Chapter 3: Shattered Hearts

ZARA'S POV

"I, Ryland Cross, reject you, Zara Hale, as my mate.”

"I, Ryland Cross, reject you, Zara Hale, as my mate.”

Over and over again, his words replay in my head, each syllable is a dagger digging deeper into me.

"I, Ryland Cross, reject you, Zara Hale, as my mate."

“Oh, goddess,” I gasp as I grip my tummy, trying to catch my breath that has escaped me.

The world feels like it's crumbling beneath my feet.

I can’t move.

I can’t breathe.

My hands are trembling as I try to hold myself, the weight of his words pressing down on my chest until I think it might cave in.

Everything around me is a blur.

There are the murmurs, the gasps, the way people shift uncomfortably in the crowd- it all feels distant, like I am watching it from behind a thick pane of glass.

And my wolf… who has been silent for so long, finally stirs, but it is not the comforting presence I need.

She lets out a howl, low and mournful, a sound full of the same grief that is similar to what I feel.

I can't think… I can't concentrate…

The only word I can force from my lips is, “Why?”

It’s barely a whisper, shaky and broken, but I know he hears it.

And yet… he doesn’t even flinch.

He just stands there, his face as blank as it was moments ago, like the words he just said hasn't just rip me apart.

“Why?” I try again, louder this time, but still he doesn’t answer.

The whispers start then, rising like a wave around me.

"Did he really just reject her?"

"I told you this was going to happen."

"Poor thing. Look at her."

"Maybe he finally realized what she is- just an Omega."

I can feel their eyes on me, judgmental, pitying, mocking. I want to scream, to shout at them to stop, but all I can do is look at him.

“Ryland,” I say, my voice cracking. “Please. Just tell me why. What did I do wrong?”

His eyes flicker- hust for a moment- but it’s gone so quickly I think I imagined it. He doesn’t answer.

“You have an hour,” he says instead.

“An hour?” I ask confused

“An hour… to get you things and leave this pack. For good.”

“What?!”

My legs nearly buckle from under me and it is pure force of will tag keeps me standing, waiting for a reason.

But instead, he turns away, his broad shoulders rigid as he walks back down the aisle.

He is leaving.

He is… leaving.

I stand there, frozen, as the whispers grow louder.

"Is he just going to leave her standing there?"

"She looks like she us going to collapse."

"What a disgrace."

I don’t know how long I stand there, rooted to the spot, but eventually, my legs start to move.

I don’t even realize I am following him until I am inside the pack mansion, the sound of my footsteps echoing in the grand hall.

“Ryland!” I call out, my voice trembling.

He is halfway up the stairs when he stops and gor a moment, I think he is finally going to turn around, finally going to give me an explanation. But he doesn’t. He keeps his back to me, his hand gripping the bannister.

“Why are you doing this?” I demand, my voice rising.

He doesn’t answer.

“Look at me!” I shout, my chest heaving. “Why are you rejecting me? What happened? What changed?”

You said nothing would change.

You promised.

He turns slightly, just enough for me to see his profile.

His jaw is clenched and his eyes are fillrd with something I can’t place.

Guilt? Pain?

I don't know… I just want him to talk to me.

“Go back to your room, Zara,” he says, his voice low and cold.

“No!” I snap, taking a step forward. “You don’t get to do this! You don’t get to claim me, make me believe that I belong somewhere, and then just walk away without an explanation!”

His shoulders tense, but he still doesn’t turn to face me. “You are wasting time.”

“Wasting time?” I repeat, my voice shaking with disbelief. “Is that all I am to you now? A waste of time?”

He exhales sharply, like my words have hit some nerve, but when he finally speaks, his tone is flat. “This is for the best.”

“For the best?” My voice breaks. “For who, Ryland? Because it is certainly not for me! Not after everything.”

I am sobbing now, the tears I have been holding back spilling down my cheeks.

“Do you know what you have done? Do you even care?”

Still, he doesn’t answer.

“Say something!” I scream. “Anything! Don’t just stand there like I don’t mean anything to you!”

But he doesn’t.

He just looks at me, his expression unreadable, and starts to turn away again.

Something inside me snaps.

“Fine,” I say, my voice low but steady. “If you won’t do this properly, I will.”

He pauses, his foot hovering over the next step, and for the first time, I see hesitation in his movements.

I square my shoulders, ignoring the way my chest aches, and call out to him. “Ryland Cross.”

His name hangs in the air like a challenge. He finally turns, his eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, I see something there… something raw and unguarded, but it only makes what I am about to do hurt more.

“I, Zara Hale,” I say, my voice trembling but determined, “accept your rejection.”

The words feel like poison on my tongue, but I force them out.

I watch as his face falls, the mask he has been wearing cracking for just a second. His eyes are wide, and for a brief, fleeting moment, I think he is going to say something.

But I don’t give him the chance.

I turn on my heel and walk away, my footsteps echoing in the silence. My chest feels hollow, my heart shattered, but I keep walking. I don’t care if he watches me go.

I don’t care about anything anymore.

I am done with this pack.