Aria’s POV.
I turned around slowly, my heart dropping like a heavy stone the moment I saw who was standing there. It was Zander, standing in the doorway, his tall frame tense and his fists clenched tightly at his sides. His eyes weren’t just angry-they were blazing with fury, like a fire that couldn’t be put out. His gaze moved quickly, darting back and forth between me and Asher, trying to figure out what was going on. I could see the storm of emotions boiling inside him, and it made my stomach twist with dread.
“Zander,” I said softly, his name barely leaving my lips as I took a small, hesitant step toward him. My voice wavered, unsure of what to say or how to explain. All I wanted was to close the distance between us and make him understand. I reached out slightly, but my movements were slow, like I was afraid of what his reaction might be.
But the expression on his face stopped me dead in my tracks. He didn’t look like the Zander I knew-the one who always looked at me with love and warmth in his eyes. No, this version of Zander was cold, furious, and unrecognizable. His jaw was clenched so tightly I thought it might crack, and his lips pulled into a thin, angry line. It felt like the air between us had turned to ice.
“What the hell is this?” he growled, his voice low and dangerous, like the rumble of thunder before a storm. The way he spoke sent a shiver down my spine. His words were sharp and heavy, carrying a weight that made my chest tighten. I could feel his anger in every syllable, and it made me want to shrink away.
“It’s not what it looks like,” I said quickly, trying to explain before things got worse. My hands were trembling as I raised them slightly, a weak attempt to calm him down. “Asher-he-” I started to say, but the words stuck in my throat. My heartbeat was so loud in my ears that it was hard to think straight.
“She came to me,” Asher cut in smoothly, his voice dripping with smugness. He sounded so proud of himself, like he couldn’t wait to stir up trouble. “She couldn’t stay away,” he added, his tone mocking. He looked at Zander with a self-satisfied smirk, as if he enjoyed the chaos he was causing.
I spun around to face Asher, my eyes blazing with anger. “You’re lying!” I shouted, my voice trembling but full of fury. I couldn’t believe he was trying to twist the truth like this. My hands balled into fists at my sides, and I glared at him with everything I had.
But Zander wasn’t looking at Asher anymore. His attention was completely on me, and his fiery gaze pierced right through me. His eyes were filled with a level of fury I had never seen before, not even in the worst of our arguments. It was like every ounce of his love had been burned away, leaving only anger and betrayal behind.
“Zander, please,” I begged, my voice breaking as I spoke. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced myself to keep looking at him. “He’s lying. He trapped me here-” I tried to explain, desperate for him to believe me, desperate to make him see the truth. But before I could finish, everything changed in an instant.
His hand came out of nowhere, striking my face with so much force that I stumbled backward. The sound of the slap echoed in the room, and the sting on my cheek burned like fire. My skin throbbed where his hand had hit me, and I felt like the floor had been ripped out from under me.
“You think I’m stupid?” he roared, his voice shaking with rage. The sheer volume of his words made me flinch. “You think I don’t see what’s going on? You’ve been playing me this entire time!” His words were like daggers, each one cutting deeper than the last. I could see the pain in his eyes, but it was buried under so much anger that it felt impossible to reach him.
“No!” I cried, tears streaming down my cheeks as I shook my head. My voice cracked with the weight of my emotions. “I would never-” I tried to tell him, but he didn’t let me finish. He didn’t want to hear anything I had to say.
“You’re a cheap Luna,” he spat, his words slicing through me like a blade. The disgust in his voice was unbearable. “You don’t deserve this title. You don’t deserve *me.*” Each word hit me harder than the slap, leaving me feeling hollow and broken.
My knees buckled under the weight of his words, but I forced myself to stay standing. I refused to crumble in front of him, no matter how much it hurt. I looked into his eyes, hoping to find some trace of the man I loved. “Zander, please. I swear, I didn’t-” I started, my voice trembling with desperation.
“I’ve had enough,” he said coldly, cutting me off. His voice was completely void of emotion now, like he had turned into a stranger. “I, Alpha Zander Ashford of the Silverfang pack, break the mating bond with you, Aria Nightshade. You’re not my Luna anymore. I don’t want to see you again.” The finality of his words hit me like a physical blow, making it hard to breathe.
The bond between us shattered, and the pain was unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was as if a part of me had been ripped away, leaving behind a gaping hole that would never heal. My body felt heavy, and I could barely stand.
“Zander,” I whispered, my voice so quiet it was almost inaudible. I didn’t even know if he could hear me. My heart was breaking into a million pieces, and I didn’t know how to stop it.
But he wasn’t listening. His hand whipped out again, striking my cheek for a second time. The sting was sharp and fresh, and it brought new tears to my already tear-streaked face. I pressed a hand to my cheek, trying to steady myself as the pain radiated through me.
“Get out,” he said coldly, his voice like ice. There was no warmth, no love, nothing but pure disdain. He didn’t even look at me as he spoke, like I was nothing to him.
I stared at him, my heart breaking into pieces so small I didn’t think they could ever be put back together. The man I had loved-the man I had trusted-was gone.
“Zander, please-” I tried one last time, my voice shaking with desperation.
“*Get out!*” he roared, his voice booming as he pointed to the door. The force of his words made me flinch, and I knew there was no point in staying.
I stumbled backward, my legs barely carrying me as I turned and fled from the suite. Tears blurred my vision, and my chest ached with every painful step I took.
The cool night air hit me the moment I stepped outside, but it did nothing to numb the pain coursing through me. My cheek stung, my chest felt hollow, and my heart was shattered beyond repair.
I ran as fast as I could, the ache in my feet nothing compared to the ache in my soul. I didn’t know where I was going or what I would do, but that didn’t matter anymore. The only thing I knew for sure was that I was completely and utterly alone.
The man I thought I could trust-the man I thought I could love-had broken me in ways I didn’t think were possible. And now, I didn’t know how I would ever heal.