Breaking the Bond의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 9

When Ryan finally came home, I was sitting on the living room sofa, staring into space.Ryan and I have been mated for five years, but we've never been able to conceive. The pack elders had already started whispering, claiming my bloodline was too weak—that I wasn't fit to be the Luna of the Dark Moon Pack.I found out I was two weeks pregnant a few days ago. I was planning to surprise him during the Full Moon Ceremony. Now, it seems he doesn't need that surprise anymore.Ryan set a takeout bag on the table and leaned in to hug me."Celine, I brought you some beef stew. Drink it while it's hot."I glanced at the bag. It was mostly broth with a few pathetic shreds of beef and barely any meat to speak of. It felt like a joke.It was probably someone's leftovers.I dodged his touch and pushed the bag away."I'm not hungry."Ryan took it as me being difficult. He poured the soup into a bowl and held it to my lips."Stop acting up. Isn't beef stew your favorite?"The fishy, cold scent of th

Ryan's entire body went rigid.Clara clutched her stomach and glanced at him, whispering something into his ear that I couldn't catch.Ryan turned his head to look back at me."Celine, there's no need to lie just to get my attention.""No matter what, I'm not leaving Clara behind."With that, the two of them walked away together without looking back a single time.At that moment, the last spark of hope in my heart finally died.A pup that isn't wanted shouldn't be brought into this world—no, I instinctively stroked my belly. This pup is mine, and I will protect it with everything I have.As for this fractured mate bond? It was only a matter of time before it snapped completely.When I got home, the house was pitch black.Ryan didn't come back for several days.I didn't call to ask where he was. Instead, I focused on taking care of myself and the pregnancy, and I privately consulted the pack elders about the procedure for severing a mate bond.The next time I saw Ryan was on Clara's Ins

Over ten hours later, the plane touched down in a small border town on the edge of the Silver Moon Pack's territory.I dragged my luggage out of the arrival hall and immediately spotted my mother. She was standing by the exit, looking around anxiously.The moment she saw me, her eyes welled up. She rushed over and pulled me into a tight embrace."Celine! Why are you back all by yourself? Where's Ryan? Did something..."I looked at the worry etched on her face and tried to say I was fine, but my nose stung, and the tears started falling before I could stop them.My mom pulled me closer, her heart breaking for me as she stroked my hair."It's okay, it's okay. Mom's here. Tell me everything, honey."We found a quiet corner to sit down, and I told her every single thing that had happened—Clara's ultrasound, the scene at the clinic, Ryan's coldness, Clara's taunting texts, and the dissolution papers I'd left on the table back at the Pack House.By the time I finished, my mother was shaking

Ryan looked nothing like his former self. His face was gaunt, covered in messy stubble—he was a shadow of the proud Alpha he used to be.The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up, and he rushed toward me."Celine! How are you feeling? Is the pup okay?"I gave him a distant, cold nod."Much better. If you don't have anything important to say, I'm leaving."He quickly reached out to stop me, cautiously handing me a small box.He opened it to reveal a pair of rings."Celine, the custom wedding bands finally arrived."When we first met, Ryan and I designed our own rings together. They held a special meaning for both of us.Back then, we promised each other that we would never take them off, no matter what happened.But eventually, I noticed the ring was missing from his finger.When I asked him where it went, he told me that seeing his wedding band made Clara sad. He claimed it reminded her of Kaleb, so he had taken it off to spare her feelings.I was furious at the time. We had a huge fight a

Maybe it was because Ryan felt guilty, but he left me a massive chunk of his assets when we dissolved the bond. I took every single penny.It was enough to live comfortably for a very long time, so I took my growing pup and started traveling the world.Every time I reached a new destination, I sent a postcard back home to my parents. I also started documenting my journey and my feelings on Instagram.As time passed, I actually built up quite a following.People admired my courage—traveling the globe solo while pregnant.At the same time, the journey allowed me to experience the beauty of nature and find the path my life was actually meant to take.The last five years of my life under that mate bond felt like a past life.During my travels, my belly grew bigger. Whenever the pup kicked, I'd stroke my stomach and whisper to it."Baby, Mommy is going to protect you.""We don't need a man who doesn't deserve to be a father."By the time I finished my world tour and headed home, I heard new