I was meeting with Rhys, the Alpha of the Stormclaw Pack.Inside the glass conservatory, Rhys's fingers gently brushed the back of my hand.For three years, this Alpha, known to the world as the "Stormclaw," had shown this quiet patience to me and me alone."I've known you for three years and four months."He suddenly pulled a black velvet box from his suit pocket."I've decided to stop counting the days."The moment the box opened, it was as if all the sunlight in the conservatory focused on the pendant of the necklace inside.A moonstone the size of a robin's egg, circled by over twenty flawless diamonds, like stars around the moon."I sent my best warriors into the dwarven mountains for it last month."He took my hand and fastened the necklace around my neck."It suits you even more than I imagined."The same hand that had signed countless territorial treaties was now trembling slightly.Rhys's voice was careful.