Zander’s POV.
The chain sat heavy in my hand, its weight far greater than the metal it was made of.
It wasn’t just a piece of jewelry-it was a symbol, a reminder of everything I’d lost.
Not the bond-that was broken by my own hand. No, what I had truly lost ran deeper.
It was something I didn’t want to name, something too raw and painful to confront.
A week ago, I thought I had everything figured out. I thought I understood the truth. Aria, I believed, was a selfish, manipulative woman who had deceived me and lured my brother Kael to his death. I thought breaking the bond and divorcing her would be the solution. The end of everything.
But I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The mating bond was gone, severed cleanly, but I wasn’t free of her. Not even close. Her presence clung to the edges of my mind, like a shadow that refused to fade. Her scent-wildflowers and rain-lingered in my memories. Her defiance, her strength, the fire in her eyes-they haunted me, taunting me no matter where I went or how much I tried to drown them out.
This morning, when the envelope arrived, I hadn’t known what to expect. A letter, maybe-a plea for reconciliation, perhaps an apology, or even an explanation. Something to pull me back to her, to remind me of what we had lost. But when I opened it, I found only the chain. No note, no words, no explanation. Just the chain.
It wasn’t a peace offering. It wasn’t a gesture of goodwill. It was a message-clear and deliberate.
She was erasing me.
The thought burned like fire in my chest, igniting something primal, something I couldn’t suppress. My wolf stirred, growling restlessly in the back of my mind. Bond or no bond, she was still mine. She had *always* been mine. And I wasn’t going to let her go so easily. I wasn’t going to let her walk away without confronting the damage she had done-to me, to us, to everything we could’ve had. She needed to understand what she had destroyed.
But even as anger surged through me, there was still one question, one bitter doubt that gnawed at me like a blade twisting in my side: *Kael.*
The thought of her with my brother made my blood boil. It was the one thing I couldn’t move past, the one wound that refused to heal. Kael had always been reckless, a playboy who acted without thinking. But even I couldn’t ignore the way he had looked at her-the way his gaze lingered too long, the way he pursued her despite her refusals. And now, with Kael dead, the truth was buried with him.
Unless I forced it out of her.
Unless I confronted her and made her admit what she had done.
The chain clinked softly as I shoved it into my pocket, my movements sharp and determined. I stood abruptly, my voice echoing through the room as I called for Liam.
When he appeared in the doorway, his expression calm but wary, I didn’t waste time. “Prepare the car,” I ordered, my tone leaving no room for argument.
Liam’s brows furrowed, his hesitation obvious. “Where are we going?”
“To Aria,” I said without pause, my voice clipped and firm.
His expression darkened, his jaw tightening as he stepped closer. “Zander, what’s the point? You broke the bond. You divorced her. Why are you still chasing this?”
“Because I need answers,” I growled, the frustration bleeding into my voice. My wolf stirred restlessly, snarling in the background. “I need to know if she gave herself to Kael-or to anyone else.”
Liam’s gaze held mine for a long moment, his disapproval clear, but he didn’t argue. He simply nodded and left to prepare the car.
—
The ride to the Nightshade pack was suffocating, the silence stretching between Liam and me like a taut wire ready to snap. I stared out the window, my thoughts racing in endless circles. If she had been with Kael… if she had betrayed me like that…
My fists clenched tightly at the thought, my knuckles turning white as I fought to control the rage bubbling under the surface.
When we arrived at the Nightshade castle, the tension in my chest only grew heavier. I stepped out of the car, my boots crunching against the gravel as I strode toward the grand entrance. The guards at the door didn’t stop me-they wouldn’t dare. My reputation alone was enough to send a ripple of unease through the castle. My steps echoed loudly in the stone halls as I marched through them, heads turning and whispers following in my wake.
I found her in the garden, sitting on a stone bench with a sketchbook balanced on her lap. Her head was bent, her dark hair falling loosely around her face as she focused intently on the page. She didn’t notice me at first, too absorbed in whatever she was drawing. But the sight of her-the way the sunlight caught her hair, the calmness in her posture-stirred something deep and unwelcome inside me.
“Aria,” I said sharply, my voice cutting through the quiet like a blade.
Her head snapped up, her eyes narrowing the moment she saw me. She closed the sketchbook with a snap, standing quickly as her expression hardened. “What are you doing here?” she demanded, her voice sharp with anger.
I stepped closer, my gaze locking onto hers. “You sent back the chain,” I said, my tone low and accusing.
Her jaw tightened, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “It was a message,” she said coldly. “I don’t want anything that belongs to you.”
Her words hit me like a slap, but I didn’t flinch. Instead, I stepped even closer, towering over her. “You don’t get to decide that,” I growled.
“Yes, I do,” she shot back, her defiant gaze meeting mine head-on. “You broke the bond, Zander. You divorced me. You don’t have any claim on me anymore.”
My wolf snarled in protest, and I leaned in, my voice dropping to a dangerous growl. “I don’t need a bond to claim you. You’re still mine, Aria. You’ll *always* be mine.”
She laughed bitterly, shaking her head as if I were the most pathetic thing she’d ever seen. “You’re delusional,” she said, her voice cutting. “I’m not yours, and I never was.”
“Then prove it,” I snapped, my anger boiling over. My eyes burned into hers as I stepped even closer. “Prove to me that you weren’t with Kael. That you didn’t give yourself to him-or to anyone else.”
Her face paled, the color draining from her cheeks as her eyes widened in shock. “What are you talking about?” she said, her voice trembling.
I grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer despite her struggles. “You heard me,” I said coldly. “I need the truth, Aria. If you’re innocent, then prove it.”
“You’re insane,” she hissed, twisting in my grip as she tried to pull free. “Let go of me, Zander!”
I ignored her protests, my grip tightening as I dragged her toward the castle. “Where are you taking me?” she demanded, her voice rising with panic.
“To the gynecologist,” I said flatly, my voice devoid of emotion. “We’re going to find out the truth right now.”
Her eyes widened in horror, and she dug her heels into the ground, trying to stop me. “You can’t do this!” she screamed, panic and fury mixing in her voice.
“Yes, I can,” I growled, my wolf surging forward with unrelenting determination. “And I will. You don’t get to lie to me, Aria. Not about this.”
Her hand flew up, and she slapped me hard across the face. The sting barely registered. My grip on her wrist stayed firm, my resolve unshaken as I continued dragging her toward the car.
“You’re a monster,” she spat, her voice shaking with fury and desperation. “I hate you, Zander. I’ll never forgive you for this.”
Her words cut deeper than I expected, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. I had to know the truth.