Chapter 3 No.3

Elara POV:

That night, I lay awake, the silver bracelet a circle of fire on my wrist. I could hear the faint murmur of voices from Alaric's room down the hall, then Seraphina's light, musical laughter. The sound echoed in the empty spaces of my heart.

The burn was a dull, persistent throb, a physical manifestation of the agony in my soul. Sleep wouldn't come.

The next morning, I forced myself downstairs. My wrist was red and inflamed, so I pulled the sleeve of my sweater down to cover it.

Alaric and Seraphina were in the dining room, poring over brochures, their heads close together. They were planning the bonding ceremony.

"I think Moon Goddess Falls would be perfect," Seraphina was saying, her finger tracing a picture of a stunning, mist-covered waterfall. "It's so romantic."

A lump formed in my throat. Moon Goddess Falls was the most sacred place in our territory. Alaric had promised to take me there for my eighteenth birthday, for my first shift. He'd said it was a place for new beginnings. Now, it was a sanctuary for him and someone else.

I tried to slip past them unnoticed, just needing to get out of the house.

"Elara," Alaric's voice stopped me. It was sharp, impatient. "Where are you going?"

"Into the city," I said, not looking at him. "I have some... documents to take care of."

Seraphina looked up, a mockingly innocent expression on her face. "Oh? Going on a little trip? Or maybe you've found a human boyfriend?"

Alaric's brow furrowed in disapproval. "As an Omega of this pack, you will not associate with unclean humans. It is a disgrace."

Each word was a deliberate jab, reminding me of my low status.

"Of course," Seraphina said, placing a placating hand on Alaric's arm. "Elara knows her place." She then gave me a dismissive glance and turned back to Alaric, her arm linked possessively through his.

I watched them walk away, a perfect Alpha and his chosen mate. Fourteen days. I had fourteen days until my escape.

I left the house and walked into the city under a gray, drizzling sky. The rain felt fitting. I remembered a time when Alaric would have used his own large body to shield me from the rain, his voice a low growl. "My wolf doesn't get wet." Now, I had to get used to facing the storm alone.

At a small, discreet office downtown, I picked up the new identity documents I had arranged for-a fake passport, a new social security card. They were my ticket to a new life.

Later, sitting in a small cafe, I logged into the pack's internal network on my burner phone. There it was. The official announcement. A stunning photo of Alaric and Seraphina in their wolf forms, a massive black wolf and a sleek silver one, nuzzling affectionately under the full moon.

The announcement read: "Alpha Alaric Blackwood is pleased to announce his official bonding to Seraphina of the Silvercrest pack. May the Moon Goddess bless their union."

My fingers felt numb as I typed a reply in the public comments section. "May the Moon Goddess bless you both."

Then, I navigated to the private channels. I found the mind-link connection between Alaric and me. It was a shimmering, silver thread, frayed and weakened by his rejection, but still there. It had once been a source of comfort, a constant, silent presence that told me I was never truly alone.

With a final, deep breath, I focused my will and severed it.

The psychic snap was excruciating, a silent scream in my mind. For a moment, the world went black. When my vision returned, there was only silence. A profound, absolute silence where his presence used to be.