Chapter 10
1089 Words
Kael’s POV
“I never stopped caring.”
The words echoed through the empty street the moment they left my mouth. Damn it. Aurora stared at me in complete shock. Even Liam looked caught off guard. For a second, nobody moved. Snow drifted softly between us while the mate bond pulsed painfully in my chest.
Aurora’s silver eyes searched mine as if trying to decide whether to believe me. I wanted her to. Gods, I wanted her to understand. But after tonight, why would she? A bitter expression crossed her face. “You have a strange way of showing it.” Every ounce of guilt I’d been trying to bury came rushing back instantly. Because she was right. I had hurt her more than anyone ever had. And worse, I had done it intentionally.
Not because I wanted to destroy her. But because I couldn’t survive watching her die. Still none of that erased the pain in her eyes.
Liam stepped slightly closer to her again.
Protective, possessive. My wolf snarled violently at the sight. ‘Mine’. The instinctive thought hit so hard my control nearly slipped.
I clenched my fists tightly. You rejected her, you lost that right, but my wolf didn’t care. Every second Aurora stood beside another male felt unbearable especially Liam. Because unlike the others in the kingdom, Liam genuinely cared about her. And Aurora trusted him. That realization settled heavily in my chest.
“You should come with me,” I said more quietly this time. Aurora immediately looked away. “No.” It shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. I swallowed the frustration rising in my throat.
“Aurora, the rogues were looking specifically for you. That means the kingdom is no longer safe.”
“And whose fault is that?” she whispered. Silence. Because I had no answer. Liam folded his arms. “She already made her decision, Kael.” My eyes snapped toward him coldly. “You think you can protect her better than I can?”
“If necessary? Yes.” the arrogance in his voice irritated me instantly. A dangerous growl rose in my throat before I could stop it. Liam’s expression hardened. “Oh, relax,” he muttered. “You’re not the only Alpha here.” Aurora stepped between us quickly before things escalated again. “Stop it!” she snapped and we both fell silent immediately. She looked exhausted, emotionally drained. Dark circles had already started forming beneath her eyes, and her body still trembled slightly from the rejection bond. The sight made something painful twist inside my chest. She needed rest,
not more fighting. Aurora took a shaky breath before speaking again. “I can’t think clearly right now,” she admitted softly. “Everything’s happening too fast.” Her voice sounded small again fragile. My wolf instantly softened at the sound. ‘Mate hurting. Fix it. Protect her’. The instinct became overwhelming. I stepped toward her slowly. This time, she didn’t move away and a dangerous amount of hope sparked inside me. “Aurora,” I murmured gently, “look at me.” Slowly, her silver eyes lifted to mine. And Moon Goddess… the sadness inside them nearly destroyed what little control I had left. “I know you hate me right now,” I said quietly. A flicker of pain crossed her face. “I don’t hate you.” The confession hit harder than expected. Because somehow, that was worse. If she hated me, maybe this would be easier. But Aurora still looked at me with hurt instead of hatred. And that meant part of her still cared too. “Aurora,” Liam warned carefully beside her he noticed it too. The connection between us. No matter how damaged the mate bond became, it was still there, still pulling us toward each other. I reached out slowly before I could stop myself.
Just to touch her just once. Aurora’s breath caught as my fingers brushed lightly against her cheek. Electricity exploded through the mate bond instantly. My wolf nearly lost its mind. ‘Mine’. Aurora closed her eyes briefly at the contact. A soft, broken sound escaped her lips. Relief, pain, longing. I felt it all. and suddenly, all I wanted was to pull her into my arms and take back every cruel word from tonight. But then Aurora opened her eyes again. And stepped away from me the distance hit like a knife. “I can’t do this right now,” she whispered shakily. My hand dropped slowly to my side. Liam immediately moved closer beside her again. I hated how natural it looked.
How easily she leaned toward him now instead of me. Jealousy burned violently beneath my skin. I had faced wars without fear. Yet somehow the idea of losing Aurora to another man terrified me more than battle ever could.
“We’re leaving,” Liam said firmly. My gaze snapped toward him instantly. “No.” I said and Aurora frowned tiredly. “Kael”
“You don’t understand how dangerous this is.”
“And you don’t understand,” Liam shot back, “that she needs space from you.” The words landed harder than expected. Because deep down, I knew he was right. Aurora looked emotionally shattered and I was the reason.
For several painful seconds, silence stretched between us again. Then Aurora spoke softly.
“I’ll stay with Liam tonight.” Every muscle in my body tensed. My wolf went feral instantly. No.
Absolutely not. But before I could argue, Aurora stepped closer to me unexpectedly. Close enough for only me to hear her next words. “I need time,” she whispered painfully.
The vulnerability in her voice shattered my anger immediately. She wasn’t choosing Liam over me. She was trying to survive me. That realization hurt more than anything tonight. Aurora slowly looked up at me again and for one heartbreaking moment, I saw the girl who used to love me completely. “I trusted you with my heart, Kael,” she whispered. My chest tightened violently. “And you broke it.” Then she turned away. Liam placed his coat more securely around her shoulders before guiding her gently down the snowy street. Away from me. I stood frozen, watching them disappear into the storm. Every instinct inside me screamed to stop her. To go after her, to claim her. But I couldn’t move. Because deep down,
I knew if I forced Aurora to stay now I might lose her forever.
- Writer
