Chapter Eight
Unable to let me go, Hunter followed me and we got into a heated. argument and I didn’t realize when he slapped me hard out of anger.
Hunter’s hand dropped from his face, the sting of his slap still fresh in the air as I tried to steady my breathing. As the Alpha, he had the power to make every command final, to force every loyalty, and yet here he was, standing before me defeated, even as the scent of dominance clung to him.
“Fine, Ava. If you want to go, go,” he muttered, jaw clenched. He’d resigned to the fact that he couldn’t force me to stay–at least, not like this.
So I waited until he’d left for the forest to gather his sentries for patrol and quickly packed my belongings. Most of what I had were small items, tokens of our relationship that once held meaning. As I was leaving, my hand paused. over a familiar photo that was always tucked in his drawer–a photo of us at the mate–rite ceremony. That night, I’d felt hopeful, bonded to him by the ancient pack traditions. But now, it seemed nothing but a faded memory of a broken promise.
As I slipped out of the pack, I heard soft footsteps behind me. Turning, I was surprised to see Katherine standing in the clearing. Her face held a bitter, twisted expression, jealousy smoldering in her eyes.
“Ava, leaving so soon?” she sneered, stepping closer. “You’re really that desperate for pity, aren’t you?”
I narrowed my gaze, clenching my bag tightly. “I think you got what your wanted, Katherine. I’m out of Hunter’s life–exactly as you wished. But don’t think for one second I’m fooled by you.”
She laughed, tossing her hair back with a smug smile. “Oh, don’t be so naïve, Ava. Do you think he actually ever cared about you? Hunter only chose you because the Moon read you as his mate, but he chose me for his heart.”
The words hit me, but I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing it. “Funny, considering how quickly he tosses you aside when you become a problem,” I shot back.
Her expression darkened, and she took a step forward, dropping her voice to a harsh whisper. “Do you want to know what he said to me after every night he’spent with you? That you’re weak, Ava. Weak and disposable. An omega destined to be nothing more than a placeholder.”
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I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, Hunter’s scent filled the air as he emerged from the trees, irritation etched on his face. His gaze flicked between us, immediately zoning in on Katherine.
“Didn’t I make myself clear, Katherine ?” he growled, a hint of his Alphal command slipping into his tone. “You’re supposed to be gone. You have no place here anymore.”
Katherine’s eyes filled with tears, but she quickly masked it with anger, pointing at me. “Is it her? Is she making you do this? Hunter, you can’t seriously still want someone like her! She can’t even carry your pups!” the switch in her tone shocked me and I just watched them eyes wide.
Hunter’s face was instantly etched with fury, and in a flash, he was in front of her. He didn’t hit her, but his Alpha presence bore down so heavily that she flinched, her bravado cracking under his fierce glare.
“Enough, Katherine. Leave. Now.”
She stumbled back, choking on a sob as she muttered curses under her breath, then spun on her heel and disappeared into the woods. Once she was gone, Hunter turned back to me, a strange mixture of regret and anger in his
eyes.
“Ava,” he said, softer this time, but I wouldn’t be swayed.
I lifted my chin. “Don’t say it, Hunter. Not now. You’ve made it very clear where I stand in your life.”
He stepped closer, reaching out as if to touch my face, then dropped his hand. “Ava… I don’t want a future without you. I know I’ve messed up. We’ve had losses, I’ve let things come between us, but-”
“But what?!” I snapped, the hurt spilling out in a rush. “Do you even understand what you’ve put me through? You allowed her in our lives, let her poison everything between us. And now you think a few words will change it. all?”
He stood there, his eyes flickering with a hint of desperation. “You were given to me by the Moon. You’re my mate, Ava.”
I laughed, a bitter sound. “Then why do I feel like I’ve been anything but that? You chose her over and over, Hunter. You can’t deny it.”
For a moment, we stood there, the silence stretching between us like an invisible chasm. Then he spoke, his voice almost pleading. “I didn’t choose her over you. She was… a distraction. But she doesn’t mean what you mean to me.”
Chapter Eight
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The rawness in his tone almost made me falter, but I remembered Katherine’s sneer, her mocking words. I had to remind myself that those were. not just her words–they were Hunter’s, too.
“I’m done, Hunter,” I said firmly. “I’ll speak with the pack elders about annulling our bond. You don’t need to worry about me anymore. After all, the marriage is broken already.”
He tensed, a flash of anger crossing his face. “You can’t just break our bond because things got hard. The pack looks to us, Ava. You think they’ll just accept an Alpha who can’t keep his mate?”
I looked at him, sadness welling in my chest. “Maybe that’s the difference. between us. You care about the pack’s judgment. I care about what’s left of my heart and .”
As I turned to leave, his hand gripped my wrist, his voice rough and insistent. “Ava, you’re not leaving.”
I met his gaze, a flicker of defiance rising in me. “Then what will you do, Hunter? Drag me back like a prisoner? Command me to stay?”
He seemed at a loss, his Alpha aura dimming in the face of my resolve. “I won’t let you go… because I still love you.”
His words hung in the air, heavy and painful. And for a moment, I almost believed him. But then I remembered everything he’d allowed to happen, all the hurt he’d inflicted, knowingly or unknowingly. I pulled my hand free, stepping back.
“Love isn’t just words, Hunter. It’s loyalty, respect, and trust–all things you’ve broken.”
After saying that, I walked out on him and swore never to come back.
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