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Chapter 52
~Valerie’s POV~
The mate bond snapped, hard.
A violent, twisting pain tore through my chest, and I dropped to one knee with a choked scream. It wasn’t just heartache. It was magic burning itself out of my body like acid.
The bond recoiled, then whipped.
And for a second. Just a second, I felt nothing. No emotions. No mate pull.
Until... I felt it stronger like a recoil and strength boost given to Astra and then suddenly...
"Mate."
Astra’s voice rang in my mind louder than ever. And that was when the real pain began.
My knees buckled. I doubled over. Not from physical damage—but from the overwhelming pull of six bonds locking in tighter than ever before.
"No..." I gasped. "I broke it. I broke the bond!"
I looked up, blinking through tears and sweat, and saw all six of them standing still, eyes wide.
None of them were gone.
None of them had weakened. I know they were alpha born and I was too. Sadly, I was the only one tied to all six at once.
Shit, stupid move, Valerie.
None had been freed.
Dristan’s hand was clenched so tight, blood dripped from his palm.
"You can’t," Astra whispered inside . "They’re yours. You can’t break what was made in blood and fate."
I stumbled back. "No... no, no."
"Valerie—" Axel stepped forward.
"I got to go," I rasped. "I have to go."
And I ran without looking back not when Xander’s voice broke through the chaos. Not when I heard Dristan whisper sothing behind .
I ran until my legs scread.
Until my wolf stopped fighting and just let go.
Because if I didn’t run, I’d break again, and I didn’t want to think of the possibilities awaiting .
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~Dristan’s POV~
Valerie ran.
And I let her. No—I watched her.
Stumbling over her own feet, chest heaving, eyes wide with sothing between pain and disbelief. But I never moved.
I couldn’t.
Because for the first ti in my life, I didn’t know what the hell to do.
"She rejected us," Soren said slowly in my head, like he himself couldn’t believe it. "She actually did it. Our mate rejected us."
"Yes get in the back of the line because she actually did and no," I whispered aloud, so low it was almost lost in the silence. "She tried to."
But it didn’t work.
The mont she said those words, I felt the bond scream and snap. And then reforge itself inside my soul, harder and hotter than before. It was like the Moon Goddess herself had carved her na into my chest and said, ’You’re not done yet.’
I still felt her.
Her fear. Her heartbreak. Her guilt. Her rage I coud see it all clearly the mont she fell to her knees... it took everything in not to rush to her.
But I didn’t.
Because I couldn’t be the first one. Not after what I said. Not after what I did.
Ash, bruised and smirking like the idiot he is, turned to . "I guess that makes you the first mate ever officially rejected by a girl who still wants you."
I didn’t even blink. "Say one more word."
He held his hands up, backing off.
Ace didn’t say anything. His eyes were trained on the direction Valerie ran, jaw set like he was deciding whether to follow her or let her go. It was the sa war I was having inside .
But I was losing.
Fast.
Kai looked between all of us. "We have to go after her."
Xade stepped in before anyone else could move. "No."
I shot him a look, and he returned it—equally hard, equally fierce.
"She needs space," he said. "And don’t pretend you didn’t hear it, Dristan. She said she’s not good enough for you. You did that."
I didn’t flinch, but I didn’t answer either.
Because he was right.
"You gonna fix that?" Xade asked coldly. "Or are you gonna let her believe it?"
I looked away.
"You love her," Soren said inside my head. "You hate it. You deny it. You avoid it. But you love her."
"Shut up," I muttered.
"Fix it," Soren growled.
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I didn’t move right away. But when I did, I didn’t head after her in front of the others. I waited.
Waited until they were gone. Until Ash and Ace wandered off muttering about who would be the first to "win her back." Until Axel and Kai retreated with Isla dragging them away.
Then I moved.
I walked—not fast down the path she took. Past the volleyball courts, past the club recruitnt tables, past the hallway of echoes where her footsteps had vanished.
I found her scent fast—fresh wind, pine, and that soft tang of moon magic.
She was not crying. I did not know whether or not to be happy or affected right now.
I could feel it in the bond like a heartbeat skipping. The pain she carried pressed against my chest like a dagger turned inward. And maybe I deserved that.
Hell, I knew I did.
But I didn’t care right now. It was all about Vaelerie.
But there was sothing else, darker and cold. She thought she’d freed herself from us.
And now she ma have thought she was broken because she hadn’t.
I sighed. Luckily, Valerie didn’t get far, just to the abandoned archery yard but an old, open clearing where no one really trained anymore.
Her back was to and I stayed quiet. Just... watched for a second.
Her hands clenched at her sides. Her whole body looked like it was shaking from the inside.
"You followed ," she said, voice raw.
I didn’t deny it.
"You always say you don’t care," she added, breath hitching. "But what are you doing here?"
Before I could speak, Valerie turned around and shook he rhead. "You know what, save it. I don’t need to know. Like you said, I should never appear before you again. Likewise, Alexander."
With that, Valerie turned and stord off.
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