Chapter 7 Anika
1427 Words
I think I broke Corbin.
He hasn’t moved in minutes. Just stands there, eyes locked on something only he can see. A silent war rages inside him, and I know I’m the cause.
Corbin is my mate. And I’m a rogue.
A bond like ours shouldn’t exist—not between someone like me and the future Alpha. I shouldn’t have let it get this far. I shouldn’t have hoped.
“I’ll fix this,” I whisper, mostly to myself.
I lean in and press my forehead to his. He flinches, just slightly. I ignore the sting.
“Corbin…” My voice trembles. “I’m going to reject the mate bond. You don’t have to worry. A rogue can’t be Luna. We both know that.”
I try to pull away, but his hands clutch mine before I get far. His touch is warm, grounding—but it feels like goodbye.
He blinks like he’s waking from a dream, and for a second, I think he’ll say something. But he doesn’t. And maybe silence is answer enough.
I kiss his forehead—gentle, lingering. Then I turn and walk away.
Pain follows me like a shadow.
My wolf howls inside my chest, the sound raw and echoing in my soul. She aches for his. Craves what we’re about to sever.
My vision blurs as I stumble through the woods, back to the villa. Every step feels heavier than the last. By the time I reach my room, I can barely breathe.
I collapse onto the bed. My heart races. Heat radiates through my skin. I’m burning up.
This… this is the beginning of the end. Rejecting a mate bond is slow death. My body knows it, even if my mind hasn’t caught up.
“Anika.”
A voice pulls me from the haze of fever and heartbreak.
“Anika.”
It’s soft but powerful. A presence behind the words.
“Who’s there?” My voice is cracked, unsure.
“It’s me—Silvara. Your wolf.”
Silvara.
The name fits her. Ancient. Fierce. Familiar.
“Silvara…” I exhale, almost in disbelief. “Is this real?”
“It is. And happy birthday, Anika.”
“Today, we become one. You’ve felt me stir before, but now—I’m here. Fully. The Moon Goddess chose well.”
I blink into the darkness behind my eyelids. “I think you’ve got the wrong rogue. I’m no one. I don’t even have a mate anymore.”
“You are not no one. You are mine. You are hers. And Corbin is still yours—until he accepts your rejection, which he hasn’t. The pain you feel is your own. His wolf, Ezra, won’t let him walk away easily.”
“So, I suffer until he lets go?” I whisper.
“No, little one. You endure. There is a difference. You survived the underworld. You’ll survive this.”
“I’m so tired, Silvara. I just wanted… peace.”
“Then we will fight for it. Together. But first, you must know: I am no ordinary wolf. I can see what others cannot—past, present, and what may come. I was chosen to guide you, not just to power… but to purpose.”
“…And what purpose is that?”
“You will learn soon. For now, rest. Let your body recover. When you rise, you’ll be stronger.”
I wake slowly, the fever broken but the ache still lingering like bruises on my soul.
The shower is a balm. I let the water wash away the tears I didn’t realize I was still crying. I stare at the tiles as scenes flash in my mind—the heat of Corbin’s skin under my fingertips, the tremble in his jaw when I pulled away, the hollow space left behind.
When I finally make it downstairs, the house is too quiet. Oddly so.
Then—
“Surprise! Happy Birthday!”
I freeze. A small crowd fills the kitchen, beaming. On the counter is a simple cake with an “18” candle flickering at its center.
Luna approaches first, arms open. I don’t resist the hug. I melt into it.
Her scent is calming. Like pine and wildflowers.
“Happy birthday, darling,” she whispers. “You’re one of us now.”
“I… thank you,” I manage, throat tight. “This is beautiful. But—how did you know?”
She pulls back, smiling. “It was Corbin. He told me everything.”
I stiffen.
“Well, not everything,” she adds quickly. “Only that you met your wolf. The rest… I saw for myself.”
I blink. “You saw?”
“I’m a Seer, Anika. Like your wolf. Though my sight is limited—I glimpse fragments of the future. But Silvara… Silvara is rare. She sees more than time. She sees truth.”
“She’s right,” Silvara chimes in gently.
“Your Luna is wise. And she cares deeply. You’re safe here, Anika.”
I want to believe her. I want to let my guard down.
But it’s all too much.
“I think I’ll eat in the dining room,” I say, needing space. “I have training soon.”
Luna nods. “Of course. Just remember—you don’t have to carry everything alone.”
The dining room is less crowded—until I spot her.
Grace. Perched on Corbin’s lap like a throne.
His shirt is unbuttoned halfway. Her hands are under the fabric. Her giggle—high and fake—scrapes across my nerves.
A growl builds in my chest. Silvara doesn’t hold it back. It escapes before I can stop it.
The room falls silent.
Corbin freezes, eyes snapping to me.
He looks panicked.
Good.
He tries to shove Grace off, but she clings like a leech.
I slide into a seat next to Briar, who raises a brow but says nothing. He just smirks like he knows exactly what’s happening.
Grace, not to be ignored, whines loudly. “What’s your problem, Corbin?”
“I said get off.”
“You’ve changed since she got here,” she snaps, glaring at me with hatred in her eyes.
Silvara growls again.
Grace storms out, hair swinging like a battle flag.
Corbin stands abruptly. The air around him charges with tension.
He walks straight to me.
“Can I help you, Alpha?” I say, sweet and deadly.
“Get up,” he says flatly.
“No thanks.”
Gasps echo around the room. No one says no to the future Alpha.
He grabs my chair, shoves it back, and lifts me onto his shoulder like I weigh nothing.
“Corbin! Put me down!”
“You want to act like a pup? I’ll treat you like one.”
“You’re jealous,” I hiss. “You saw me with Briar, and now you’re mad.”
He sets me down outside, roughly but not cruelly. His eyes are wild. Uncontrolled.
“Listen, rogue. I’m your Alpha. You will respect me.”
“I’m not your mate anymore. I rejected you, remember?”
Silvara yelps inside me. She’s hurting. So am I.
His voice softens, but his words land like thunder.
“I don’t want a rogue for a mate. But I can’t undo the bond. Not until I accept your rejection. And I won’t.
“I’d rather suffer than be someone’s prisoner. I have training. We’re done here.”
Later, at the training fields, Briar shows up late.
“Sorry, little one,” he says, jogging toward me. “Alpha duties. Ready to run?”
I nod, keeping my gaze forward. His presence is a comfort—but not the one I crave.
“Let’s shift together,” he offers. “Less scary that way.”
He touches my cheek, smiling.
Silvara growls in my head.
“Careful. You tempt fate.”
“I’m not doing anything,” I grumble internally.
Then I close my eyes.
“Three… two… one.”
Shift.
Silvara bursts forth—silver, sleek, glowing faintly in the sun.
Briar’s wolf is massive and dark. He darts into the trees. I chase.
And I’m fast. Faster than I expected.
When I lose sight of him, panic flares.
Then—
A blur. A tackle.
I’m pinned. Not by Briar.
Ezra.
His eyes pierce into mine.
Silvara’s howl echoes into the clearing—long, yearning.
Ezra nuzzles close. Silvara doesn’t resist.
We were never going to outrun this bond.
And now... we may not escape it at all.
- Writer
