Severed
970 Words
Seth's POV
I remain on my knees, unable to move.
Shock holds me captive while fear coils tightly around my chest. Every breath hurts. Every heartbeat reminds me of the words that shattered my world.
No longer mates.
My sweet mate...
I broke her.
I hurt Cassandra so deeply that she rejected the very bond the Moon Goddess blessed us with.
How did I let it come to this?
I thought she would understand. Cassandra has always been so kind, so patient, always willing to sacrifice her own happiness for everyone else. I convinced myself she would accept my decision because that's who she was.
The plan had seemed perfect.
She would remain in the pack, provided for and protected. Rex would still have his true mate close, even if we couldn't be together. Mariah would stand beside me as Luna, and together we'd raise our pup.
Our pup...
A bitter laugh catches in my throat.
The child isn't even mine.
I was such a fool.
I believed every lie Mariah told me without question. We'd been together for over a year, and somewhere along the way, I convinced myself it was love. I trusted her completely while doubting the one person who had never once given me a reason to question her loyalty.
Cassandra deserved my faith.
Instead, I gave it to Mariah.
I threw away the woman the Moon Goddess chose for me... for a liar.
Now Cassandra is gone.
Our bond is gone.
And for the first time in my life, I realize there are mistakes even an Alpha can't undo.
Mariah's wailing shatters my thoughts.
"My pup!" she screams, clutching her stomach. "She's going to take my pup!"
My father is the first to find his voice.
"You stupid girl!" he roars, climbing unsteadily to his feet. "You have ruined us!"
His legs wobble as he makes his way behind his desk, collapsing into his chair. Even his Alpha aura feels insignificant now, a faint shadow compared to the overwhelming power the Goddesses radiated.
I reach for my mother's hand and help her into a nearby chair.
She buries her face in her trembling hands.
"We have incurred the wrath of the Gods and Goddesses," she whispers between sobs. "Now we must face their judgment."
All I can do is nod.
Mariah shakes her head frantically.
"She can't take my pup!" she cries. "She can't!"
Her mother gently pulls her off the floor and guides her onto the couch, trying to calm her, but Mariah continues sobbing uncontrollably.
Beta Daniel leans heavily against the bookshelf. His eyes dart around the room as if searching for an escape that doesn't exist.
"The Goddesses can do as they please," my father says, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration. "There is nothing we can do to stop them. All we can do is prepare for whatever punishment they decide to hand down."
He stares at the papers scattered across his desk as though they'll somehow reveal the future.
I let out a bitter scoff.
"As if we can prepare," I mutter. "We don't know when their judgment will come or what form it will take. Will they punish only us? The entire pack? Or everyone who stood by and supported us?"
Silence falls over the room.
Every pair of eyes turns toward me.
My father slowly rises to his feet once more, straightening his shoulders as he forces himself back into the role of Alpha.
"Here's what is going to happen," he says firmly.
"After the pup is born and Goddess Hera comes to claim the pup, you and Mariah will complete the mate ceremony. You will mark one another before the pack and take your places as Alpha and Luna. Then you will produce a true heir of your own."
I flinch at the words, but he continues as if my opinion doesn't matter.
"Until then, Mariah, your pregnancy must remain a secret. You will leave the pack immediately."
Mariah's tear-filled eyes widen.
"My parents own a secluded cabin in the mountains," my father says. "You will stay there until the birth. Your mother and Tilly will accompany you and care for you."
He pauses before continuing.
"We'll tell the pack you've left to undergo intensive Luna training in preparation for taking your place beside Seth."
His jaw tightens.
"We've already lost far too much. From this point forward, we salvage whatever we can... and pray the Gods show us mercy when our punishment comes."
Hours pass as we make arrangements for my mother, Beta Alice, and Mariah's departure to the mountain cabin. Every detail is planned with desperate precision, as though careful preparation can somehow shield us from divine judgment.
When everything is finally settled, my father pushes himself to his feet.
"Now that we have a plan," he says wearily, "let's all get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll begin putting it into action."
Before anyone can respond, his eyes widen.
He clutches his chest with a strangled gasp.
"The pack..." he chokes, collapsing to his knees. "She's... she's broken the pa—"
The words die in his throat.
At the same instant, Beta Daniel and Beta Alice cry out in agony. They both grab their chests and crumple to the floor beside him.
"She..." Daniel gasps, his face twisted in pain. "She broke... the familial bonds..."
Alice lets out a bloodcurdling scream that echoes through the office.
Her body convulses as though something deep within her is being violently ripped away.
Then, without warning, both she and Daniel go limp, unconscious before they even hit the floor.
Silence crashes over the room.
No one moves.
No one dares breathe.
The reality settles over us like a death sentence.
Cassandra did it.
She severed every bond tying her to this pack...
...and to her family.
- Writer
