Chapter 4: The Night Everything Broke

Mrs. Blackwood was smiling at the screen, her eyes filled with happiness.

"I'm so glad you found your fated mate, Adrian. Take care of her."

Adrian smiled from the phone. "Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll take care of her."

I stood silently in the doorway.

For ten years, Mrs. Blackwood had treated me like the daughter she never had but now she was already making room for Selene.

"Elara?" Her smile disappeared when she noticed me.

I forced one onto my face. "Don't mind me. I'm just passing through."

Before she could say anything, I turned and walked away.

I went to the lake behind the old pack grounds—the place where Adrian had first kissed me.

The place where we’d promised that no matter what happened, we’d always choose each other.

At midnight, I sent the finalized bond dissolution to his phone.

This is my final decision.

His call came immediately. "You’ve lost your mind."

I stared at the water. "I'm tired of pretending, Adrian."

"I'm sick of this, Elara," he snapped.

"Then just end it and let's stop being miserable."

He didn’t answer, and then I heard shouting in the background.

"Alpha!"

"What happened?"

"Rogues breached the eastern perimeter of Moonfall Island and Selene was injured."

I closed my eyes. "Where’s Rowan?"

His voice hardened.

"Elara, this happened after you tried to sever our bond. The pack’s defenses are unstable. If anything happens to Selene or Rowan, it’ll be because you chose tonight to do this."

My fingers tightened around the phone as he hung up. Just then I felt a sharp wave of terror slam through my chest.

It was Rowan. His fear was so strong that my wolf cried out. I immediately ordered the private jet to be brought out.

I reached Moonfall Island before dawn.

The pack grounds were in chaos, there were guards everywhere, and the scent of blood hung in the air.

I pushed through the crowd.

"Where’s Rowan?"

No one answered.

Then I saw him. He was standing beside Selene, who was sitting on a stone bench with blood staining her white coat.

The moment Rowan saw me, his eyes filled with fury.

"You!" He rushed toward me.

I barely had time to react before his claws flashed and his hand struck my arm.

Pain tore through me.

"Rowan!" I cried.

He snarled. "You did this!"

I stared at him in shock, unable to speak.

"You wanted Dad to leave us! You said you didn’t want us anymore!"

"I never said—"

"You made the Moon Goddess angry!"

His claws came out again but Adrian caught him before he could reach me.

"Rowan, stop!"

Rowan buried his face against Adrian’s chest.

"Dad, she hurt Mommy Selene!"

Adrian’s eyes turned toward me. For a second, I thought he would defend me but he didn’t.

"Stay away from them, Elara."

I stared at him. "I came because I felt Rowan’s fear."

"Then you’ve done enough. We don't need you here!"

Selene shifted on the bench and Adrian immediately turned toward her.

"Are you hurting?"

She shook her head weakly. "Just dizzy."

He crouched beside her and took her hand. "I’ll get the healer."

I watched him go.

The same man who had once carried me home when I scraped my knee at eighteen now couldn’t even look at the blood on my arm.

A healer hurried over and examined Selene.

Her expression suddenly changed.

"Alpha."

Adrian looked up. "What?"

The healer hesitated. "Selene isn’t only injured. She’s pregnant."

My breath stopped.

Adrian stared at her. "What?"

The healer lowered her head. "Congratulations, Alpha. Your fated mate is carrying your pup."