118- The Ritual of Breaking Bonds
POV Lunara Grimwald:
“He does, but I was the one who ran from the altar while he fought with the wolves of my pack. As contradictory as it sounds—since he was the one who rejected me—I kind of hurt his ego by escaping and, on top of that, stealing the heat suppressant from his own house.”
He laughed.
“I wish I’d seen that.”
“It wasn’t very pleasant.”
“I can imagine. I just wish I’d seen how such a pompous, asshole alpha felt, watching two omegas run off and succeed.”
I laughed.
“I think he thought it would be easy to find us, that we wouldn’t get very far.”
Anton nodded, still smiling.
We stopped in the middle of the forest. The frozen heads of wolves stuck on stakes were still in the same place. As grotesque as they were, I was getting used to them—and felt much safer being on this side, behind them, and not in front.
“So, Thalira, where’s the informant?”
She spun in a full circle, hands on her hips, frowning as she searched. Her eyes fixed above my shoulder, and a radiant smile lit her face.
I smelled dew with a hint of moss. My body went completely rigid. I clutched Anton’s arm, unable to move, unable to utter a single word.
The male looked at me, confused, realizing something was wrong.
My heart felt ready to burst through my throat, and my entire body shivered.
“I’ve missed you, my sweet and lovely fiancée.” His voice boomed through the forest, cutting through me like a living threat.
Alessio.
...
His voice—exactly as I remembered it—sent shivers down my spine.
Not the good kind, but those born of pure terror.
“There’s my informant,” Thalira announced, pointing at him. “Since you were so curious about your sister, I decided to ask the most reliable source of all—Alessio himself.”
Anton gasped, realizing the gravity of the situation. He pulled me into his arms, holding me close.
“You didn’t,” he growled, unleashing his fury on the damned, treacherous bitch.
“Of course I did. Did you really think I’d just let that slut take my place without doing anything?”
Anton stared at Thalira, incredulous.
“He’s going to kill her! She and Edric are mated, bonded—you’ll be killing Edric too! Is that what you want?”
Thalira rubbed her thumb over her lips, pretending to ponder.
“We made a deal. Alessio won’t kill precious Lunara.”
I heard his footsteps crushing the snow as he circled us and stopped beside Thalira. I fixed my gaze on him, feeling a storm of emotions—all of them so different from what I’d once felt months ago.
He was still the same. Tall, with defined muscles—though not as sculpted as Edric’s—deep brown eyes that once seemed soulful but now looked utterly deranged. His hair was a little longer, and a short beard traced the square line of his jaw.
Seeing him, I could only feel one thing: Disgust. Rage. Repulsion. Hatred.
Even his scent made my stomach turn. Alessio meant nothing to me anymore—nothing but a wretched bastard I’d take pleasure in seeing lifeless.
For so long, I had imagined how I would react if I ever faced him again. I had spent a lifetime thinking I loved him, that he was the perfect male for me. When I ran from him, I’d felt destroyed, deceived, my heart in ruins. And as time passed, the pain of betrayal reshaped itself—dissolving, hardening, and transforming into utter loathing and revulsion.
But now, after so long fearing even the sound of his name, all I could feel was contempt and dread. Fear for myself, for Edric, for Anton. Fear for our lives, for our freedom. And rage—at Thalira, and her vile ability to betray someone who trusted her blindly.
The brown eyes I had once believed I loved found mine, and a half-smile curved his lips.
“Did you miss me, my love?” he asked, sounding every bit the psychopath he truly was.
“You son of a bitch!” I screamed.
He laughed and turned to Thalira.
“Isn’t she adorable when she’s feisty? I’ll have quite a job taming her.”
Anton shielded me with his body, keeping me away from them, trying to protect me with his life.
“I think Edric’s done a decent job with her,” the damned she-wolf muttered, “but I’ll admit, sometimes he can be a little soft—so yes, you’ll have some work ahead.”
He sighed.
“I sent a few men after her, but she managed to escape every single one. She’s become quite the clever bitch.” He laughed darkly. “She doesn’t even look like the same lovesick fool I deceived for years.”
“Oh, she’s not that clever. I knew she’d get suspicious if I approached her directly. But all it took was using Anton—dropping a few false leads, acting uninterested, trying to stop her from coming—and she fell right into the trap.” She clicked her tongue. “So easy to fool the two idiots—they barely questioned a word I said.”
“How could you betray Edric like this, Thalira?” I screamed, horrified. “I thought you loved him! He’s going to kill me the first chance he gets—you really think that damned traitor will keep his word?”
“Actually, I will,” Alessio interjected.
“I’ve realized over these last months that you’re worth something after all. You managed to catch the attention of an important alpha like Edric—and even mated with him.”
“He’ll never stop looking for me,” I said firmly.
A smile spread across Alessio’s face, his white teeth contrasting with his bronzed skin.
“Oh, he will.”
I frowned, confused. My fingers dug into Anton’s arms, gripping them so tightly I must have been leaving marks.
“Alessio is going to perform the ritual on you,” Thalira replied, shrugging. “He’ll break your bond with Edric. That way, you’ll stop being his obsession, and he’ll finally leave our lives once and for all.”
I shook my head and laughed.