Christina’s POV
With a sigh, I answered the call.
"Louisa..." My voice was soft, almost apologetic.
I could ghost Niall with zero regrets, but Louisa was different.She’d always treated like family, often better than my own, and I couldn’t bear to be cruel to her. She was one of the few who saw the real instead of just Beatrice’s shadow or a convenient replacent.
If she was calling now, she probably already knew about the rejection. Either Niall had miraculously grown a spine and told her, or more likely, he’d been his usual cowardly self and she’d sensed sothing was wrong when I stopped showing up at their pack house.
"Christina, darling." Her voice was warm but strained. "How are you?"
"I’ve been better," I replied honestly.
"I heard about what happened. Niall is... well, he’s being an idiot. He’s always been an idiot where you’re concerned."
So he had told her. Wonders never cease. Or maybe Beatrice had pushed him into it, like she did with everything else in his life.
"Can’t argue with you there."
"Listen, sweetheart," she continued, her tone softening. "I know my son hurt you, but you’ve been together for four years. The mating ceremony is scheduled for next month. The invitations have already been sent to all the Northern packs."
I didn’t want to upset Louisa. I really didn’t. But there were so battles a she-wolf had to fight, and this particular one had ’no to bonding with a man who slapped and drools over my sister’ written all over it in blood.
"Louisa, I think you already know what happened between Niall and ," I said,"He and Beatrice are perfect for each other. He’s always favored her. It’s best to let them be together now."
"Christina, please don’t be like this. I know you love Niall." Her voice was soft, almost pleading. "I’ll give him a proper talking-to, make him end things with... with your sister. Dear, I know your wolf is hurting—"
That cracked sothing inside . Just a little.
I swallowed hard, my eyes stinging as Akira whimpered.
I’d been braced for Louisa to tear into like my parents had—blaming for damaging the Frostpelt Pack na, for embarrassing Niall in front of Highrise City’s elite wolf community, for not playing my part as the dutiful almost-Luna.
But instead of unleashing the sa harsh criticism my family had thrown at , she acknowledged my pain. She understood. And sohow, that made everything worse.
I let out a long, tired sigh.
This wasn’t our first breakup. Whenever Niall and I had problems before, Louisa would show up with homade cookies and that motherly guilt trip, and I’d cave faster than soone apologizing after getting caught cheating.I could never stay firm when she looked at like I was already part of her pack family.
And maybe that’s what made endure with Niall for so long. I wasn’t just trying to make it work with him—I was trying to honor her, to have the mother figure I’d always craved.
But this ti, both Akira and I had enough of submitting just to keep everyone else comfortable.
"Louisa, this isn’t so temporary disagreent," I said."Niall never truly accepted as his mate. Not then, and certainly not now. It’s only gotten worse. I’m done pretending I’m okay with being second choice."
There was a pause. Then her voice returned, thinner, raspier.
"A mate bond isn’t sothing to discard lightly, Christina. I’ve always seen you as my daughter, as part of our pack. I an that. I’ll talk to Niall. I will. I’ll make sure he cuts ties with your sister. Please, darling, just give him one more chance. Even if it’s just for ."
And for a second, Akira and I faltered.
Just a little.
Then I looked around .
My apartnt was filled with half-packed boxes. My jewelry tools were stuffed into a cardboard wine case, and my coat still hung off the door, as undecided as I’d been about my future just days ago.
I rembered exactly why I was moving.
I rembered my father threatening Ysolde’s family business just to force into a political alliance,while treating Beatrice like she was the Goddess’s gift to werewolves.
And suddenly, neither Akira nor I felt uncertain anymore.
If I gave in now, I’d lose every shred of self-respect my wolf and I had managed to salvage.
"I an it this ti, Louisa," I said slowly."This isn’t an impulsive reaction. It’s not a negotiation tactic. I’m not bonding with Niall. I’m sorry."
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end.
"But—but you and Niall seed fine at the last moon gathering. What happened? Are you seriously calling off the mating ceremony?" Her voice trembled.
"I’ve made my decision. I’m not doing this out of spite, Louisa. It’s not temporary. I’m done. Niall formally rejected , and I accepted."
"Christina!" she cried, "I cannot accept—"
BANG!
A deafening crash burst through the phone speaker. I heard tal screaming against tal, the sound of everything going catastrophically wrong in a split second.
"Louisa?! What happened—Louisa?!"
My grip on the phone tightened until my knuckles went bone-white. Inside , Akira snapped to attention, restless and pacing.
A burst of chaos—shouting,a tallic screeching, then static—before the call abruptly cut out.
My stomach plumte. Akira let out a raw, internal howl..
"Louisa?" My voice trembled. No reply. Just dead air.
I redialed. Nothing. Texting Niall. No response. Even called Clive, Louisa’s mate, only to reach his voicemail.
This wasn’t just silence. It was a void. Deeply, terrifyingly wrong.
Heart thundering, I grabbed my bag and phone and bolted.
I smashed my phone against the doorfra on the way out. "Shit!" I cursed loudly. Then I managed to drop my purse, scattering its contents across the floor. "Damn it!"
I crouched down to gather everything up, hands trembling violently.
The call had ended too suddenly, too violently. That crash—it didn’t sound like poor reception or a dropped phone.
Was Louisa hurt? Was she alone? Had anyone alerted the pack healer?
My brain spiraled into panic. I tried to shove my lip gloss, keys, and everything else back into my bag. I failed miserably.
I was so consud by my internal crisis that I didn’t notice the elevator ding or the approaching footsteps.
Not until soone knelt before and placed strong, steady hands on my trembling shoulders.
"What’s wrong?"
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