Chapter 5
We never ended up having that dinner.
As we headed downstairs, Leon got a mind link from Yasmin. His aura shifted subtly, the commanding presence of an Alpha faltering for a moment. He glanced at me with unease, but I pretended not to notice, waving my hand dismissively. “I’m really tired, Alpha. Go take care of your pack matters.”
Leon’s relief was palpable. He hailed a cab for me, his Alpha tone slipping into the driver’s ear with instructions about my safety. But as soon as the car pulled away, I caught a glimpse of him in the rearview mirror, his tall, muscular frame turning sharply as he strode toward the underground parking lot. His scent—pine and earth, laced with the faintest hint of Yasmin’s vanilla—lingered in the air, making my stomach churn.
Sometimes, when words fail, laughter is all that’s left. As I laughed, a chill settled on my face. The wind carried a coldness that seeped into my heart, my wolf whimpering softly in the back of my mind.
Oh well, tomorrow’s the last day. Once tomorrow’s over and the mate bond is formally rejected, Leon and I will be nothing more than strangers.
Back at Julius and Milani’s house, I poured myself a glass of wine, sipping in quiet celebration of my impending freedom. A bit tipsy, I noticed a shooting star streak across the sky. I stood up, leaning on the railing, eager to chase that fleeting brilliance.
Perhaps I moved too quickly, or maybe I seemed too unsteady. All I heard was a frantic “What are you doing?” before I was yanked back forcefully.
Next thing I knew, I was in a familiar embrace, his strong arms wrapping around me. “Do you know how dangerous that was?” Leon’s voice was full of concern, but his scent—still tainted with Yasmin’s vanilla—turned my stomach.
I pointed to the sky outside, muttering, “A shooting star…”
Shooting star! The night we confirmed our mate bond, there was a meteor shower, beautifully romantic. He promised he would watch the meteor showers with me every year, no matter where or when, dropping everything to be there.
But year after year, he broke that promise. It wasn’t the meteor showers I longed for; it was the future he had once vowed to share.
Leon sighed, “It's just a shooting star. I'll take you to see a meteor shower some other time. Don’t joke about your safety like that.”
Just a shooting star?
That wasn’t just a star. It was your promise, brushed away so casually.
“Tomorrow’s the anniversary of our mate bond,” he declared, his Alpha tone leaving no room for argument. “Let’s spend it together. I’ll come pick you up.”
I looked at his bare neck, where my mark had once been, the faintest scar almost faded. Evidence it had been gone for quite some time.
And yet, I never realized he had already shifted his loyalties.
“Alright,” I agreed, thinking it would be the closure to this chapter of our lives, a resolution to our bond.
Perhaps in an attempt to make things right, he chose the restaurant from last time. When I arrived, I noticed the reserved table was the same one Yasmin had sat at. Feeling instantly uneasy, I quickly asked the waiter to change my table.
However, from afternoon till night, from night into the midnight hours, my phone battery nearly died, and Leon still hadn’t shown. Hungry and with a growing stomachache, I had to ask the restaurant for some pulled pork to stave off the pain.
With something in my stomach, the cramps eased a bit. I tried mind-linking Leon, but there was no response. Frustration bubbled up inside me. Leon, still the same, always making promises he didn’t intend to keep. And every time, I fell for it, waiting foolishly again and again!
A ridiculous waste of my time!
I opened the pack’s mind-link group to nudge him, only to see the chatter had exploded. Ten minutes ago, an anonymous message had been sent to everyone in the Silver Fang Pack.
The message contained images of Yasmin and Leon together. Most were cleverly angled to suggest Yasmin was trying to seduce Leon while he looked indifferent. The subject line was explosive: Beta Seduces Alpha for Power—Shameful and Despicable!
Following those suggestive images were photos of Yasmin and me handing over project details. I looked exhausted, while she appeared radiant. Each word seemed to defend me, yet they also directed all the gossip towards me. My wolf growled softly, a mix of anger and pain.
The pack’s whispers were loud enough to reach me through the mind link, their words like poison. “Did you see the pictures? Yasmin and the Alpha…”
“Amber must have known. She’s always been so weak.”
“She’s an Omega, after all. What did you expect?”
The weight of their judgment pressed down on me, my wolf retreating into silence. I closed the mind link, my hands trembling. Leon’s neglect, Yasmin’s manipulation, the pack’s disdain—it all swirled together, a storm I could no longer weather.
Tomorrow, I would end this. I would reject the bond, once and for all.
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