Shattered Bonds

The forest was eerily silent, the only sound my ragged breathing and the frantic pounding of my heart. Moonlight spilled through the skeletal branches above, casting long shadows that stretched across the uneven ground like clawed fingers reaching for me.

I ran.

Faster. Harder.

But no matter how far I went, I couldn’t outrun the pain clawing at my chest, sinking deep into my bones like poison.

The rejection burned through me like wildfire, searing my veins with an agony I hadn’t known was possible. My breath came in sharp, uneven gasps, my legs trembling beneath me as the mate bond continued to unravel inside me.

Selene, my wolf, whimpered in my mind, her presence flickering like a dying flame.

"Don’t leave me," she begged, her voice weak, strained.

I’m not leaving you… I tried to reassure her, but even as I spoke the words, I knew they were a lie.

I could feel her slipping away.

The mate bond wasn’t just emotional—it was physical.

The deeper a wolf’s connection to their mate, the more excruciating the severance. And Damien… he had been everything.

The world around me blurred, my vision tunneling as exhaustion pulled at me. The forest floor rushed up to meet me, and before I could stop myself, I collapsed.

Dirt and leaves pressed against my cheek, the scent of damp earth filling my lungs. My body convulsed with the aftershocks of the rejection, each wave of pain stealing more of my strength.

Dark spots danced at the edges of my vision. My fingers clawed at the ground, trying to anchor myself, but I was slipping.

I could feel the last remnants of the bond snapping.

Selene let out a shattered howl inside me, and then—

Silence.

A cold, empty void where my wolf’s presence had once been.

"No…" My voice was barely a whisper.

I had lost her.

I had lost everything.

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not like this.

A sharp wind rustled through the trees, sending a shiver down my spine. But it wasn’t the cold that made me freeze.

It was the feeling of being watched.

My pulse stuttered.

The air shifted, thickening with an unfamiliar energy.

I wasn’t alone.

Every instinct screamed at me to move, to run, but my body wouldn’t obey. My limbs felt like lead, exhaustion weighing me down like chains.

A branch snapped.

Footsteps.

Slow, measured, deliberate.

I forced myself to lift my head, my vision still swimming, but I could make out a figure stepping from the shadows.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Cloaked in darkness.

The moonlight glinted off something at his hip—a blade.

My breath hitched.

A rogue?

No—the way he carried himself was too controlled, too calculated.

The man stopped a few feet away, tilting his head slightly as if studying me.

Then he spoke.

"Interesting." His voice was smooth, deep, laced with curiosity.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry.

He took another step forward.

"Didn’t think I’d find someone half-dead in the middle of the woods tonight."

I didn’t answer.

Couldn’t.

He crouched beside me, his presence looming, and for the first time, I saw his face clearly.

Strong jawline. Sharp features. Piercing silver eyes.

There was something unnerving about them, something almost… unnatural.

“You’re a rejected mate.” It wasn’t a question.

The words cut through me like a blade.

I tensed, but he didn’t look away.

“Who did it?” he pressed, his voice quieter now. “Who threw you away?”

I clenched my jaw, refusing to answer.

The man sighed, as if he already knew. “An Alpha, wasn’t it?”

A cruel smirk curled at the corner of his lips. “Typical.”

He reached out, his fingers brushing against my wrist.

A strange warmth pulsed from his touch, different from the bond I had lost, but powerful nonetheless.

Something flickered inside me.

A spark.

Faint, but there.

The man stilled, his silver eyes narrowing slightly.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke.

Then—

“Well, well,” he murmured, more to himself than to me. “Maybe you’re not as broken as you think.”

His grip tightened.

“Get up, little wolf.”

I didn’t move.

Couldn’t.

He sighed, shaking his head. “Fine. I suppose I’ll have to help.”

Before I could react, he scooped me up, lifting me as if I weighed nothing.

A sharp protest rose in my throat, but exhaustion kept me silent.

I barely had time to process what was happening before darkness swallowed me whole.

---

Warmth.

That was the first thing I felt.

Soft fabric pressed against my skin, replacing the cold, damp earth I had collapsed on. The scent of burning wood filled the air, mingling with something faintly spiced and unfamiliar.

I forced my eyes open.

A cabin.

Dimly lit, small but sturdy, the flickering light of a fireplace casting long shadows across the wooden walls.

I was on a bed, wrapped in thick blankets.

My muscles ached, my body sore from the rejection, but… the pain wasn’t as unbearable as before.

I turned my head, my breath catching at the sight of him.

The man from the forest.

He stood near the fire, his back turned, rolling up the sleeves of his dark shirt. His presence filled the entire room, commanding and quiet all at once.

I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to work. “Who are you?”

He glanced over his shoulder, his silver eyes sharp.

A slow smirk tugged at his lips.

“The one who just saved your life.”

I frowned. “I didn’t ask for your help.”

He turned fully then, arms crossed over his broad chest. “No. But you needed it.”

I bristled, pushing myself up onto my elbows. “I was fine.”

His brow arched, and he took a slow step forward.

“You were dying.”

I tensed.

He wasn’t wrong.

His gaze lingered on me, assessing, before he sighed. “I don’t usually help wolves,” he admitted. “Especially not ones from packs.”

A rogue.

My stomach tightened. “Then why did you?”

His silver eyes darkened.

“Because,” he said, his voice soft but certain, “you’re different.”

The air between us shifted, thick with something unspoken.

I didn’t know what he meant.

Didn’t know why he had saved me, why he was looking at me like that.

But one thing was clear.

My old life was over.

The girl who had been Damien Blackwood’s rejected mate died in that forest.

And whoever I was becoming…

It started here.