Page 120 of Fated
She looked at him through unshed tears, and Kai felt himself crumble. He saw the pain she was trying to escape, the painhe’dcaused her.
Kai knew he’d never been worthy of her love. He’d resisted her from the start, let fear overwhelm him in Bloodstone until he’d detached from her completely. Every bit of pain she’d suffered because of him flashed through his mind, and the enormity of his regret tore through him, obliterating his resolve.
I can’t hurt her anymore. I won’t.
He swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “I…Kai…Alpha-heir of the Bloodstone pack…accept your rejection.”
The bond didn’t merely snap—it detonated.
A crushing force like an anvil slammed through his ribcage, cracking bone and pulverizing his heart into splintered fragments. Each breath became agony as the void where their bond had once pulsed expanded, devouring him from the inside out. Blood thundered in his ears, drowning out everything but the sensation of his core being hollowed out. Kai collapsed, clutching his chest as Orion’s presence began to fade with an anguished roar, leaving him gutted, adrift, and utterly alone.
LENA
Lena leaned in, hands shaking as she cupped Kai’s face. Her thumbs brushed away the tears streaking down his cheeks. Her own tears fell freely now, each one feeling like a piece of herself breaking away.
“I love you, Kai.” Her lips quivered as the words fell between them. “I love you so much. Please…heal. Fix things with your dad. Make a decision about Ava. Set the male I fell in love with in Moonshadow free.” She forced herself to finish, her tears mixing with his as she pressed her lips to his one last time. “Be happy.”
Lena tore herself away from him, unsteady legs barely holding her weight as she struggled to her feet. Every step away from Kai felt heavier than the last, as though the bond, even in its broken state, was physically pulling her back to him. Her chest ached, the severance leaving a void, a raw absence that felt too immense to comprehend. The urge to run back to him, to take it all back, clawed at her with each step, but she kept moving. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, willing herself not to turn around. If she looked back, if she saw him crumpled on the ground, she knew she would falter.
Just get to the Jeep,she told herself.Hold on a little longer.
Her vision narrowed, the world around her fading into muted blurs. All she could see was the Jeep parked in front of thedormitories, her father and packmates waiting for her. Raelen stood by the driver’s side, worry lining his face. Cian, Ryker, and Jace stood near the vehicle, their postures tense. As she drew closer, Lena registered the curious glances and whispered conversations from nearby Bloodstone pack members. She didn’t acknowledge them. Her focus was on reaching the Jeep.
The sound of footsteps reached her ears, and she lifted her head enough to see Ryker and Jace rushing at her. The fear and concern etched into their faces intensified her agony.
“Lena?” Ryker called out.
She didn’t make it. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed into their arms. “Not here.” Her hoarse voice barely audible. “Please…just get me to the Jeep.”
Ryker’s arms tightened around her as he and Jace lifted her to her feet. Her breaths were uneven, fighting sobs that threatened to break free as they guided her the last few steps.
Raelen ran to her, pulling her into a tight hug. “My Lena,” he murmured, voice thick with sorrow. “I’m so sorry. It’s going to be okay. We’re going home.”
She didn’t have the strength to respond.
Her father helped her into the back seat, arms steadying her as Ryker and Jace climbed in on either side. Cian stood frozen near the door, a single tear sliding down his cheek as he looked at her. She couldn’t bear to meet his eyes. To see the sadness and empathy in his gaze.
To see the fresh mating claim mark on his neck.
As the doors closed, Lena sank into the seat, mind spinning. She barely registered the sound of the engine roaring to life or the Jeep shifting under the weight of her father and Cian climbing in. Everything felt distant—muted—as the realization of what she’d done began to sink in.
She slipped inward, searching desperately for something—anything.“Please…Elara,”she pleaded into the thunderous silence of her mind.“I need you. Now more than ever.”
There was nothing. No warmth, no steady presence. Only the sound of her own voice, echoing lonely in her consciousness. The wolf who had been with her since she was sixteen—integrated into her breathing, her heartbeat, her very thoughts—had vanished. The stillness in Lena’s mind was absolute, like plunging into deafness after a lifetime of constant, comforting sound.
As the Jeep’s tires crunched over the gravel border of Bloodstone’s territory and turned onto the main road, the finality of her choice settled in.
The dam broke.
A wail ripped free from Lena’s throat, raw and violent. Like a banshee’s cry ricocheting through the Jeep’s interior.
Jace pulled her into his lap, arms wrapping around her as she shook. Ryker leaned in, enveloping them both in his protective embrace. Their whispered reassurances were drowned out by the sound of her own sobs.
The rumble of the Jeep, the whispers, the echoes of her tears—all faded into the background as Lena finally gave in to the emptiness inside her.
KAI
Kai remained where Lena had left him—crumpled on the patio, head bowed—as the sum of all his failures broke him. The sun on his skin felt cold, an unnatural chill settling deep into his bones.
