The Night After: Caleb’s Worthlessness in the Wake of Rejection
The night air was colder than it had ever been. Or maybe it was just him. Caleb had been walking for hours, maybe longer. The sharp twigs cut into his bare feet, but he barely felt them. The physical pain was nothing compared to the hollow emptiness inside him, a void so deep it threatened to consume him whole.
Rowan had rejected him.
The words echoed in his mind, relentless and cruel. It was supposed to be impossible. Mates weren’t meant to do this. The bond was sacred, unbreakable. And yet, Rowan had done just that, shattering it as if it meant nothing. As if he meant nothing.
A sob tore from his throat, but he clamped a hand over his mouth, as if someone might hear. He had already been humiliated enough. His mate—his de
