"Hey! Jasper, what are you doing? You're not going to kill someone over this—"

I ran, the sounds of shattering bottles and angry shouts fading behind me.

By the time I stumbled into the elevator, my strength was gone. I sagged against the cool metal wall, and only then did the tears finally spill down my cheeks.

We had been bonded for three years. I had known for a long time that Jasper had lovers everywhere. He had been unwilling to fulfill the fated mate bond between the Blackwell and Kade families from the very start.

Before our bonding ceremony, the woman he truly loved—Serena Monroe—died in an accident during a dangerous lunar energy ritual. He blamed me, or at least my family, and has hated me ever since.

After the ceremony, he disappeared without a trace. Three months later, he returned with another she-wolf in his arms.

In the two years that followed, I lost count of his lovers. Almost all of them bore a passing resemblance to Serena. But this was the first time he had brought the she-wolf from the club—Corinne Vaughn—home.

That night, when I returned from the healing center, the servants in our nest all looked at me strangely. It wasn't until I went upstairs and opened the bedroom door that I saw Jasper sprawled languidly on our bonding bed.

Corinne was sitting beside him, dutifully helping him drink a glass of water.

The moment she saw me, she almost leaped to her feet. "Luna! The Alpha is drunk—"

I stood in the doorway and waved a hand. "Take care of him."

"How could I? You're his mate, you should be the one to—"

"It's fine. He likes you. He'll be happier if you do it." I offered a weary smile and turned to leave.

"Aria!" Jasper suddenly called out.

He had an arm slung around Corinne, his eyes narrowed as he glared at me. "Where are you going? You should learn a thing or two from her about how to please an Alpha instead of standing there like some half-breed Omega. You just froze during the ceremony, didn't even know how to react—"

He was cut off by the sound of shattering crystal. I had smashed our bonding crystal, and it now lay in pieces on the floor.

I looked up at him, my expression blank. "Is there anything else?"

He shoved Corinne away and slowly sat up. "Aria, be very careful what you're doing."

A small smile touched my lips as I took out the bond-severing ritual scroll I had prepared and handed it to him. "Activate it, Jasper. Let's sever the mate bond. I'm stepping aside for her."

"You're taking this act too far. You're forgetting your place," he hissed.

"Just let me know when you've completed the ritual." I didn't spare him another glance and turned to head downstairs.

As I stepped out the main door, Jasper stood at the top of the stairs, staring down at me with a cold, condescending gaze. "Leave if you want, but don't you dare think you can come crawling back."

I didn't look back. I didn't answer.

Dragging my suitcase, I vanished into the oppressive darkness of the human city.

...

The city was unusually cold for early winter. I wrapped my coat tighter around myself, bought a small bottle of liquor from a convenience store, and wolfed down a large burger at a roadside stall.

Almost all my savings had been poured into the healing center. After scraping together everything I had, I was left with only three hundred dollars.

I had to find a cheap motel before I froze to death on the street.

As I was searching for motels on my phone, I felt a powerful Alpha's presence settle beside me. "Mind if I join you?"

I didn't look up. "Be my guest."

He sat down, and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the expensive fabric and fine tailoring of his coat.

I glanced up in surprise, only to find him staring at me openly.

I frowned, but Silas Sterling's gaze only grew bolder.

"A woman with a scent as alluring as yours shouldn't be drinking alone at midnight, Miss Kade. Aren't you worried about attracting the wrong kind of attention?"

I ignored him and quickened my pace, pulling my suitcase behind me.

"Hey, watch out!"

He grabbed my wrist and yanked me behind him just as a berserk wolf, its eyes crazed, lunged out from a dark alley.

I shook his hand off my wrist. "What are you doing?"

"Just trying to help a friend," Silas replied smoothly.

I let out a short, bitter laugh. "Help me or possess me? I rejected you once. Is this your revenge, now that I'm at my weakest?"

"Revenge? Is that how you see me?" The usual lazy smile vanished from his eyes.

"What else?" I snapped. A gust of cold wind made my stomach clench, and combined with the weakness from my fading power, I immediately bent over, dry-heaving violently.

A searing pain ripped through my chest and stomach. By the time it passed, I was so weak I could barely stand.

Silas's hand steadily supported my back while his other quickly offered me a tissue. He paid no mind to the filth that had splattered on his pants and shoes.

I sank to the ground and burst into tears. "Why me? Why does every Alpha have to hurt me? You're all the same..."

"Aria," he said softly, his hand tracing slow circles on my back. "No one wants to hurt you. I never wanted to. I sensed your mate bond was on the verge of shattering the moment I returned to this territory. I've been worried sick."

"I followed you tonight when I saw you leave the Blackwell Pack's territory. I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't hurt yourself. That's all. If you don't want to see me, I can call a friend of yours to come get you..."

I answered curtly, "I don't have any friends. Not since the Kade family fell."

Silas was silent for a long time. Then, he asked, "Should I mind-link Jasper to come get you?"

"We're severing the mate bond," I said. "I initiated the ritual, offered half of my wolf's power, and left with nothing."

I swayed as I stood, letting out a small, hollow laugh. "But he was right. I used up a lot of his resources over the past three years. We're even now."

"Do you still love him?" Silas asked.

I froze, then shook my head. "No. Not anymore. I'm not that pathetic, Silas."

"In that case, would you consider accepting my mark?"

My head snapped toward him, my eyes wide. "Don't you hate me?"

When I rejected him all those years ago, I was young and arrogant. My words had been cruel.

Silas shook his head. He was no longer that impulsive, passionate youth. Time had honed him into a more composed, sharper Alpha, his steady presence almost eclipsing Jasper's brilliance.

"I tried to hate you," he admitted, "but I couldn't."

He took a step closer. "Aria, how about we give this a try?"

When I didn't answer, he smiled. "Even if it's just for revenge. If you want to use my Pack, then use it."

That familiar, lazy smile returned to his eyes, making his words sound like a harmless joke. Yet, the warmth beneath that smile was so intense I couldn't meet his gaze.

After a moment, he said, "Let me get you to a hotel. You look awful. You need to rest."

He took my suitcase and offered his arm. "Hold on to me. Don't fall."

...

Silas didn't leave the hotel until I was settled in, fresh from a hot shower and wrapped in a bathrobe, while he patiently blow-dried my long hair.

Just as he reached the door, I called out to him. "Silas."

He turned. I stood on my tiptoes, wrapped my arms around his neck, and deliberately scent-marked him, rubbing my cheek against his neck.

I remembered the first time I'd wanted this with Jasper. He'd pushed me away, sneering that my bloodline was impure before walking out.

Now I had finally marked someone, but it was a person I had never expected.

The moment my scent was on him, Silas took control. His large, warm hand landed on my waist, spinning me around and pressing me firmly against the door.

His kiss was relentless and possessive, sweeping over me as tears slipped from the corners of my eyes.

"Don't cry, Aria."