Broken Promises
(Olivia’s POV)
The words hung in the air between us, heavy with finality. As soon as I finished speaking, I felt it – the mate bond that had connected Derek and me for years began to weaken. It was like a physical rope inside my chest slowly unraveling, thread by
thread.
Ava howled within me, the pain unbearable as she felt her connection to Derek’s wolf slipping away. My heart nearly buckled
from the agony. Breaking a mate bond wasn’t just emotional – it was physically excruciating, like having a vital organ slowly torn
from your body.
But despite the pain, a strange sense of peace washed over me. This was the right decision. Finally, after years of being used and
taken for granted, I was choosing myself.
Derek’s face transformed before my eyes. The mask of concern he’d been wearing cracked, revealing raw panic beneath.
He swooped down in front of my hospital bed, “No!” he shouted, his voice echoing off the hospital walls. “I don’t agree to
dissolve the partnership!”
Instantly, the unraveling stopped. The pain remained, throbbing and insistent, but the bond stabilized–weakened but still intact.
I’d forgotten the most crucial detail of our pack laws: both mates must agree to dissolve the bond.
Oliver looked between us, confusion replacing his earlier delight. “What’s happening? Why isn’t it working?”
Derek ignored him, his eyes locked on mine. “You can’t do this, Olivia. You’re not thinking clearly.”
“I’ve never thought more clearly in my life,” I replied, my voice steady despite the pain.
“You’re being completely irresponsible!” Derek’s voice rose, drawing the attention of a nurse passing in the hallway. “You can’t
just casually throw away a mate bond because you’re having a tantrum!”
I laughed, the sound hollow even to my own ears. “A tantrum? Is that what you think this is?”
