Page 47 of Shattered Soulmates

"You once had a pure heart, too, until Marissa weakened it. She was never meant for you, Miles. I sent you the fated mate you desired, one who was worth cherishing. But you didn’t trust me enough to embrace the bond, leaving yourself open to corruption fully. Always receive my gifts quickly, my wolf-son, before they disappear.”

“Oh, Mother Moon, I know I hurt Paisley, and I now see that Marissa is nothing compared to her. And I want to go back and do things over again so badly. If I could have that chance, I vow I will never allow Marissa to touch what I have with Paisley. I promise I will bond with her and marry her immediately,” I plead. “Please, turn back time for us, just this once.”

“I’m sorry, my wolf-son,” the moon mother soothes. “But it’s too late to reverse time. Perhaps, at that moment, just after you committed your betrayal, if you realized your error and felt remorse, it could’ve been undone. But that’s not the case, is it?”

“Please,” I continue to beg.

“So much time has passed. Our actions are like ripples on the water. Imagine a light rain, with all the drops hitting the water, creating ripples that dance on the surface, touching and interacting with one another. That’s like our lives, Miles. Every action causes other actions and reactions… You can’t even imagine. If our actions are bad, the consequences can be devastating. However, undoing your actions now can’t be done. Miles, under these circumstances, they were irreversible at the moment you became intimate with Marissa again and cheated on your mate.

“You’re on a different path now, and your past is set. Your journey now is to accept the fate of the bond you helped destroy and the pain that comes with that loss. You must also acknowledge the faithlessness of Marissa, your chosen mate. There’s no going back to either bond, Miles. This isn’t just the consequence of your decisions, but a blessing, because you’ve suffered enough at Marissa’s hands. Remember, redemptiondoesn’t lie in reclaiming the past, but in finding peace in a new future.”

“I’ll never look back at Marissa,” I promise. “I’ve learned that lesson. I’m a possession to her, not someone she loves. But I can’t let go of the hope of a future with Paisley.”

"I'm afraid you must, Miles," her voice echoes around me before falling silent.

I look down at the beautiful symbol of my bond with Paisley in horror as it shatters like glass, jagged black lines running over it and webbing across my entire torso. A flash of light erupts from it, fading as quickly as it came, and the image collapses into itself, leaving an ugly, ruined scar over my heart.

Chapter 21–Faithless

Marissa

I’m lounging on the bed, surrounded by the silence of my room. Even though Dragoness confiscated my potion and I haven’t taken it in a week, everything is just as it should be. The soft hum of the club downstairs, the occasional chatter, and the smell of leather and whiskey in the air. It’s all so familiar. So—mine. Dragoness may think she’s the queen bee here, but in reality, it’s me.

I stretch lazily, a smile tugging at my lips. I know they all still want me. They’re just waiting for me. I’m the one they crave. Snake, the brothers, the prospects, they can’t get enough of me, because I make them feel things no one else can. I’m their fix. Their obsession. I know exactly how to make them fall for me, how to twist them until they think only of me. They’d stop breathing, if they could, just for a taste of me. I own them. I always do.Males are so very easy to control. They think they want power, but deep inside, they’re just looking for someone to dominate them. And that someone is me. I know how to manipulate and fuel their desires, how to make them need me so badly they ache for me. It’s a game I’ve perfected. I always win, and I always will

Just like I own Miles, he’s mine.

No one else will ever matter to him the way I do. Paisley is too bland, too vanilla. I’m the flavor he craves, the spice he wants on his tongue. He’s just waiting for me to come back to him when I’m ready, like always. After I’ve had my fun. A laugh bubbles up in my throat.

I take a drink from the glass of amber liquid in my hand. It burns as it slides down my throat, instantly warming me. But then, something feels off. The room seems to close in around me, the air becoming heavy and stifling.

A low hum begins to fill the air, a sound I don’t quite recognize at first. Voices faintly chanting–whispering and hissing in the background.

“O Ghealach Dhiadhachd cho soilleir...”

“Oh moon goddess, light so bright,”

My body tenses as the words strike me in the heart. My chest tightens and my breath hitches as the chanting grows louder, more insistent.

“Sàbhail am fireannach seo bhon bhàs an oidhche seo…”

“Save this male from death this night.”

I sit up in bed, confused. My heart starts to race as the air suddenly feels colder. My glass slips from my hand, hitting the floor with a heavy thud.

“Bris an ceangal rinn cho neo-ghlic,”

“Break the bond so unwisely made,”

Something is wrong–terribly wrong. An unseen force is pulling at me.

“Comharraich na fiachan dhuit mar a chaidh am pàigheadh.”

“Mark the debt to thee as paid.”

I clutch my chest tightly, a burning sensation spreading through me, near my heart. The incanting grows louder now, ancient and powerful. I rip at my shirt, the pressure building as a strong, ominous feeling urges me to stop the voices.

And then, sharp, searing pain explodes from the very center of my being.

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