Cold raindrops sting my cheeks, mingling quietly with the tears I’ve stubbornly refused to shed.
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The slick cobblestones beneath my feet offer little traction as I hurry through the dimly lit streets. Each step sends sharp jolts through my knees, a cruel reminder of the night spent kneeling outside the hospital, begging for Raiden to grant me even a single glance,
The memory slices through me, reopening wounds that have barely begun to scab over.
Why does he hate me so?
Beside me, Rairity matches my pace effortlessly, her youthful face drawn tight with worry. Her eyes flicker toward me repeatedly as if searching for some sign that I haven’t broken completely beneath tonight’s events.
I pull my jacket tighter around myself, though it does nothing against the chill seeping into my bones. I will not show it, but I am.
“Siena,” Raírity ventures carefully, her voice gentle and hesitant against the pounding rain. “You mentioned Raiden wants to visit your father?”
My throat constricts painfully at her question, a hot ache spreading from my chest to my fingertips.
I manage a stiff nod, swallowing against the lump forming in my throat. “He doesn’t know yet,” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the steady patter of rain. “While he ignored me, my father died. Raiden wants to discuss our divorce with him first–to preserve appearances.”
Just good business.
Pain flashes across Rairity’s face, sympathy and confusion. Her silence stretches between us, heavy and suffocating, before she murmurs softly, “I’m sorry, Siena.”
I’m not.
I offer her a tight smile, though it feels hollow and wrong on my lips. “His silence was his choice. Now, the consequences are mine to bear.”
It’s just good business.
No matter where this goes or how devastated I truly am, if I keep my wits about me, that one line could be the thing that saves my heart; my soul.
My wolf whimpers softly inside me, pressing painfully against the void where our mate bond once thrived.
Raiden’s rejection has left an emptiness nothing else can fill, a gaping wound still raw and bleeding. The thought of him marking Lila, claiming someone else before officially ending our bond, twists my insides so violently that nausea rises bitterly in my throat.
What have I done to deserve this treachery?
Pausing briefly beneath the shadow of a streetlamp, leaning against the slick brick wall to catch my breath, the rain intensifies, streaming down my face and blurring my vision, yet the sharp ache in my chest remains crystal clear.
No amount of rain can wash this grievance away. I will die with it upon my chest.
Rairity’s gentle hand rests lightly on my shoulder. “Are you alright?”
1/A
Chapter 33
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I suck in a shaky breath, straightening despite the pain lancing through me. I’ll survive,” I whisper, though my voice cracks traitorously. “I always do.”
We continue walking, silence settling between us once more, broken only by the steady rhythm of rain. Yet my thoughts refuse to quiet. Questions I’ve been afraid to voice finally bubble to the surface, impossible to suppress.
“Rairity,” I murmur suddenly, my voice trembling with vulnerability, “can a mate bond truly cause pain when betrayed?”
She hesitates, her youthful face thoughtful as she weighs my question. “I believe it can,” she says finally, softly. “Though perhaps a chosen mate bond wouldn’t hurt as deeply as a true mate bond. Maybe that’s why Raiden could mark another without feeling what you feel.”
He never felt me. Never truly.
Her words settle heavily in my chest, confirming the fears I’ve silently harbored for so many years.
Was I ever truly his mate at all?
Or was I merely a political convenience–a disposable pawn in the game of power and alliances?
My wolf snarls softly inside me, insisting something is wrong. Raiden still belongs to us.”
mark is as false as that wretched little creature Siena.
The pain is untenable, but I no longer have the strength to cling to illusions. Years of rejection and neglect have taught me painful lessons, stripping me of innocence piece by heartbreaking piece.
I shake my head gently, pushing the thoughts aside with ruthless determination. “It doesn’t matter now,” I whisper, more to myself than to Rairity. “I can’t keep holding onto something that never belonged to me.”
He belongs to Lila now.
My beta remains silent, though her eyes fill with compassion. I appreciate her quiet strength and the gentle support she offers without pushing too far or pressing my wounds deeper.
