Chapter 5

VALERIA

The guards held me firm as Reese stood in front of me. His face was a mask of cold fury. The baby, now safe in his arms, gurgled softly, oblivious to the tension crackling in the air. My heart felt like it was being torn apart, each beat a painful reminder of what I was losing.

“Reese,” I whispered in a barely audible voice. “Please, listen to me. I love you. I love our children. I would never hurt them.”

His eyes were like ice, and they looked really unyielding and merciless. “Get lost, Valeria,” he said, his voice cutting through me like a blade. “Get out of my life. I don’t care if you live or die. You’re nothing to me now.”

The words hit me like a physical blow, knocking the wind out of me. I felt the sting of tears in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I couldn’t show weakness, not now in front of him. Not when everything depended on my strength.

“Reese, you don’t understand,” I pleaded. My voice cracked with desperation, but I forged on. “Cynthia is lying to you. She’s the one who has been manipulating you. Please give me a chance to prove it.”

Reese shook his head and his expression hardened. “I’ve heard enough. You have done nothing but bring pain and suffering to this pack. I don’t want to see you again. Ever.”

“I, Reese Carter, of Blue Moon Pack, reject you, Valeria Ashton of Blue Moon Pack,” he pronounced firmly.

The finality in his voice shattered what little hope I had left in me. I could see Cynthia standing behind him, and her eyes were glinting with satisfaction. She had won, and I had lost everything.

With a deep, shuddering breath, I forced myself to stand tall, despite the pain that was currently coursing through my body. “If that’s what you want, Reese, then yes, I accept the rejection,” I said. My voice was steady despite the tears streaming down my face. “But mark my words. You will definitely regret rejecting me. You will see the truth, and when you do, it will be too late.”

He didn’t respond, or even do so much as acknowledge my words. He just handed me my child without a single word. With one last, anguished look at Reese, I turned and walked away.

Each step was a real struggle for me, and the pain in my heart was far greater than any physical agony I had ever known. I felt the weight of his rejection enormously as it suffocated me.

As I made my way through the pack grounds and out into the night, the cold air bit into my skin, but I welcomed it. It was a distraction from the torment inside my heart. The moon hung high in the sky, silently witnessing my heartbreak.

***

The pain of the severed mate bond was unbearable. It was a raw, relentless agony that tore through the depths of my soul. Every step I took away from the Blue Moon Pack felt like a sharp knife was being twisted in my heart. With my baby cradled carefully against my chest, I stumbled into the woods, even as my vision was blurred by tears and exhaustion.

The darkness of the forest swallowed me up, as the trees loomed ahead. Each step I took forward was a struggle. My body was weak and battered, and my mind was still reeling from the shock of Reese's rejection. The cold night air bit into my skin, but I pressed on because I was fueled by the desperate need to protect my child.

But soon, the woods became a web of shadows and twisting pathways. I couldn’t tell one direction from another, and panic began to set in. My breaths came in ragged gasps as the pain I was feeling kept mounting higher and higher.

Suddenly, the eerie silence of the forest was shattered by a menacing growl. I froze immediately as my heart leaped into my throat. Rogue wolves suddenly emerged out of the shadows. Their eyes glowed with hostility as they circled me, while their lips curled up in feral snarls.

“Look what we have here,” one of them sneered. His voice dripped with malice. “A runaway with a pup. This is going to be fun.”

I held my baby tighter as my mind raced. “Please, don’t hurt us,” I begged, my voice trembling with fear. “Take anything you want, but leave us alone, please.”

The leader of the rogues laughed, and it was a cruel, mocking sound. “Oh, we will take everything we want,” he said, his eyes moving over me with a predatory gleam. “And then we will kill the brat.”

“No!” I screamed, but it was too late. One of the rogues lunged at me, ripping my child from my arms. I fought with all my strength, but I was no match for the sheer force of their brutality. They threw me to the ground as their laughter rang in my ears.

My baby’s cries pierced the night. It was a heart-wrenching sound that only fueled my desperation. I struggled to rise, but the rogues pinned me down, and their hands were rough and merciless.

“Hold her still,” the leader growled. “I want her to watch.”

Tears streamed down my face as I fought against their hold, but it was no use. They were too strong and too many. I watched in horror as one of the rogues raised his claws while aiming for my child’s throat at the same time.

Just as the rogue was about to strike, a blur of motion suddenly exploded around the clearing. A powerful figure suddenly tore through the rogues with deadly precision, clawing at them mercilessly, and their bodies kept hitting the ground one by one as the lives fled from them. The speed and ferocity of the attack were both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

In moments, the rogues lay dead, as their blood stained the floor of the forest. As the figure turned towards me, I caught a whiff of a familiar scent. It was a scent that stirred memories and emotions deep within me, but my vision was blurry, so I couldn’t make out a face.

“Please,” I whispered. My voice was weak and already fading. “Save my baby.”

As the figure knelt beside me, their presence was somehow comforting against the chill of the night. Strong arms lifted me gently, and I felt a bit of hope stirring in my mind. Could it be Reese? Or another?

Before I could finish the thought, a sudden blindness covered my eyes. The exhaustion and pain overwhelmed me, and I succumbed to total darkness. The world slipped away as I clung to the hope that the unknown savior would protect me and my child.