Chapter 147 The Bonds We Choose
Wynter‘s POV
I began researching—books on Pack management, historical accounts of famous Lunas, academic journals about leadership. I drafted a careful letter to Lord Julian, asking if he might share insights about how my father had approached difficult decisions.
The plan was far from perfect. But it was a start.
I pressed my palm flat against the page, feeling the indentations my pen had left. This list was a promise. To myself. To Chase. To my father's memory.
I'll show Professor Ashwood. I'll show everyone. I might not be ready now, but I will be. Even if it takes years. Even if it's the hardest thing I've ever done.
I won't give up.
---
By the time I left the library, the sun was setting, painting the sky crimson and gold. My stomach growled—I'd skipped lunch—and I turned toward the dining hall.
The path took me through a section of campus that had grown quiet, most students already at dinner. My footsteps echoed off stone walls as I walked, still processing everything.
That's when I heard it.
A soft, choked sound—someone crying, trying desperately to muffle the noise.
I stopped, my wolf's hearing pinpointing the source around the corner, in the small alcove where maintenance equipment was stored.
Keep walking, part of me whispered. You have enough problems.
But I'd never been good at walking away from people in pain.
I turned the corner and found her.
Rosalie was curled against the wall, knees drawn to her chest, face buried in her arms. Her whole body shook with silent sobs, makeup ruined, mascara tracking down her cheeks.
"Rosie?"
Her head snapped up, and the devastation in her eyes made me forget my own problems completely. She looked at me for one heartbeat—then scrambled to her feet and threw herself into my arms.
"Wynter," she sobbed into my shoulder, fingers clutching my jacket with desperate strength. "Oh God, Wynter—"
"Hey, I've got you," I murmured, wrapping my arms around her and holding tight. "Just breathe."
She couldn't seem to breathe, couldn't do anything except cry with grief that felt like it was tearing her apart.
I guided her to sit on the floor, keeping my arms around her, letting her cry until the worst passed. Through the Bond, Chase's attention sharpened—he'd sensed my alarm.
Rosalie's in trouble. I'm with her. I'll explain later.
Do you need me to come?
Not yet. Let me find out what happened first.
Gradually, Rosalie's sobs quieted to hiccupping breaths. She pulled back slightly, wiping at her face with shaking hands.
"I'm sorry," she managed, voice thick and broken.
"Don't apologize. Rosie, what happened?"
She took a shuddering breath. "Connor—I think he... I saw something. With that transfer student. Evangeline."
The words hit like a physical blow. "What did you see?"
"I went looking for Connor after class. We were supposed to study together." Her voice broke. "I found him in one of the empty classrooms. He was with her. They were standing close, and then—" Fresh tears spilled over. "Then she kissed him."
"She kissed him," I repeated carefully. "Or he kissed her?"
"She leaned in first. But Wynter—he didn't pull away immediately. For maybe five seconds, he just stood there, letting it happen. Then he pushed her back, but by then I—I couldn't just stand there. I burst in and demanded to know what was happening."
"What did Connor say?"
"That it wasn't what it looked like. That she kissed him, not the other way around. That he was about to push her away when I walked in." Her laugh was bitter. "But I saw it. Even if it was only five seconds, even if he did eventually push her away—he let it happen."
Through the Bond, I reached for Chase. Found Rosalie. Connor was in a compromising position with Evangeline. We need to talk to him.
On my way. Where?
Heading to the dorms now.
I helped Rosalie to her feet. "We're going to talk to Connor. Hear his side. Because something about this doesn't add up."
"I don't want to see him," Rosalie whispered.
"I know. But if we don't talk to him now, you're going to spend all night imagining the worst. And he deserves a chance to explain."
She was quiet for a long moment, then nodded shakily. "Okay. But you're coming with me."
"Of course."
---
We found Connor sitting on the steps outside his dormitory, head in his hands, the picture of misery. He looked up as we approached, and the devastation on his face was raw and genuine.
"Rosalie," he said, standing immediately, voice breaking on her name. "Please, I need to explain—"
"Then explain," I said, stepping slightly in front of Rosalie, voice hard. "Explain why my best friend just found you kissing another girl."
Connor flinched. "I wasn't kissing her. She kissed me. There's a difference."
"You stood there and let it happen," Rosalie said, voice sharp and cutting. "I saw you. For five seconds you just stood there—"
"I know," Connor interrupted, voice rough with self-loathing. "I know how it looked. But you have to understand—from the first moment I saw Evangeline, I've felt this pull. Like something fundamental inside me is drawn to her, and I can't control it."
"So you're saying she's your mate?" I asked.
Connor's jaw clenched. He looked away. "I don't know. Maybe. Probably. But that doesn't change how I feel about Rosalie. That doesn't change the fact that I love her, that I choose her—"
"But you didn't choose me!" Rosalie's voice cracked. "When she kissed you, you didn't immediately push her away. You stood there, Connor."
"For five seconds," Connor said desperately, taking a step toward her. "Five seconds where my brain completely short-circuited because this instinct I can't control was screaming at me. But then I came back to myself. I pushed her away. I told her I have a girlfriend, that I'm not interested, that she needs to stay away."
"And what did she say?" I asked.
Connor's expression darkened. "She smiled. Like this was all some kind of game. She said 'We'll see how long that lasts.' Then she walked out."
Chase appeared then, slightly out of breath, his eyes immediately finding mine. Through the Bond, I felt his concern and readiness to intervene.
It's okay. Just listen.
"Connor," Chase said, Alpha authority making everyone straighten slightly, "are you certain Evangeline is your mate?"
Connor struggled with the admission. "As certain as I can be without formal confirmation. The pull is exactly how people describe the mate bond. Instant. Overwhelming. Impossible to ignore."
"And yet you're choosing to ignore it anyway," Chase observed.
"I'm choosing Rosalie," Connor corrected. "I'm acknowledging the bond exists, but I'm refusing to let it dictate my choices. I made a commitment to Rosalie before any of this. I'm not abandoning that just because biology is trying to override my free will."
Through the Bond, I felt Chase's complex reaction—respect for Connor's determination, skepticism about whether resisting a mate bond was possible.
Rosalie was crying silently now, face a mask of pain and confusion and desperate hope. "How do I know you won't change your mind?" she asked, voice barely audible. "How do I know that tomorrow, or next week, you won't realize fighting the bond is too hard?"
Connor cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Because I love you. Because every morning I wake up and choose you. Because when I imagine my future, you're in it—not her. Because the idea of losing you hurts more than any bond ever could."
He paused, vulnerability flashing across his face. "But if you can't trust that—if you need to end this to protect yourself—I'll understand. I'll hate it, but I'll understand."
The silence was heavy, broken only by Rosalie's quiet sobs.
Finally, she spoke, voice small but steady. "Promise me you'll stay away from her. Completely away. No conversations, no study sessions, no 'accidentally' running into each other."
"I promise," Connor said without hesitation. "Rosalie, I swear—I will avoid her completely."