Chapter 237

Chapter 237
Matthew's POV

Adryx laid out the plan while I tried to focus despite my churning thoughts about Isabelle.

"The prisoners are demanding to speak only before the Elder Council," he explained. "It plays perfectly into our plan. The Council will summon Augustin, and he'll refuse to appear."

He continued, outlining how the four territorial leaders would be summoned to stage a vote to remove Augustine. But at the voting meeting, we will unanimously demand that Augustine be granted the true rights that belong to a king, no longer bound by the Elder Council.

"The major families will back us," Adryx concluded, confidence evident in his tone. "The Council will have no choice but to yield."

"How long will this take?" I asked, impatient to move forward.

"A day or two, depending on how quickly the Council moves," Adryx replied.

I nodded, my mind already shifting back to Isabelle. I needed to deal with her first. She was a distraction, a liability I couldn't afford anymore.

The Delta guarding Isabelle's door straightened as I approached, his posture reflecting instant recognition of my rank. He unlocked the door without question, stepping aside as I entered.

Isabelle stood by the window, her face paling when she saw me. Her pregnant belly was more pronounced than I remembered, a visual reminder of the complications ahead. "Matthew," she whispered.

Zephyx growled at her presumption. "You will address me as Alpha," I corrected coldly.

She lowered her gaze, her shoulders slumping. "You haven't forgiven me."

"I never will," I confirmed. The scent of her distress filled the room, but it didn't move me.

Tears welled in her eyes. "We both made mistakes," she said, voice breaking. "You could have rejected me when I first arrived, but you didn't. I never wanted to be Juno's replacement. I just tried to adapt, to love you. But I was never good enough, was I?"

"You could have told me about your father," I countered, ignoring her tears. "You could have trusted me with the truth."

She laughed bitterly, the sound harsh in the quiet room. "Would you have listened? You were barely home, always working. When you were around, you looked right through me."

Her words hit harder than I expected, landing like physical blows. There was truth in them, but it didn't change the fundamental problem.

"I can't trust you," I said simply. "Someone who could hide something this big would have no problem stabbing me in the back when I least expect it."

Pain flashed across her face, her blue eyes darkening. "Don't diminish what I felt for you," she pleaded, taking a step toward me. "My love was real, even if nothing else was."

I took a deep breath, "I'm letting you go. You will not be my Luna. I don't want you in Forestvale."

Her lips trembled, and she placed a protective hand over her belly. "And our children?"

"If they're mine, I'll be part of their lives. But we're done, Isabelle. Over."

Her expression hardened, "I'll tell our children exactly what kind of man you are."

"Tell them how you destroyed my life while you're at it," I shot back, anger flaring hot and sudden.

I stepped closer, towering over her. The temperature between us seemed to drop. "If I find out you were more involved in all this than you've admitted, I will hunt you down and destroy you."

She took a step back, fear flickering in her eyes like a trapped animal.

"I reject you as my mate," I declared formally, the words heavy with finality. "May you feel the pain and torment you've caused me."

I waited for her to double over in agony, as Augustin had described happening when he rejected Cassandra. But Isabelle just stood there, tears streaming down her face, her body trembling but otherwise unaffected.

I frowned, confusion replacing some of my anger. "Accept the rejection."

"No," she sobbed, her chest heaving. "Please take it back. We can start over. Please, Matthew."

"It's too late for that. Accept it, Isabelle." My patience was wearing thin, the room suddenly feeling too small, too stifling.

Her sobs grew louder as I stepped toward her, my shadow falling across her face. Before I could reach her, she gasped, "I accept your rejection."

I felt our connection snap, like a thread cut by sharp scissors, leaving only emptiness where she had been in my mind. There was no pain, no agony like I'd felt when Juno and I were separated. Just... nothing. A void where something should have been.

Was this because of the Purplemoon? I knew Augustin had felt pain when rejecting Cassandra, even if he'd hidden it well. With Isabelle, I felt nothing at all.

She wasn't our true mate, Zephyx whispered in my mind. We never truly bonded.

"Before I go," she said, "can I see Nia? Please. I should have saved her."

I studied her tear-streaked face, wondering if this was another manipulation. The request seemed strange, out of place. But what harm could come from it?

"I'll tell Juno to allow the meeting," I said, turning to leave, already reaching for the door handle.

As the door closed behind me, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. The emptiness inside wasn't painful—it was freedom. My life had been in limbo since finding Isabelle. Now I could start again, rebuild what I had lost.

Zephyx rumbled with satisfaction as we walked away.

It's finally over, he said.

I strode down the hallway, my steps lighter than they had been in months. The manor no longer felt like a prison, but a place of new beginnings. Whatever came next, I would face it unencumbered by the weight of a failed relationship.

For the first time in too long, I could breathe freely again.