My Alpha Refused to Leave Me After I Broke our Bond

I pulled my cloak tightly around me as I made my way home from the healer's den. Two moon cycles had passed since I lost my unborn pup during a lone wolf attack in the forest—an attack I had brought upon myself by offering help. Ronan, my mate, had promised to accompany me for this checkup.

Initially, he kept his word, but he stayed only for a while. As the healer began examining my womb, Ronan made a hurried excuse to leave and departed soon after.

I watched him go, his figure vanishing into the night, and for the first time, I felt… nothing. His presence or absence no longer affected me. I realized I wasn't as sad anymore when he wasn't around.

As I quietly received the medicine the healer had prescribed, a soft nudge of consciousness brushed against my mind—it was Ronan, reaching out through our mind link. "Nyra, you can make your way back, can't you? I have other matters to attend to."

In the past, I would have begged him to come for me, saying something like, "But I need you to come get me."

But now, it seemed pointless. My heart, worn thin by countless disappointments, no longer had the strength to respond. I let his words fade unanswered and began the solitary walk back to our home at the edge of the village.

As I passed through the winding paths, a familiar scent stopped me in my tracks. It was Ronan's scent. My eyes followed it to her door—her home.

Jasmine Bane. His childhood sweetheart.

Ronan had told me he couldn't escort me back, yet here he was, inside another she-wolf's den.

Jasmine had left our pack years ago to pursue a bond with an outsider. No one had heard from her until she returned last year, bondless and with a three-year-old pup. Rumors said she had failed to unite with her mate, her life derailing from what she had planned. And so, she had come back.

In Ronan's eyes, I had always been nothing more than a stand-in, a replacement for Jasmine after she left. Still, I had been foolish, hopelessly in love, clinging to the idea that his affection might one day be mine alone.

I was wrong.

At one point, I had even wished to give Ronan a child, believing it would bind us in ways words and promises could not. If not for the attack and the loss of our child, I wouldn't have awakened to the truth. I now understand that bringing a child into this fractured bond would only cause more pain—for both the baby and me.

The night settled around me as I entered our quiet home. The hearth crackled faintly, its warmth doing little to chase away the coldness in my heart. I took the medicine the healer had given me, my hand resting absently over my empty womb. The hollowness inside me was suffocating, but exhaustion eventually pulled me into sleep.

The creak of the door stirred me awake. Ronan entered quietly, his presence filling the room. He moved to my side and gently brushed his hand over my hair. A subtle floral scent clung to him—a scent that wasn't mine.

"What did the healer say today?" He asked softly, his voice feigning the tenderness of a caring mate.

I pulled away, letting his hand fall, and forced myself to respond. "Nothing of importance," I said, a hollow smile stretching across my lips. "All is well."

Ronan hesitated, his gaze shifting uncomfortably. He knew. Of course, he knew.

Finally, he muttered, "There was an emergency. I had to step away. You know my duties to the pack demand my time."

His excuse, as soft and practiced as it sounded, carried no truth. But I didn't have the energy to confront him. What would be the point? Instead, I rolled over, turning my back to him.

"Perhaps a wash in the river would help ease your weariness," I murmured. The words were calm, but their meaning was unmistakable.

Ronan paused for a moment, his silence heavy with unspoken truths. Then, I heard the soft rustle of his steps as he moved away. The door clicked shut behind him, and the stillness returned. I closed my eyes again, this time allowing the cold, hard truth to settle within me.

It was time to end this soon.