36. A Dove with a broken wing.

Kayda.

Andy's declaration of the rejection of the mate bond caused Drakos to clutch his chest and fall to his knees with a roar. The roar was so chilling it drew my attention briefly from my friend. Andy didn't make a sound, her eyes fixated on Drakos as he grappled with his pain.

"Accept the rejection." she finally said through gritted teeth as I now realised she was fighting under her own waves of pain from the fracturing bond. I heard like most shifters had that the shattering of the mate bond was unbearable to us. It was such a powerful gift that to refuse it was destiny changing and, therefore, in theory, came at a cost. Andy paled as another wave of pain washed over her as Drakos did not accept the rejection. I reached out for my friend as she fainted, and I cradled her in my arms as I fell to the floor with her. The blue fire stayed around us in a protective circle, but from my position on the ground holding Andy, I could no longer see Drakos or the orange groove.

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