004: Rejection

HAVANA’S POV

“W-what?”

I blinked, unsure if I had heard him correctly. But the cold, unfeeling stare in Coby’s eyes told me otherwise—he wasn’t joking. He had really called me a murderer. My heart sank as his words echoed in my mind. How could he say that? What had twisted his soul so deeply that he could utter such vile accusations? Was he under some kind of spell, or had he always harbored this darkness within him?

I swallowed hard, my throat tightening with the effort to hold back tears. “Coby… why?” I asked, my voice trembling as I fought to maintain some semblance of composure. “Why are you saying these things to me? You promised… you promised you’d get me out. You know I’m innocent, Coby. You know it.”

For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Then, to my horror, Coby chuckled—a low, cold sound that sent shivers down my spine. “Naive,” he sneered, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement. “So incredibly naive and foolish. It’s almost amusing, really, how clueless you are.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. This couldn’t be happening. The man standing before me, the man I had loved for years, was suddenly a stranger. He had the same face, the same voice, but the tenderness that once filled his eyes was gone, replaced by something dark and menacing.

The Coby I knew was gentle, caring. He would have done anything for me—or so I thought. But this… this was not the Coby I knew. The person standing before me was slowly turning into a cruel, heartless monster.

Tears welled up, blurring my vision. I wiped them away quickly, refusing to let him see me break. “Why, Coby?” I whispered, my voice cracking with the weight of my broken heart. “Why would you change your mind about helping me when you know I… I did nothing wrong? You know that. What did I do to deserve this?”

Coby’s expression hardened. “You want to know why?” he spat, stepping closer. “Because if I help you, if I prove your innocence, it means the real killer is still out there. And who do you think people will suspect then? The only other person who was in the study that night—apart from you—was me. If I get you out, it’s my neck on the line. I can’t risk that, Hannah. I won’t.”

My heart shattered at his words, each one a dagger driven deeper into my soul. I had trusted him, loved him blindly, and now… now he was willing to sacrifice me to save himself. “But what about me?” I cried, the tears I’d fought so hard to hold back now streaming down my cheeks. “What will happen to me, Coby? Everything I did, I did for you! Don’t you care at all?” I screamed at him in frustration.

He looked down at me, his eyes cold and unfeeling. “I never asked you to take the blame, Hannah,” he said, his voice dripping with contempt. “That was your choice, not mine. You’re the one who decided to play the martyr. So keep playing it. Keep doing whatever it is you’ve been doing, and stay out of my way.”

“Coby!” His name came out in a weak cry.

He moved closer still, his thumb brushing a stray tear from my cheek, the gesture almost tender if not for the malice in his eyes. “If you really love me, as you claim,” he whispered, his breath warm against my skin, “then you’ll continue to take the blame. After all, everyone already thinks you’re the killer. You’ve been sentenced. I’ll make sure you’re… comfortable in prison.”

It was in that moment, as his words cut through the last thread of hope I had left, that I realized the truth. Coby didn’t love me. He never had. He had only used me, manipulated me, and now he was asking me to die for him without a second thought. My love for him, our mate bond—it had all been a lie.

Something inside me snapped. I wasn’t going to let him do this to me. Not anymore. I pushed his hand away, wiping my tears with a newfound resolve. “You’re the one who’s delusional, Coby,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil raging inside me. “If you think I’m going to stay quiet and rot in prison for a crime I didn’t commit, you’re utterly mistaken.”

Coby’s laugh was cruel, echoing off the cold, stone walls of my cell. “Look around, Hannah,” he said, gesturing to the bars that separated us from the outside world. “You’re already in prison. There’s no way out. Not anymore.”

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “Don’t rejoice just yet,” I shot back, meeting his gaze with all the determination I could muster. “I will get out of here. And when I do, I will prove my innocence to the whole pack, even if it’s the last thing I do.”

For a brief moment, I saw something flicker in Coby’s eyes—fear, maybe? But it was quickly replaced by a darker, more sinister expression. Before I could react, his hand shot out, wrapping around my neck. He squeezed, cutting off my air, and I clawed at his hand, struggling to break free. My vision blurred as the pressure increased, my heart racing in panic.

“Coby, please,” I gasped, trying to speak, but my voice was barely audible.

With bloodshot eyes, Coby leaned in closer, his voice a low growl as he began to speak over me. “I, Alpha Coby Brady, hereby reject you, Hannah Ayala, as my mate and future Luna,” he hissed, each word laced with venom. “I hope you rot here in prison for all eternity.”

I couldn’t breathe—not because his hands were still choking my windpipe, but because the connection binding us as fated mates had been snapped in two. I felt vulnerable and gasping for air, the pain ripping through my chest, too much, too overwhelming.

Seeing how weak and pale I had become, Coby finally let me go, and I dropped to the floor on my knees, still gasping for air. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but feel the agony of his rejection pressing down heavily on my chest.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I was able to speak again. Summoning my last bit of courage, I pushed myself into a sitting position and looked up in time to see Coby walking out of my cell.

But I wasn’t going to let him have the last word. With a voice that was louder and clearer than I thought possible, I called out, “Coby,” my voice hoarse but strong. He paused, glancing back at me. “I, Hannah Ayala, hereby accept your rejection. But know this—I will not forget this day. And the next time we meet, you’ll wish you hadn’t betrayed my love.”

Coby stopped in his tracks, his back still to me, but I knew I had gotten to him. I could sense a flicker of emotion, a hint of doubt, but it was too late. The damage was done. Then, without another word, he walked out of my cell, leaving me alone in the suffocating silence. But as the door closed behind him, I knew one thing for certain—I would find a way to survive this. And I would make him pay for every pain and tear he had caused me to shed.