Beneath the Broken Vows

"What is my offense that you must treat me like this, Andrew?" Cecilia's voice trembled with frustration, her eyes blazing with pain and anger as she confronted him.

Andrew Blackwood, the man she'd once admired from afar, stood before her with his arms crossed, his expression unmoved. Those deep, golden-brown eyes she'd dreamed about as a girl now looked right through her, cold and detached.

"You have no right to question me, Cecilia," he replied, his voice smooth and calm, as if her accusations meant nothing to him.

The words struck her harder than she expected, yet she remained standing, swallowing down the ache in her chest. Their marriage was little more than a shadow, an arrangement that had drained her heart dry over the past two years. She had thought it might bring her some measure of peace or connection, but it had only shown her the depths of her loneliness.

A bitter pang of longing twisted inside her as she looked at him. She was trapped in a marriage that felt like a cage, and yet, inexplicably, she still cared for him, still yearned for a connection that would never come.

"Andrew," she said quietly, desperation bleeding into her tone, "is there truly nothing between us? Not even a shred of respect?"

He glanced at her, a fleeting look of annoyance flashing across his face. "I gave you my answer, Cecilia. I don't owe you any explanation."

Her heart twisted painfully at his words.

The previous evening, Cecilia listened to Andrew whispering while sleeping, saying the name of a different woman, Vivian. She attempted to suppress it from her thoughts, convincing herself it was merely a dream. However, Andrew brushed off Cecilia's inquiries with icy apathy when she approached him, cautioning her never to inquire about his personal affairs.

Now, Cecilia found herself standing there, trying to maintain composure despite his cold-hearted cruelty.

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The following day, Cecilia left for her appointment with the doctor, feeling the heavy burden of her reality weighing on her. Leaving the clean hospital room, her thoughts were consumed by her diagnosis. Her illness was progressing, and with every appointment, there was no improvement in her ailment. Time was slipping away, and each day in this empty marriage only seemed to highlight her isolation.

The hallway is busy with nurses and rolling carts, but Cecilia hardly notices any of it. Then she smells something familiar and her heart stops. Since birth, they all develop a specific scent that strengthens when they mate as a way to locate each other. Cecilia has been told that her smell is lavender. Andrew always smells like wood and vanilla in bourbon, her favorite perfume.

So why is she smelling him there? She cock her head to get a better scent. Yes- he is in the hospital, and close by.

Not just him, but a different scent too, familiar and horrifying all at once. Cecilia's heart drops into her stomach. She feels her skin prickle and a low growl erupts at the base of her heart.

And then, she saw them.

Andrew stood by the entrance, his hand entwined with another woman. She quickly brings her hand to her mouth, stifling for air. Is that Vivian? Is she back in the pack?

But that's not what caught her attention. Cecilia stared open mouth at how Andrew's touch on Vivian's hand was gentle, his fingers trailing over her skin in a way that spoke of an intimacy Cecilia had never known with him. They stood close, his face softened as he whispered something to Vivian that made her laugh, her eyes lighting up with a warmth that was painfully absent from Cecilia's life.

Cecilia's breath caught in her throat, her heart constricting as she watched them together. She knew of Vivian, knew that she and Andrew had a past, but seeing them like this, out in the open, was a blow she hadn't prepared for.

All the nurses stop to stare at them, and it is no wonder. Together like this, they look like a couple in a magazine, so deeply in love that everything else is simply an outward display around them. Cecilia dodged behind a plant and casually took out her phone to look too busy. It's not a good sign when a flock of medical professionals gather around something.

"So lucky to have Alpha Andrew as her husband," One of the nurses said, pupping gum into her mouth. The rest of the nurses murmur in agreement and Cecilia waits to smell Andrew refute their statements, but when the silence continues her jaw drops in shock.

The image of them together burned itself into her memory as she forced herself to turn away, swallowing down the bitterness clawing at her throat. She had long since given up on the fantasy of a loving marriage, but seeing the evidence of his affection for another woman brought the reality crashing down in a way she hadn't expected.

She walked away quickly, her heels clicking against the tiled floor, trying to keep herself from breaking down. She hoped he wouldn't find out she had seen them. She didn't want him to know the extent of the pain he had caused her.

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At Blackwood's estate, Cecilia lay still on the bed, waiting patiently for Andrew to come back. The door slowly creaked open, and Andrew walked in. Cecilia washed him as he scanned the room realizing the romantic gesture that she had set up for him. Cecilia can't tell if he likes it or not and she could kick herself hoping that he does.

"Do you think you can just disappear whenever you want, Andrew?" Cecilia's voice was low, laced with barely restrained frustration as Andrew walked through the door, his steps slightly uneven, a faint smell of whiskey clinging to him.

Andrew paused, blinking at her in mild surprise, as though he hadn't expected her to be awake at this hour. He straightened, regaining his usual composed posture, his golden-brown eyes fixed on her. The faint glimmer of warmth in his gaze caught her off guard; this was not the cold Andrew she'd grown accustomed to. "Why are you still up?" he asked softly, his tone lacking the usual edge.

Cecilia hesitated, feeling her guard waver under his rare gentleness. "I... couldn't sleep. I was waiting for you." She felt vulnerable admitting it, but there was no point in pretending otherwise. She was tired of all the unspoken truths and withheld emotions that colored their marriage.

Without saying a word, Andrew slips his hand around Cecilia's waist and cups her body into his. He presses his warm lips against the curve of her neck. And rather than melt into him as she usually does, she went cold at the realization he was never interested in her.

He stepped closer, his gaze softening as he reached out, his fingertips brushing her shoulder. The unexpected tenderness made her heart race, a confusing thrill sparking within her. He leaned closer, his warm breath fanning her skin as he murmured, "You shouldn't lose sleep over me."

Before she could respond, he lowered his head, his lips finding the curve of her neck, igniting sensations that were both familiar and longed for. His touch grew bolder as he gently drew her into his arms, his kisses trailing along her collarbone with a tenderness she hadn't felt in years.

Cecilia's pulse quickened as his lips met hers, his hands tracing her waist, igniting a fire that she hadn't felt in a long time. Her heart yearned to believe, just for a moment, that this was real and he truly wanted her. She could feel herself giving in, her hands wrapped around his shoulders as his breath faintly fell on her ear lob, making Cecilia's heart skip.

But just as her desire began to overwhelm her, a flash of memory jolted her back to reality. The memory of him holding Vivian's hand at the hospital, the warmth in his eyes as he looked at another woman the way he had never looked at her. Her heart clenched painfully as the betrayal came rushing back, and a surge of anger replaced the desire she'd felt moments before.

In a swift motion, she pushed him away, breaking free from his hold, her breathing uneven as she took a step back.

Andrew's eyes darkened, his expression hardening as his wolf growled.

"What's wrong with you?" he demanded, more curious than concerned. He hates to be disturbed, and Cecilia is not in the mood to fight. Before she can think of an excuse to say something, his phone buzzes, and his eyes light up. He leaves the room in a hurry, but not before he leaves the room, Cecilia sees the caller ID.

Vivian. Cecilia's stomach swoops again

She glared at him, her hands clenched tightly at her sides as the anger she'd been holding back finally surfaced. "Don't pretend this is real, Andrew. I saw you today at the hospital with her," she whispered, her voice trembling with fury.

His expression shifted, the warmth draining from his face as a cold, unreadable look settled over him. "And?"

Cecilia's heart ached at his indifference, the realization cutting deeper than any words he could have said. "And... why? After everything, why would you even pretend to care about me?"

For a brief moment, a flicker of something almost like regret passed through his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by an impenetrable wall of cold detachment. He straightened, meeting her gaze with a look of finality that sent a chill down her spine.

"I want a divorce."

Andrew's words were like ice, delivered without a trace of emotion, and they hung in the air, slicing through the silence between them.

Cecilia remained motionless, gazing at the door while Andrew walked away down the hallway, his harsh final words lingering in her thoughts. I want a divorce. The quietness of the room closed in on her, suffocating and void. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she gripped her dress tightly, seeking stability amidst the turmoil within her.

The night was filled with painful silence. Each time she shut her eyes, visions of Andrew and Vivian crowded her thoughts. The kindness in his eyes that she had never felt, Of his touch that was always just beyond her grasp. It seemed like a cruel turn of events, serving as a reminder that she had always been an outsider, even within her marriage.

The following day, Cecilia woke up early, moving with sluggish and heavy steps. She headed towards the distant corner of the Blackwood property, arriving at a tiny, isolated cottage where Elara, an older member of the Blackwood family, lived. Elara had consistently provided comfort, being the only one in this cold, apathetic environment to offer Cecilia a sense of warmth and compassion.

As Cecilia approached, she noticed Elara watering her garden, her hands moving with practiced ease over the plants. The elder's eyes, sharp and wise, softened as she caught sight of Cecilia's weary expression.

"Child," Elara murmured, a hint of concern in her voice. "What brings you here so early?"

Cecilia stepped closer, feeling the weight of her sorrow ease as she sighted her. "Elara... I need to discuss something with you." She hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's about Vivian. Andrew, my husband requested a divorce and I am aware it is because of Vivian."

Elara stopped her hands and glanced up, her eyes narrowing a bit. "Did you say, Vivian?"

"Yes," Cecilia replied, a faint tremor in her voice. "I saw them together yesterday. Andrew... " She swallowed, fighting back the bitterness. "He wants a divorce. And now, I don't even know what to do anymore."

Elara's expression changed, and she gestured for Cecilia to sit. " I thought that by now, Andrew must have been over Vivian but it seems that I'm wrong about that. Vivian has been Andrew's first love but because of Vivian's ambitious life, she left Andrew to study abroad.

This sent a chill down Cecilia's spine. She had always been aware of Andrew's relationship with Vivian, but she had never fully grasped the extent of their bond or ties.

"Her connection to Andrew... seems to be really strong for them to be still having an affair, even though Andrew is already married to you." Elara's eyes were steady, and it made Cecilia's heart race with both fear and worry.

"But why? Why wouldn't he forget about her and focus on our marriage least it would have been better for me if ...?" Before Cecilia could complete her statement, Elara interrupted her, politely

"You don't need to make any excuses for anybody, my child. Just do whatever that pleases you."

Cecilia's heart tightened. At that specific instant, she was aware that the life she had created with Andrew was simply a mirage. The betrayal was painful, but her survival instincts prompted her to detach from the situation.

"Thank you, Elara," she said quietly, her gaze resolute. "I need to leave this place, now."

Elara nodded, her eyes sympathetic. "Do whatever that pleases you, child. And remember that you're a strong woman, and there is nothing you can't overcome."

As Cecilia left the cottage, a new determination burned in her chest. She came back to the mansion, determined to follow a surprising new journey. She hastily gathered her possessions, her hands moving in silence and anger as she packed what was left of her life into one suitcase.

Leaving behind this realization and all of the other memories of his house, Cecilia opens the front door ready to run and never look back.

Except, as soon as she opens the door, she can't go because Vivian stands right in front of her. Vivian lowers her hand which Cecilia assumed was just about ready to knock. She must be hallucinating. Only when Vivian pushes her aside and steps into their house.

"Well, don't seem so surprised to see me," Vivian says, stepping past Cecilia and coming into their house. While Cecilia leaves it sickens her.

"I was part of the pack after all." Cecilia closed her mouth when she realized that it was hanging open.

"What are you doing here?" Cecilia asked though she was not sure if she could stand whatever the answer might be. Vivia looked pleased that she asked, letting a sly smile spread across her face.

"I think it's only fair that you know,"

"Know what?" Cecilia asked the impatience chipping away at her tone. Vivian inspects her well-polished nails.

"That Andrew and I are in love and I am carrying his child. So I'm here to move in because now that I'm pregnant Andrew said he would take good care of me," she exclaimed much too happily.

"What?' Cecilia seethed.

"That's true," she continued, "so you should get out of our house."

"You are pregnant?" Those words suddenly leave a bad taste in Cecilia's mouth compared to how she was feeling earlier. It all makes sense now. The time Andrew spent away and seeing them together at the hospital, now make sense to her. As the moment passes, reality becomes solidified as her heart becomes like stone, harder and harder.

Just then the sound of the back door opening cuts through the air. "Andrew!" Vivian cries out as though she's relieved to see him, She clutches her stomach and paints on a pained look. "Cecilia just pushed me, she wants to hurt my baby."

A flash of anger flashes Andrew's face and he pushes Cecilia aside. " What is wrong with you, Cecilia?" Andrew yells. " I didn't know that you are so wicked." He believes Vivian automatically, not even asking Cecilia for her opinion. It's obvious to her that Andrew chose Vivian over her.

With Cecilia's wolf howling in pain and her heart freezing over. Cecilia laughed coldly. "Thank you for making everything clear," she says.

"I, Cecilia reject Andrew as my mate," Cecilia says the word shakily. She feels the bond snap within, causing a jolt of indescribable pain.

"What are you doing?" Andrew snaps.

Cecilia cast one final glance at Andrew, knowing it would be the last time she would ever see him, he stared back at her with wide eyes and his jaw slack. "We are done," Cecilia tells him and as the words leave her mouth, it becomes even more certain that something in her snaps as she can physically feel it.

Cecilia runs past Vivian, tears blurring her vision.

The weight of her luggage felt heavier as if tethered to memories she was finally ready to release.

The spiritual link between Andrew and Cecilia is broken and that is what causes her to howl out in pain.

In her daze, one thing is clear, that she must be dying.

By nightfall, Cecilia had left the Blackwood estate behind, the sprawling mansion shrinking in the rearview mirror as she drove away. She didn't look back; the place that had once represented stability now felt suffocating, haunted by betrayal. The journey was long, and by the time she reached Northbrook, the day was already dawn. The town was worlds away from the opulence and shadowed halls of Blackwood Mansion, and for the first time in a long while, Cecilia felt a faint glimmer of hope.

Northbrook is where her friend Annie lives. Cecilia told Annie about her divorce from Andrew and she invited her to come and stay with her.

Northbrook was peaceful, untouched by the chaos and heartache she had left behind. She found her friend, Annie's modest apartment in the heart of town, its humble charm soothing her frayed nerves.

Annie, Cecilia's friend from high school, moved to Northbrook after fleeing from her husband, who refused to sign the divorce papers that would free her from the arranged marriage her parents had forced upon her.

Over the next few days, Cecilia settled into her new life, allowing the simplicity of Northbrook to calm the turmoil inside her.

But her heartache was far from forgotten. Each time she shut her eyes, the memory of Andrew and Vivian stayed in her thoughts, a painful indication of the life she had struggled to keep intact. She attempted to concentrate on reconstructing her life and attaining tranquility, yet the lingering queries continued to trouble her.

As the weeks passed by, her illness started to burden her more and more. The strange symptoms progressed, sapping her energy and making her feel like she was slowly disappearing, bit by bit.

In the evening, Cecilia sat next to the window, gazing at the dark street, feeling burdened by everything she had experienced.

She clutched her hands together, her mind racing with thoughts of her family, of Andrew, and the thought of Andrew expecting a baby with Vivian. Despite everything, she knew she couldn't turn back. She had sacrificed too much to return to the life that had betrayed her.

Just as she closed her eyes, a faint noise caught her attention a whisper of movement in the hallway outside their apartment. Tense, with keen senses, she stood up from her chair, her eyes locked on the door.

Listening intently, she held her breath, her heart rate increasing. Next, a quiet and easily recognized voice disrupted the quietness, muffled by the door yet still clear.

"Cecilia, I am aware that you are inside. Let me in."

Upon hearing Andrew's voice, she was startled and her heart reacted with a combination of fear and anger. She stepped back from the door, her thoughts running wild. Why was he here? How had he even found her?

Her lack of response was a silent plea for him to go away, to understand that she had no interest in him. But the handle turned, and she realized he was not leaving.

"Cecilia," he repeated a hint of impatience in his tone. "I just want to talk."

Gritting her teeth, Cecilia finally spoke, her voice steely and cold. "I don't have anything to tell you, Andrew. Leave."

There was a moment of silence, and she sensed the tension in the air, a quiet struggle of desires.

"I'm not going anywhere," he stated firmly. "Not until we talk."

Cecilia felt the rage bubble up inside her. He dared to show up here and insist on talking to her as if he still had a right to. She breathed deeply, preparing herself, and walked nearer to the door.

"What brought you here, Andrew?" Cecilia inquired, her voice tinged with the bitterness she had made an effort to conceal. "Haven't you done enough damage?"

Following a period of silence, he let out a sigh and she could hear him walking away down the hallway. After the noise stopped, she exhaled the breath she had unknowingly been holding, with her heart still pounding as she gazed at the shut door.

The following morning, Cecilia woke to the harsh morning light streaming through the small window of Annie's apartment, the pale sun not quite enough to banish the chill in her bones. The lingering remnants of her dream, a memory of Andrew's cold words, Vivian's cryptic smile sent a tremor down her spine. But the moment she stood, the dizziness hit her again, stronger this time. Her knees buckled, and she caught herself on the wall, her breath shallow, as a surge of weakness washed over her.

Cecilia had grown used to this by now-unexplained fatigue, dizziness, and a persistent fever that seemed to come and go in unpredictable waves. The prescribed medicines had done nothing.

But something gnawed at the back of her mind. Her illness wasn't getting better. She felt it in her very bones, a creeping sensation she couldn't shake.

A sharp knock on the door startled Cecilia, cutting through the thick silence of her tiny room. She stiffened, her heightened senses pricking to attention. Who would that be?

"Cecilia, it's me," a familiar voice called. Annie. Relief swept over her like a tide, but it didn't stop her instinctive caution.

Cecilia cracked the door open, her glowing amber eyes meeting Annie's. The concern etched on her friend's face was almost visible.

"Why are you doing this to yourself, Cecilia? Locking yourself away like a caged wolf?" Annie's voice was low but laced with a hint of scolding. "The moon still rises, and the world moves on. Let me help you break free from this... this torment."

"I'm fine," Cecilia muttered, her voice rough, but even she didn't believe it.

"No, you're not." Annie crossed her arms, a firm set to her jaw. "Get ready. I'll show you around this city. Trust me, you'll love it. The woods may feel like home, but the wild beats everywhere if you know where to look."

Cecilia hesitated, her instincts warring with her need to escape the suffocating walls of her thoughts. "Fine," she mumbled and retreated into the bathroom.

As the cold water poured over her, it carried away the tension gripping her muscles. The sharp sensation was grounding, soothing the restless ache under her skin. For the first time in days, she felt... alive.

Minutes later, she dressed up, her long coat concealing her slim frame, her hair still damp and wild like her spirit.

Annie was waiting for her inside her old Jeep, tapping the hood impatiently. "It's time, let's go," she teased her with a playful glint in her eyes.

Cecilia climbed in silently, and they drove off toward the town. As the city lights came into view, she felt the faintest flicker of hope stir within her. A small hope against the darkness she had been drowning in.

Upon getting to Northbrook Park, Cecilia decided to navigate on her own. She went to the nearest building hoping to ask for directions from the reception. But unfortunately for her, the first building she entered was a basketball court.

All of a sudden she heard commotion from the left. Her head moved in the direction where the noise was coming from. It was the boy's locker room, the door was wide open, so Cecilia didn't necessarily have to go in to have a peek.

Cecilia could see a bunch of guys with well-built bodies, all gathered around one particular section.

The scene starts to clear as the crowd parted ways, making way for one particular person. He was taller than others and had more muscle power. He was effortlessly overtowering the most buffed-up guys there. No wonder the other guys were all scooting away.

He walks towards the guy who is bent towards the locker for support.

"It's not nice snitching on me, was it Jamil?" The bully taunts. "Look at where it has gotten you." He states in a sing-song-like tone that he enjoys putting on a show for everyone.

"You wouldn't get away with this, Ethan." Jamil, the guy who's being bullied tries to put up a facade of false bravery.

However, it vanishes immediately when the other guy grabs him by his hand and smashes the back of his head against the metal chair beside him, giving rise to a grating noise.

"I do the talking here," Ethan states as Jamil moves back in fear. Sweat now dripping from his forehead.

"Are we clear?" He grunts, still maintaining a jarring hold on Jamil's hand.

Jamil can only manage to let out a painful moan, groaning in pure agony. This further enrages the bully who is holding him by his hand.

"I said are we clear?" He spits out, knocking his head against the metal chair again.

Blood starts dripping from his head. Instead of being concerned, the guys who form a circle start rooting for Ethan, the bully. Something tells Cecilia that it's not the first time something like that is happening in that place.

Cecilia can't help but want to intrude. No one wants to stop Etthan. He doesn't seem any way near to end that fight. And if the fight continues, the poor guy might be seriously wounded.

Ye... Yes." Jamil manages to whisper despite barely being conscious. But Ethan wasn't satisfied with Jamil's response. He raises Jamil's head again to hit it again against the metal chair.

"Stop." Cecilia shrieks, closing her eyes as she speaks. She slowly opens her eyes to see all heads turn at her.

Ethan's hawk-like eyes examine her from head to toe, analyzing something deeply for a moment before the expression on his face changes.

"Wrong place, wrong timing, dear." He comments. His tone seems oddly nice, unlike how it was with the guy he was previously punching like a piece of rag.

"Okay, I will be generous today." He adds, eyeing Cecilia with a playful expression. A desire for something deeper.

"Move along, Love." He states pretending to be a gentleman, before going back to the important matter at hand.

"Your coach is coming!" Cecilia yelled after a minute without thinking properly. It was the only lie that came into her mind, but they fell for her trick.

Within moments, the crowd starts disappearing.

"Shit." she heard one of them say.

Taking advantage of the crowd, Cecilia tries to evade Ethan and flee in between them. But unfortunately for her, she was grabbed by her forearm and pulled inside the boy's locker room. With someone shutting the door.

"You are not going anywhere. " Ethan growls, caging her within his arms.

His warm breath fans her chest as she is drawn in his brown orbs. Cecilia's breath hitches as his manly scent infiltrates her nostrils and her wolf howls for closure.

"Why do I feel something for him? When he touched me, it didn't feel weird. It felt like I belonged in the warm embrace of his touch." Cecilia murmured to herself.

But that can't be true unless he is her mate. Funny enough, Cecilia has already rejected her mate.

This doesn't make sense, because it's only a few are privileged to have a second chance mate. The moon goddess surely wouldn't bless her with another mate when she was the one who rejected her mate.

"You let my captive get away from me." He states bringing Cecilia out of her trail of thoughts.

"I..." Cecilia opened her mouth but no words managed to come out.

"Shut your mouth, now I need a replacement. He speaks in an aggressive tone, putting his forefinger against her lips.

As his skin brushes against Cecilia's soft lips, he feels the spark too. A proud smile forms over his face as excitement shines through his brown orbs.

"Not so tough, are we mate?" He questions, inching closer.

"Tell me, does my captive like to be hunted?" He inquired, with his breath faintly falling on her ear lob, making Cecilia's heart skip a beat. The closeness makes her feel butterflies in her stomach.

"Because I also love to be chased," Ethan adds, emitting a low growl.

Unlike Andrew, Ethan doesn't pounce straight at her. He plays with her like a predator does to his prey. But also gives her space at the same time.

"Run." He states, backing away, He points to a backdoor close to the corridor, allowing Cecilia to escape safely without catching a glimpse of other wolves.

"And don't let me catch you again." He advises, his eyes still stuck on her retreating shadow.

"Because I wouldn't be this nice and kind again," He mutters under his breath but she happens to hear it as she is about to leave through the back door.

Something tells Cecilia that she just caught Ethan's attention and it happens that he is her mate. From all indications, it shows that he wouldn't be letting her go easily.