Chapter 3
That evening, I had dinner with Alpha Yves at a well-known restaurant.
When I got home, the lights in the living room were on. Unusual.
Alpha Samuel was sitting on the couch.
I hadn’t come back for days. I planned to head straight upstairs, but his voice stopped me.
“Maeve.”
I turned around, calm. “What is it?”
“You… went to the Council building a few days ago?”
I almost laughed. How ironic. Beta Ross must’ve told him long ago. But he chose tonight to care.
His voice was cold. “Don’t go to places like that again. If you have something to say, message me.”
My chest felt heavy. I took a breath and looked up at him.
“Rebecca’s back, isn’t she?”
His brow twitched. A flat “Mm.” Then: “Don’t go causing trouble for her.”
I gave a bitter smile. One that hurt more than crying.
“So that’s what you think of me? Irrational, petty?”
“Or is it that you’re worried I’ll ruin her reputation?”
His stare was sharp, voice sharper.
“I hope you’re not that kind of person. Rebecca isn’t like you. She wasn’t born with everything. What she has, she earned herself.”
I stayed quiet. Then I asked what I already knew: “Where have you been these past days?”
He didn’t answer.
I answered for him. “With her, right?”
Why even ask? You already know.
Mila’s voice murmured in my head. Not angry—just tired.
“Are you done making a scene?”
His tone shifted, colder now. Like my emotions were a waste of his time.
In that moment, something inside me broke.
I spoke quietly, but firmly. “Alpha Samuel, let’s break the bond.”
He froze. Shocked—no, offended. His face darkened.
“What did you say?”
“Let’s break the bond. Set you free. Set me free.”
“I’ll explain everything to the Council myself. The partnership between Blackthorn and Winsor won’t be affected. Your Alpha status will stay intact.”
He went silent. His face tightened, inch by inch. Then, low and quiet:
“I told you. Blackthorn’s Luna is only you.”
“Then what is Rebecca?” I asked, unable to hold it back. “Don’t you love her?”
That lit the fuse.
All the rage, humiliation, grief, and heartbreak I’d buried for years came rushing out.
“If you loved her so much, why didn’t you reject me when we bonded?!”
“What am I to you? A pawn to boost your power? A ‘legitimate Luna’ you can crush underfoot when convenient?”
“What do you take me for? What do you take our bond for?!”
Each word came louder than the last. I wanted him to feel everything I had swallowed all these years.
Keep going. Let it out. Don’t hold back.
Mila’s voice was low, but steady.
“You call yourself an Alpha. But have you ever respected me, even once?!”
“Or have you just been waiting for this day—so you can go back to your ‘real mate’?!”
“Why did you even come near me? And now, why do I suddenly disgust you?!”
We stared at each other, fire in my eyes, exhaustion in his.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and asked coldly, “Are you sure about breaking the bond?”
I took a deep breath. Nodded. “I’m sure.”
“In a few days then. I’m busy right now.”
He turned and walked away.
No hesitation.
Bang—
The bedroom door slammed shut.
The ticking clock filled the room. Every tick felt like something shattering.
Alpha Samuel entered the master bedroom. The scent of cedar still lingered faintly in the air—mine.
He’d once said he hated that smell.
He opened the wardrobe. A red silk slip caught his eye. His hand stopped.
“Sam, do you like this one?”
Rebecca’s voice echoed through his head.
Last Wednesday night, she’d curled into his arms wearing it.
Her fingers lazily traced his shirt buttons.
“They say Blackthorn’s Luna is powerful. Aren’t you afraid she’ll cause trouble?”
He kissed her shoulder, half-amused.
“She’s just a piece on the family’s chessboard. You’re the one I truly care about.”
Rebecca smiled. “Then protect me.”
“No one will touch you. Not while I’m here.”
He kissed her again.
Now, he stared at the empty bed.
My words from earlier burned in his ears:
“Why did you agree to bond in the first place?”
He laughed to himself. Bitter.
His fingers slid over his collarbone.
A mark. Rebecca had left it last night.
Rain tapped at the window.
He picked up his communicator and sent a message to Rebecca:
“Come to my room tonight? I want to hold you.”
The moment he hit send—
Crash.
A loud thud came from the kitchen.
I had slipped and fallen.
He didn’t move. Just stared at the screen.
A new message popped up:
“Should I wear the red slip you bought me?”
I lay on the cold tile floor. My chest hollow. My eyes burned, but no tears came.
I closed them. Pressed a hand to my heart.
Letting go wasn’t as hard as I’d thought.
Every disappointment had been a step toward it.
And all that love had already drained away, bit by bit.
Thank you, Moon Goddess.
It must have been your light that helped me wake up.
