I sold a family heirloom and used the money to hire an elderly Pack consultant to draft an agreement to sever our mate bond.
I rushed to Landon's healing clinic, only to be told that my parents' bodies were being stored at Zachary's Guardian's barracks.
When I arrived at the barracks, there wasn't a single patch of untainted flesh left on my parents' bodies.
Their bodies had been tossed carelessly next to a waste area, baking under the scorching sun, and were already beginning to reek.
Scarlett's wolf was viciously tearing at the remains.
I picked up a rock from the ground and threw it, screaming like a madwoman, trying to drive her wolf away.
But her wolf was only enraged, and it lunged at me.
"Ah—" A large chunk of flesh was torn from my calf.
The metallic tang of silver poison filled the air, the pain making me shudder.
Scarlett let out a whistle, and her wolf obediently retreated to her side.
Pinching her nose, she sauntered over to me, a gloating look on her face.
"Willow, are you so hungry you have to fight a wolf for its meal?"
Enraged, I lunged at her, knocking her to the ground and straddling her, clawing and tearing. "Scarlett! I'll kill you!"
Zachary, who had just arrived, yanked me up and threw me aside.
Sharp stones tore open the wound on my leg, and blood streamed out.
Zachary draped his Guardian's jacket over Scarlett's shoulders and gently helped her up.
Then he turned and yelled at me, "Willow, you're insane!"
A broken, sarcastic laugh escaped me, tears streaming down my face.
I forced myself to stand and handed him the agreement to sever our mate bond.
"Zachary, I'm severing the mate bond."
He slapped it out of my hand, his eyes blazing with fury. "Just because I didn't dispatch a rescue team in time, you want to sever our mate bond?!"
"The silver dust trap was so strong back then! Even if your parents had been saved, they would have been crippled, if not dead. The subsequent treatment would have constantly drained bloodline energy. I was doing it for your own good!"
I was stunned, seeing him as a stranger for the first time.
Once, he had defied a Pack order to save a drowning pup of another pack.
He had led his brigade to save one comrade after another during the beast tides.
He was the Pack's greatest hero.
But ever since Scarlett returned, he had thrown his duties as a Guardian to the wind.
For Scarlett, he had rejected one rescue mission after another, leaving more and more families shattered.
He saw the wound on my leg, and his tone softened.
"I couldn't control the silver dust trap. I'm not the Moon Goddess; I can't save everyone."
"I know you're grieving. Once this is all over, we can go back to how we were. We can be mates again, okay?"
I picked up the agreement and held it out to him again, my voice hoarse. "Sign it."
Scarlett dropped to her knees, sobbing quietly.
"Willow, it's all my fault. I'm the reason the rescue was delayed."
"I'll kneel to you. Hit me, curse me, whatever makes you feel better. Just don't sever your bond with Zachary."
Tears streamed down her face, her delicate body trembling slightly.
Zachary helped her up, his heart aching for her. "Fine, we'll sever it! A petty bitch like you doesn't deserve my love anyway!"
With that, he coldly signed his name and then, as if throwing away trash, slammed the agreement into my face.
"You have nothing now. You'll regret leaving me sooner or later!"
