Chapter 10: The Bond Begins to Break

Isla's POV

The moment the plane touched down in Switzerland, I turned off my phone.

I didn't want to know what was happening back home.

I didn't want to know whether Damien had gone to the altar.

I didn't want to know whether he had finally realized that I was gone.

For five years, my life had revolved around him.

Now, for the first time, every decision belonged to me.

A black car from the Laurel Healers' Guild was waiting outside the airport.

"Miss Isla?" the driver asked.

"Yes."

"Welcome to Switzerland. The Guild Master is expecting you."

As the car pulled away, I looked through the window at the unfamiliar streets.

Everything felt strangely peaceful.

No Alpha command.

No pack politics.

No Seraphina.

No Damien.

Just me.

I took a deep breath.

For the first time in years, my chest didn't feel like it was being crushed.

Then the rejection pain struck.

I gripped the seat as a sharp agony tore through my body.

My breath caught.

The mate bond was still connected.

Barely.

I closed my eyes and whispered, "It's okay. Just let it go."

The driver glanced at me through the mirror.

"Are you all right, Miss?"

"I'm fine."

I wasn't.

But I would be.

The Laurel Healers' Guild headquarters stood on a mountain overlooking a vast valley.

It was nothing like the pack's stone fortress.

There were no guards glaring at visitors or warriors patrolling the grounds.

Instead, rare herbs grew everywhere, their silver leaves glowing under the morning sunlight.

The moment I stepped inside, a woman in a long white robe approached me.

"Isla?"

"Yes."

"I'm Elena Laurent, Master Healer of the Guild."

She smiled warmly and extended her hand.

"We've been waiting for you."

I shook her hand.

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

"The opportunity is ours," Elena replied. "Your research on Ancient Life Energies has been studied by our senior healers for years."

I blinked.

"You knew about my research?"

"Of course. Your work on soul-energy regeneration is remarkable."

Something inside me shifted.

Back home, I had always been introduced as Damien's future Luna.

Here, they knew me for my own achievements.

Not as someone's mate.

Not as someone's future wife.

As Isla.

A healer.

A researcher.

A woman with a future.

Elena led me through the main hall and stopped in front of a massive glass chamber.

Inside were dozens of ancient manuscripts and glowing crystals.

"This is our Ancient Energy Archive," she explained.

My eyes widened.

"These are authentic?"

"Every one of them."

I stepped closer to the glass.

One particular manuscript caught my attention.

Its cover carried the symbol of an ancient wolf surrounded by a circle of silver flames.

My instincts immediately reacted.

A strange warmth spread through my palm.

Elena noticed.

"You felt it too."

"What is this?"

"A prophecy."

My heart skipped.

"About what?"

Elena's expression became serious.

"The ancient records speak of a healer capable of severing a corrupted mate bond without losing her life or her power."

I stared at the manuscript.

"Why are you showing me this?"

Elena didn't answer immediately.

Instead, she looked directly into my eyes.

"Because the prophecy describes someone very much like you."

A chill ran down my spine.

"That's impossible."

"Perhaps." Elena smiled faintly. "But there is something else you should know."

"What?"

"The severing ritual you initiated is not ordinary."

My stomach tightened.

"What do you mean?"

"If your mate has already formed another bond, the rejection can trigger a backlash."

"A backlash?"

"Yes. The stronger his attachment to the other woman becomes, the more unstable your old bond may become."

I lowered my gaze.

Seraphina.

Of course.

Even after everything, she was still somehow connected to my fate.

"Can it hurt me?" I asked.

"It can kill you if the bond is allowed to collapse naturally."

My face went pale.

"Then what should I do?"

Elena placed a hand gently on my shoulder.

"You must complete the severing yourself."

I looked up.

"How?"

"There is an ancient ritual known only to the Guild. But it requires something very rare."

"What?"

Elena's eyes became solemn.

"The Alpha's willing release."

I laughed bitterly.

"Damien would never agree."

"Then we may have to find another way."

Before I could respond, pain suddenly ripped through my chest again.

I stumbled backward.

A voice echoed inside my mind.

Isla.

Damien.

His voice.

I froze.

Isla, where are you?

The connection was faint, but I could hear his panic.

Please answer me.

I shut my eyes.

For one terrible second, I wanted to answer.

Then I remembered the penthouse.

The pregnancy.

The pendant.

The way he had told me I needed to be the bigger person.

I cut the connection.

The pain slowly faded.

Elena watched me carefully.

"He has found you."

"Yes."

"Will you go back?"

I looked toward the glowing archive.

Then I looked out at the mountains beyond the windows.

"No."

My voice was steady.

"I've spent five years choosing him."

I took a deep breath.

"This time, I'm choosing myself."