Novel & Cerita Between Commitment And Betrayal By Shain Rose

“Yeah! We don’t like each other. So it makes no sense to bring a child into our hate relationship. “I guess this is what happens when you sign a contract without reading the contents.” My eyes went wide and I instantly wished I was before my stepmother so I could stab her heart. I was literally against it that day but she didn’t even a fuck about me. “What was in it?” I replied almost immediately. “The bet and some more conditions.” I scoffed. “Do you enjoy seeing women helpless?” Shawn let go of his arm and took a step closer to me. “You don’t know me enough to judge me.”

My body aches, the bond with my mate slowly breaking, every second an aching reminder in the form of physical pain like the universe itself holds me responsible for my husband’s betrayal. I try to hold myself back from crying. I try to tell myself that I am stronger than this. That I am a Luna. But when reality comes crashing down on me, it crushes my spirit as well. Squeezes my heart to the point of bleeding, leaving me breathless.

Ethan’s face drained of color, and he instinctively opened his mouth to protest. But Rose grabbed his hand and turned to the priest, urging him: “Father, please begin the ceremony.” The priest froze for a moment, glancing at Ethan’s strained expression, unsure how to proceed. Rose nudged him again: “Hurry up, Ethan. All the guests are watching.” Ethan’s gaze locked on Rose, a storm of conflicting emotions in his eyes. The priest cleared his throat and, steeling himself, began the vows: “Mr. Ethan Shaw, do you take the lady before you… to be your wife, to love and honor her, in wealth and in poverty, in sickness and in health, until the end of your days?”

And you're nothing but a pretty pawn. "The passage contract you just signed will stuff a huge fortune into Luca's pockets. Nothing will change the outcome, even if you make a scene about it now, and you can't cancel the wedding either because it'll just mean more losses for the Cecere Famiglia. "So, what can you do about it even if you've finally discovered the truth? Face it, Katerina, it's over only for you!" I looked straight into her eyes and refused to back off. "Then, how do you benefit if the wedding proceeds as usual? You'll forever be a mistress hiding in the shadows, watching us living happily with each other. Is that what you really want?"

Why aren't they taking care of their own mates? Then came Lyris's soft-spoken voice message. [Oh, sorry! Just sharing a little moment from life. Selena, you're not mad, are you?] Violette laughed coldly. "Brothers being brothers. Both experts at pretending to care. It's almost insulting that they ended up with us. "One played her first love, the other her backup plan. That's probably how it was meant to be." I said nothing. Our father contacted the Alpha King of the Kingdom of Volvia to request a forced dissolution of our Mate Bond. Less than a day later, the official forms arrived in my inbox.

Now, it would hold something new. Sasha stood before them, officiating with a black folder in her hands and tears already threatening her composure. She’d joked about refusing at first, but Lucas knew she’d cried writing the ceremony. “This isn’t about starting over,” Sasha said. “This is about returning to love that didn’t just survive loss, but grew stronger because of it.” Lucas looked at Elias. Elias looked back. And for a few perfect seconds, there was no history, no pain just them.

“I am now.” The words ripple outward, immediate and irreversible. “And did you feel betrayed?” I consider the question. “Yes,” I say. “But not just personally.” Her brows knit. “What do you mean?” “I mean betrayal isn’t only about romance,” I say. “It’s about power. About people deciding what truths you’re allowed to know.” Somewhere, a producer gasps. “I was engaged to a man who believed silence was protection,” I continue. “And best friends with a woman who believed winning justified everything.”

“Do I look like someone who is scared to die? I went against Father—something the three of you couldn’t do. That should tell you what kind of man I am.” They frowned, the words landing exactly where I intended. Cowards. They heard it too. “Yes, it does tell us what kind of man you are,” Shirin snapped. “A man who doesn’t value family ties or loyalty.” “Don’t forget to add betrayer to that list,” Roshan added. “Betrayer?” I asked, stepping closer. “Please, tell me—who exactly have I betrayed?” “Our father. Your pack. Our bond,” Roshan said. “You want everything for yourself, including Rose. How selfish and evil can you be? Do you ever stop to think about the people you hurt with this attitude

Although reluctant, finally, he nodded, agreeing to my words. He knew I was right and that I didn't want him to kill or hurt Shawn because of what he did for me. At least not now… If later he created trouble for me again, then what happened today would not even save him from Max’s wrath. “Hey you,” Rosa addressed Shawn without his title or name since she knew Shawn had betrayed and used me while we were still mates. “Help me move this useless fake witch,” she said to Shawn. “This could be a chance for you to atone for the sins you’ve done to Ari.”

I say quietly. They nod, but their eyes tell me they were hoping for something else. An accommodation. A concession. A return. I don’t offer it. Not because I don’t care. But because I finally understand that care without coherence becomes betrayal—of self or other. And I’ve chosen which one I won’t betray anymore. That night, the weight of it catches up with me. Not regret. Responsibility. I sit with the realization that commitment doesn’t just cost opportunities. It costs versions of connection that depended on your flexibility rather than your truth.