Chapter 256
Aaron straightens, expression furious and eyes glowing. “I
allowed my Alpha–my equal–to claim me, yes. Do you have a problem with that, Samsen?”
Samsen gulps and backs up a step.
If I wasn’t in so much pain, I might have found it amusing.
“Then the ceremony will have to be repeated by Luna Leah to fully break the mating bond both ways,” Samsen says, glancing at me expectantly.
With some difficulty I force myself back to my feet.
Now, I’m scared.
If Aaron breaking his mating claim was that painful–a pain I’m still feeling radiating through my body like hot iron–then
what the hell is going to happen when I break my claim on
him?
My hand is shaking as I take the knife.
And once I’m holding it, suddenly I freeze.
I don’t know if I can do this.
Before, I promised myself I would be strong because that’s what Aaron and Ethan need me to be, but beneath all this pain, and the knowledge that I now have to do the same thing, cause both Aaron and myself even more agony, I don’t know if I can do it.
“It’s okay, Leah,” Aaron says in a quiet voice. “I know this is hard, but you’re brave and strong–you always have been. That’s why I know you’re going to survive this, so you can teach our son to be brave and strong as well.”
I nod numbly, but I can’t bring myself to look at Aaron as I
slowly drag the sharp blade across my palm and blood wells.
My vision is blurred with tears, and I blink rapidly as I look at the ancient book Samsen is holding open.
“I, Alpha Havelock, Leah Roberts Rathborn, of the Roberts bloodline, deny you, Aaron Rathborn, of the Rathborn bloodline. No longer shall our bond exclude us from all others. No longer do I recognize you as my mate. No longer do I claim
you as my own.”
The pain is getting worse in my chest, but I push on.
“So it is done in blood, so it will be undone in blood.”
Aaron steps in toward me–which is lucky, because my legs feel like stone, and I don’t think I can move–so I reach up and set my bloody palm on his neck where I instinctively bit him last time we were together, not even realizing I was claiming him.
This time, the pain that rips through my body–rips through both of us–is more like an explosion.
The power of lightning striking a petrol tanker and exploding
into a fireball.
I feel Aaron catch me against him, but it doesn’t really help. It’s like the agony just keeps on expanding and doubling back
on itself and building and building until reality is nothing but this haze of torturous pain.
It doesn’t seem to end, and I distantly wonder if this is all I’ll be for eternity now, just an embodiment of pain.
It’s solid and unrelenting, I then start wondering if I can even
survive it.
But that was always a risk, wasn’t it?
That we wouldn’t survive breaking this mating bond.
And we were so enmeshed, so deeply bonded in a way I doubt
few wolves have ever been.
I try to catch hold of thoughts of Ethan to keep me anchored to this world, but even that isn’t enough to force back the endless waves of agony.
The darkness is coming for me.
I can feel it.
But I will not go quietly into it.
