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Chapter 54 A Bitter Parting
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Chapter 54: A Bitter Parting
Chapter 54: A Bitter Parting
(Freya’s POV)
I sat on the cold, hard floor, leaning back against the pack house safe. My hands dangled limply at my sides as memories of the past clawed at me with sharp, unrelenting edges. It wasn’t the big moments that hurt the most–it was the small ones. Tiny fragments of time.
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The way Aaron laughed the first time Bella yipped at Logan on a pack run. The gentle nudge of his massive black wolf nudging mine during a hunt, as if we’d always been in sync. The rare moments when–just for a second–I thought he saw me as more than an obligation.
I closed my eyes and exhaled shakily. Foolish. I’d been so foolish. Every connection we’d ever shared, every flicker of warmth between us, had been nothing but my wolf’s desperate longing for a bond that wasn’t real. Bella whimpered weakly in my mind. I could feel her curling into herself, unable to face the truth we’d always known. Aaron was never truly ours.
My hands tightened into fists as pain twisted through my chest, wrapping around my ribs like a vice. I pressed my palms flat against the floor, trying to ground myself, even as my wolf echoed her despair. The sound of the shower shutting off jolted me back to the moment. Doors creaked, and I heard his footsteps before I saw him. Then Aaron came into view. He was dressed in nothing but a towel slung low around his hips, droplets of water still clinging to his skin.
For a brief moment, I envied how composed he looked. Cool. Detached. Untouchable.
Then his golden wolf eyes flickered to the papers in my hands. The mate marking documents. His entire demeanor shifted. Tension rolled off him in waves as his eyes narrowed.
“You really couldn’t wait, could you?” he said, his voice low and cold.
The harshness of his tone startled me, but I tried not to flinch. My grip tightened on the documents as if they could shield me from the weight of his gaze.
For a moment, I thought about replying, about pointing out that he was the one who had driven this decision. But what would be the point? The truth was plain. He wanted to sever the bond, not for freedom, but for her.
Caroline.
I lowered my eyes, clutching the papers tighter. There was nothing left to say.
Aaron scoffed bitterly at my silence. “What’s the matter? No sharp comeback this time?” he sneered.
When I didn’t respond, his lips curled into a mocking smile. “Typical. You’re just too busy playing the role,
aren’t you?”
I blinked up at him in confusion. “Role?”
“Acting like you care,” he hissed. “Trying to make me feel guilty before our final severance. Spare me.”
My chest tightened at his cruel words, but I forced my expression to remain neutral. I wouldn’t let him see the pain he caused me. Not anymore.
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He ran a hand through his damp hair, letting out a frustrated sigh. “I’ll be sleeping in the study tonight,” he said curtly. His tone left no room for argument. “Grandmother’s surgery is tomorrow. I need rest. Actual rest.”
He didn’t wait for a response. He turned on his heel and strode out, slamming the door behind him.
Silence pressed down on the room once he was gone. My eyes fell to the documents in my hands. It felt like I was holding the remnants of a broken promise.
Slowly, I rose to my feet and placed the papers on the nightstand. My shoulders sagged. My body felt heavy, too heavy to bear. I dragged myself into the bathroom, hoping the hot water would burn away the ache in my
chest.
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The next morning wasn’t any kinder to me than the night before.
When I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I recoiled. Shadows painted themselves under my eyes, dark against the pallor of my skin. My hair was a tangled mess that looked beyond salvaging.
But what startled me the most was how lifeless I seemed. Was this how I appeared to Aaron? To everyone
else?
I took a deep breath and grabbed my concealer. I dabbed at my dark circles, working quickly to cover the evidence of my sleepless night. I layered on just enough to make myself appear as composed as possible. Elder Katherine deserved better than to see me like this. She needed my strength today.
Just as I finished smoothing down my hair, Aaron’s voice echoed in my mind. His tone was sharp and direct: ” Meet me in the garage.”
Nothing more. No pleasantries or warmth. It was the tone of an Alpha giving orders.
With a final glance at the mirror, I straightened my posture and grabbed my bag. My eyes flicked briefly to the mate marking documents on the nightstand before I forced myself to look away.
The garage was cold despite the thin morning sunlight streaming through the windows. Aaron stood by the car, his arms crossed. He wasn’t wearing a jacket. Smoke clung to his clothes–not overwhelming, but enough to catch my wolf’s enhanced senses.
He looked like he hadn’t slept either. His dark hair was messier than usual, and there was a tightness around his jaw that hadn’t been there the night before.
I stopped a few steps away, suddenly unsure of what to say.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked abruptly.
The question caught me off guard. I could feel his exhaustion through our bond. It mirrored my own, b found myself lying anyway. “Yes. I slept fine.”
Aaron’s piercing gold gaze locked onto mine for a long moment. Then he scoffed, the sound low and bitter.
“Liar,” he muttered under his breath.
My chest tightened, but I ignored his comment. “Are we leaving now?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral. His lips curled into a half–smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. “Why so eager? Got somewhere else to be?” “I assumed you’d want to get this done quickly,” I replied evenly. “You mentioned your schedule was busy
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today.”
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Aaron gave a harsh laugh that lacked any humor. “Oh, and when have you ever cared about my schedule,
Freya?”
I clenched my fists at my sides. “Why wouldn’t I care? Your grandmother’s surgery is today. I-”
“Enough,” he cut me off. “Stop pretending.”
The tension between us was suffocating. My wolf whined softly in my mind, but I forced myself to remain
still.
“If you’re done playing concerned Luna,” Aaron said mockingly, “maybe you can tell me why you seem so desperate to run off to the Pack Council.”
His taunt ignited something in me. The fire in my chest burned hotter, threatening to overflow. “I thought this was what you wanted, Aaron,” I shot back, unable to keep the edge from my voice.
Aaron’s eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped dangerously low. “Careful, Snow Princess. You’re starting to sound spoiled again.”
I forced a tight smile to my lips. “Spoiled? My father did raise me well.”
That hit its mark. The tension in Aaron’s shoulders was all too visible as he clenched his fists.
Before he could retort, I marched past him and climbed into the car. “Don’t forget the documents,” I called over my shoulder tersely.
For a moment, Aaron didn’t move. Then, without a word, he grabbed the envelope containing the mate marking papers and slid into the driver’s seat.
Neither of us spoke as the car pulled out of the garage.
The ride to the Pack Council Office was unnervingly smooth. The soft hum of the engine was the only sound, both of us unwilling–or unable–to break the silence.
As we pulled into the parking lot, the sight of other couples waiting their turn struck me harder than I expected.
Most of them were younger, glowing with excitement as they prepared to officially mark their bonds. The way they leaned on each other, their fingers brushing, their wolves playfully nudging against one another–it was everything our bond had never been.
I felt the sharp edges of reality digging into me again.
Aaron’s fists rested on the steering wheel, his knuckles white with tension. He didn’t look at me. He di
have to. The suffocating silence between us told me everything I needed to know.
To anyone watching from the outside, his grim expression and Alpha aura left no room for interpretation.
This visit wasn’t for joy, or celebration, or unity.
This was the beginning of the end.
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