After days of relentless rain, the clouds finally began to part, and the promise of sunshine broke through. I had accepted the invitation to visit the lake, lured by the rumor that the wildflowers along the shore were in full, breathtaking bloom. As I boarded the boat, I couldn’t help but admire the serenity of the water, though it was short-lived.
The boat swayed violently as it collided with another, causing me to spill the wine in my hand. The young Omega attendant looked flustered as she stammered, "Alpha Zahir has boarded our vessel… He demands to speak with you, Luna."
Before I could respond, Zahir Rivera stormed into the cabin, his usual composure replaced by a simmering anger. His sharp features were tense, his brow furrowed as his piercing eyes locked onto mine. His voice, cold and accusing, cut through the air.
"I wasn’t mistaken. It was you on the shore that day. You knew I’ve always struggled in water, yet you stood there and watched me struggle. Why, Christina? Why didn’t you save me?"
I looked away, my heart tightening at the accusation. No matter how many times I lived through this, his words always found a way to wound me. I forced a calm smile, though it felt fragile. "You misunderstand, Alpha. I was unwell that day. I couldn’t have possibly—"
"Unwell?" he interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You, who once threw yourself in front of a rogue’s attack to save me, risking your life to force our mate bond? Don’t tell me you suddenly couldn’t act. That day, the child who pushed me into the water—it wasn’t an accident, was it? Was this another one of your schemes, Christina? Another attempt to make me indebted to you?"
His words were like shards of glass, each one cutting deeper. I had known he’d misinterpreted my actions, but hearing it so blatantly was a different kind of pain. My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of frustration echoing in my mind, but I silenced her. Now was not the time.
"Alpha, I’ve long since stopped interfering in your life," I said, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest. "I have no intention of forcing anything upon you."
"Enough of your act!" he snapped, turning his back to me as if the sight of me was unbearable. "Your father was my mentor, and the promise between our families will not be broken. I will honor the mate bond. You will be my Luna, but don’t mistake this for anything more. My heart will never belong to you."
With that, he strode out of the cabin, leaving me in stunned silence. Through the swaying curtain, I caught a glimpse of the figure in the opposite boat—Milan Simmons. Her scent, a mix of wildflowers and rain, was unmistakable, and the satisfaction in her eyes was impossible to miss. She didn’t bother to hide her triumph as the curtain fell back into place.
My companion, a fellow pack member, poured me another glass of wine, her eyes filled with pity. I took it without hesitation, the bitter taste matching the knot in my chest. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.
Zahir and I hadn’t always been like this.
When I’d thrown myself in front of that rogue to save him, he hadn’t been like this. He’d held me like I was something precious, his voice trembling as he begged me to stay alive. "Christina," he’d whispered, "if you live, I’ll do anything."
But that didn’t include loving me.
After our fathers sealed our mate bond, his gratitude turned to resentment. His eyes, once warm, filled with hatred as if to say, *Why didn’t you just die?* I’d been too young to understand then, too naive to see the truth. I’d thought our bond was a blessing, but he’d only grown colder, more distant.
I’d never understood why until the day of our marking ceremony. Milan had disappeared that morning, leaving behind only a note saying she’d chosen to live as a rogue rather than watch us become mates. Zahir had spent the entire night staring in the direction of the Southern Mountains, where she’d gone, as if his heart had left with her.
In this life, I’d vowed not to stand in their way. Yet here we were, bound by a bond neither of us truly wanted, and I was left to pick up the pieces of my shattered heart.
