Chapter 41

Marcus' punch was so strong that Darren almost flew to the hedge far behind the greenhouse. If he didn't hit one of the steel posts of the marquee that I built for my makeshift potion-making spot just beside the greenhouse, Darren would have probably crashed into the topiary, and fallen over the edge of the hill. I gasped in surprise as he caused a loud thud on the plants.

"You dare come here and talk to my wife?" Marcus bellowed, and his tone gave me literal goosebumps because this was the first time that I'd heard him talk to someone like that. "I'll kill you!"

But Darren was quick to get back to his feet. He seemed determined too despite what happened. He was glaring at Marcus although I noticed that he seemed to be having a hard time looking at us from the distance he was in because of my spell.

"Just go!" I shouted at him because I could sense that Darren wanted to fight back. "Just go and leave us alone!"

Darren looked at me and his expression changed. From anger his face turned dark and defeated, and then his eyes were now wet with tears. "Milena... I am still your mate... I want to fix our relationship so please, please give me a chance..."

That made me angrier than I already was. "Chance? What chance? Can't you see that I no longer feel anything for you? Just let me go, Darren! Go back to Valerie, or marry another woman!"

He looked hurt with what I said, but I couldn't care about his feelings anymore. "Or I can just kill him, Milena. That way the mating bond between you two will break this very moment," Marcus piped in, still throwing dagger looks at Darren. "We are in love," Marcus added and held my hand, showing it to Darren. "She's no longer yours. I know why you think you still have the right to be with her since you're her mate, but that mating bond will soon be gone too. So if I were you, I'd just accept defeat and move on. After all, it was you who rejected her. Did you think she remained faithful to you after what you did to her?"

"I know I messed up," said Darren who started walking slowly back to us. "I know that what I did was unforgivable. But I was tricked. Even my wolf got affected and wasn't the same after what Valerie and her parents did to me... I'm not a bad person, Milena... That's why I'm asking you, is it so wrong of me to come here and try to fix what Valerie destroyed? Is it bad that I want to take back what was taken away from me? These past five years I have been living as a ghost. I created my alter ego, Exodus, for the sole purpose of gathering information about your whereabouts. Someone told me five years ago that they witnessed a woman who looked like you getting attacked by rogues, that's why I came after them, hoping to run into you one day. Tell me, Milena, was that really wrong for me to do?"

I hesitated, but I needed Darren to understand that even if he was a victim too, it doesn't matter to me anymore. I need him to get out of my life. "You already found me, Darren. And you now know that I'm doing well in my life. I'm in a pack where I'm not discriminated against. In fact I'm well-respected here because of my witch powers. My son, Zenith, is the sweetest, and my husband's love for me has no bounds. I am happy here. But whatever you're trying to do, it's no longer what I want, Darren. That's why if you really want to make amends with me, you won't take away all the things that are making me happy right now."

I was already crying too. It felt like all the weight that I have been carrying this whole time was now being lifted as I talked to Darren. He fell to his knees and looked down to the ground and I knew why. He was crying so hard that even Marcus looked bothered by him. It was obvious by the sound of his wail that he was hurt, like a deeply wounded animal about to lose his life.

But this was how it was supposed to be. He made his choice before so he must stand by that forever. What he did to me was irreparable. Even if I felt sorry for him I still felt sorry for myself more. And I could no longer see myself with him anymore. It felt too absurd at this point. And I think Darren knew it too, because he got up again and stared as coldly as possible at Marcus after wiping his tears. "You better take care of her," he said with a smile so fake it hurt me a little bit. "I'm still not giving her up. Mess up and I'll come back here to take Milena back."

Marcus shook his head in disbelief. "You're really warning me? I'm not like you. I'm not going to mess up my relationship with Milena."

"I don't only mean that. I'm sure you realized it too by now, Marcus, that Milena is now in constant danger because her identity was exposed. Fail to protect her and I'll come back here to take her away."

Marcus got serious at that statement. "You don't have to tell me that. I know what I'm doing."

Darren smirked. "Really? You were nowhere to be found a while ago and you left her defenseless. What if one of the Blackholes came here instead of me? I don't think you'd still be acting superior if that was the case."

"Marcus, please," I called him to stop him from talking back to Darren since Darren already raised the white flag. "And you, just go already," I snapped. "Don't make me use my spells again on you, Darren."

Darren sighed bitterly, then walked away back to the main entrance and into the stairs below. Marcus and I hugged as I cried on his shoulders the moment we were left alone because all those emotions just poured out of me. Marcus kept kissing my forehead and whispering comforting words to me, but I couldn't stop my tears. I guess a part of me was now mourning the finality of the loss of what Darren and I would have become if everything just went well for us back then.

But that was it. After that incident, I felt better especially that Marcus never left my side until the time that Gil came back from his journey.

***

We waited excitedly at the gate where Gil's car entered until it stopped by the roadside. A woman came out from the car dressed in what I thought were shaman clothes. One thing noticeable about Lady Xinxia was that she was wearing a lot of gold. From her hair accessories to her shoes, she was definitely elegant-looking, in addition to being stern and sophisticated. She was a middle-aged woman with her long silky, black hair reaching to her waist.

We exchanged pleasantries with her, offering her to rest a bit before we talk about what we wanted her to do. But she seemed alarmed when she learned that I was a half-witch. "This will not be easy, Miss Milena."

"Why?"

"Your wolf is a lot more powerful than the regular wolf. Cutting the bond might make it berserk. It might become more uncontrollable. Are you still willing to cut the bond?"

I nodded. "That's a risk I'm willing to take."