MIA’S POV
The pain twisted through my side, sharp and unforgiving. My fingers
pressed against the wound, feeling the sticky warmth of fresh blood
seeping through my shirt. My breathing grew heavier, my body betraying
me. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
I should have healed already.
I clenched my jaw, forcing my body to stay still, but the burning
sensation only intensified, spreading like wildfire. My mind screamed at
me-poison. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. Someone had
done this on purpose. Someone wanted me to suffer.
And the worst part?
I deserved it.
Every ounce of pain felt like a cruel reminder of my past mistakes. The
weight of everything I had done to Mia settled deep in my chest, heavier
than the poison coursing through my veins.
I looked at her-really looked at her.
Mia.
She was still the same, yet completely different. Stronger. Colder.
Beautiful in a way that made my heart ache.
I used to be the reason she cried.
Now, I wasn’t even worthy of being in her presence.
She turned back, her brows pulling together as she took in my labored
breaths. “What’s wrong with you?”
I wanted to say everything.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing a smirk. “Nothing.”
Her eyes flickered to my hand, darkening when she saw the blood.
“You’re bleeding.”
I let out a dry chuckle, ignoring the sharp pang in my ribs. “Didn’t know
you cared.”
She scoffed, arms crossing. “I don’t. But I also don’t want you dying in
my presence and ruining my night.”
I should have been used to the coldness in her voice, the way she looked
at me like I was a stranger. But it still cut deep.
I gritted my teeth, sucking in a slow breath. The pain wasn’t just physical
-it was everything. The regret. The loss. The reality of what I had done.
I had broken her.
And now, she was breaking me.
Mia sat up, watching me carefully, and for a split second, I saw
something flicker in her gaze-hesitation, concern, maybe even
something softer. But it was gone just as fast.
“You should go,” she muttered.
I exhaled, trying to steady myself. “Can’t.”
She rolled her eyes. “Why? Need me to hold your hand?”
I let out a weak chuckle, shaking my head. “No. Just don’t think I can
move.”
The truth tasted bitter on my tongue. I hated being weak in front of her.
Hated that she had the power to look at me and see every part of me that
was broken.
Mia sighed, running a hand through her hair, frustration clear in her
posture. She didn’t want to help me. She wanted me to suffer.
And I would.
I deserved to.
But there was still a part of me-the selfish, desperate part-that
wanted her to care. That wanted to believe there was still a piece of her
that remembered what we could have been.
I met her gaze, my voice quieter this time. “I’m sorry, Mia.”
Her lips parted slightly, but she quickly shut them, shaking her head.
“Don’t.”
She didn’t believe me.
And maybe she never would.
But I meant it.
For the first time in my life, I meant it.
Pain was an old companion of mine, but this-this was something else.
It clung to me like a second skin, deep and raw, burning through my
veins like liquid fire. Every nerve in my body screamed, my limbs heavy
and unresponsive, my breath ragged.
I wasn’t healing.
I should have been.
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. This wasn’t just a wound
-it was something deeper, something darker. My wolf whimpered
inside me, restless, panicked.
I tried to move, to force my body upright, but it was like trying to lift
stone. My arms trembled beneath me before giving out entirely, sending
me crashing back to the cold, unforgiving floor.
Mia stood there, just a few feet away, watching me with that same
detached, unreadable gaze.
I hated that look.
I hated that I didn’t know what she was thinking.
But what I hated most was knowing that I was the reason she could look
at me that way in the first place.
“Mia…” My voice was barely above a whisper, hoarse and broken.
She didn’t respond.
I swallowed, tasting the bitterness of my own regret. “Wake them up,” I
forced out, my vision swimming.
Her gaze flickered toward my brothers, who lay motionless, their
breathing shallow. The realization settled in my gut like lead.
They weren’t just unconscious.
They were dying.
The curse-the damn curse that bound us together. If one of us was
weakened, we all suffered. And right now, I was the weak link dragging
them all down.
I clenched my jaw. I couldn’t let this happen. I wouldn’t.
“Mia,” I tried again, my voice cracking under the weight of pain.
“Please.”
She exhaled slowly, tilting her head. “Please what?”
I fought against the heaviness consuming me, forcing myself to look up
at her. “Save them.”
A humorless laugh slipped past her lips. “Save you?” Her tone was
mocking, laced with something sharp and unforgiving. “After
everything?”
I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat.
“I know I don’t deserve it,” I admitted, the words tasting like acid. “But
they-” A sharp pain tore through my side, cutting off my sentence. I
gasped, feeling like my lungs had collapsed on themselves. “They don’t
deserve to die like this.”
Mia crouched beside me, her presence unnervingly close. I could feel the
warmth of her body, the soft whisper of her breath against my cheek. But
there was no warmth in her expression.
Only ice.
“So now you beg?” Her voice was quiet, but there was a dangerous edge
to it.
I bit down on my lip hard enough to draw blood. The taste of iron filled
my mouth, but it was nothing compared to the taste of humiliation.
I had never begged for anything in my life.
Not until now.
Not until her.
“If that’s what it takes,” I murmured, my pride crumbling to dust.
She studied me for a moment, her fingers grazing my jaw. It was a
featherlight touch, barely there, yet it sent a shiver through me. My
body, even in its weakened state, still responded to her.
Hope flickered in my chest. Maybe-just maybe-she would help.
Then she stood.
And turned.
And walked away.
I felt the air leave my lungs, not from the pain, but from the crushing
weight of her rejection.
She was leaving.
She was really leaving.
Leaving me.
I watched helplessly as she disappeared into the shadows, her figure
fading from sight.
A bitter chuckle escaped my lips, though it hurt to even laugh. “So this is
it,” I whispered to myself, the words barely audible.
This was how it ended.
I thought I had known pain before.
I was wrong.
I had no idea what pain was.
Until now.