Chapter 30
“Ellaine?”
Francesco’s deep voice snapped me from the whirlwind of thoughts inside my head.
I blinked and turned toward him, only to find two sets of eyes–Francesco’s and Alfonso’s–watching me in concern. Their gazes held unspoken questions, confusion swirling behind them. Of course–they didn’t know. Not about him. Not about Ruben.
They didn’t know that Ruben Severius Black, the soon–to–be Alpha of my old pack, was once my fated mate.
The one who rejected me.
My heart twisted painfully. I forced a tight smile and shook my head, trying to dispel their worries. “I’m fine,” I lied softly. “I’ll check my school schedule. Maybe… maybe I can go back to my old pack. Just for a short while.”
And before they could say anything more, I turned on my heel and practically ran inside.
No–that wasn’t walking. It was running. Hiding. Escaping the moment I wasn’t ready to face.
Inside, the warmth of the apartment wrapped around me like a shield, but it couldn’t numb the turmoil inside me. I felt it–Francesco’s gaze burning into my back even as the door shut between us. His eyes–those piercing, unreadable eyes–had locked onto mine as I walked away. Not with anger. Not even confusion. But understanding.
He knew…
I could feel it. He knew that something–someone–had shaken me to my core.
Inside my room, I leaned against the closed door, my chest rising and falling with each shallow breath. I should explain. He deserves that much.
He is my mate now, after all.
But what would he say when he found out? What would he think?
The thoughts chased me into the bathroom, where I stripped away the day’s weight and stepped into the shower. I let the hot water pour down on me, scorching my skin, cleansing me. My fingers gripped the tile wall as I pressed my forehead against it, eyes closed.
You have to tell him. He deserves to know.
The memory of Ruben’s rejection resurfaced–his cold eyes, the way his voice tore through my soul, as if our bond meant nothing. As if I meant nothing.
And yet, here I am now: Still standing. Still breathing. Still healing.
When I finally stepped out of the shower, steam billowed around me, the mirror fogged over, hiding the reflection I wasn’t ready to face. I wear the simple clothes and walked into the main room, intending to grab some water-
-and froze.
Francesco was there.
Sitting at the small dining table, a steaming mug in his hands.
Waiting.
Our eyes met, and time seemed to stop.
His dark brows rose slightly, his lips parting as if to speak–but he said nothing. He just stood, the chair scraping softly against the wooden floor.
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Chapter 30
Then, gently, he cupped my check, his thumb brushing my damp skin. “You’re burning,” he murmured, studying my face. “Did you stand under that water forever?”
I gave him an awkward little smile, still clutching the towel to my chest. “You made me coffee?” I asked, forcing a light tone, desperate to shift the
tension.
He didn’t answer. Didn’t need to.
I moved past him and picked up the second cup, sipping it more for the distraction than the taste. His eyes followed me, never wavering. I sat down across from him, heart pounding, avoiding his gaze.
He let me sit in silence, patiently, calmly–like a man waiting for the dam to break.
“If you don’t want to go back to your old pack… I’ll understand,” he finally said.
The softness in his voice made me look up.
“I understand if you’re afraid,” he continued, “Afraid that if you go back, you might see him again… your-”
He didn’t finish the sentence. He couldn’t.
The hurt in his eyes was unmistakable.
He thought I was still holding on. That a piece of my heart still belonged to Ruben.
But he was wrong.
‘Tell him, El, Mika whispered inside my mind, her voice urging, gentle but firm.
I reached across the table and placed my hand over his. He flinched slightly, and my heart cracked a little more. I did this. I made him feel insecure. Weak. Replaceable.
He wasn’t any of those things.
“You’re wrong,” I said quietly. “I’m not scared. Not because of him. Not anymore. I have you, Francesco. It’s just…”
He leaned in. “Just what?”
I took a deep breath, the words trembling on the tip of my tongue! “Ruben… Ruben is the one who rejected me.”
His expression shifted instantly.
Shock…
Disbelief…
And then–fury.
His hands clenched into fists on the table, the tension in his arms visible beneath the fabric of his shirt.
I saw it–the struggle not to give into the rage. His claws began to push through his fingertips, betraying his inner battle.
I stood slowly and moved around the table, climbing gently onto his lap. He didn’t stop me. Didn’t speak. Just wrapped his arms around me tightly as if grounding himself.
I cupped his jaw and leaned my forehead against his.
“I’m not his,” I whispered.
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Chapter 30
1 kissed his cheek. “Not anymore.”
A kiss at the corner of his mouth. “You are my mate now.”
Then, finally, I kissed his lips–soft at first, then longer, deeper. Until he responded with a hunger that told me he had been holding back so much more than I ever realized.
When we finally pulled apart, breathless, he pressed his forehead to mine.
“You don’t have to go back if you don’t want to, Ellaine,” he said. “Not for anything. Not for anyone.” He said firmly like he try to control his anger.
I give him a smile, is this how it feels to know you have someone on your back?
“I have to,” I said softly. “Just once. I need to say my final thanks to Alpha Greror. And then… it’s done.”
His eyes searched mine, concern still lingering, but he nodded. “Okay. But not alone. You’re not alone anymore.”
You’re not alone anymore. He don’t know how it means so much hearing him say that.
I smiled and kissed him again. “I know. I have you.”
Hours later, after Francesco left with Alfonso to tend to pack matters and Audrey arrived for her usual guard duty, I found myself alone in my room.
The silence wrapped around me, but it didn’t feel heavy anymore. Instead, it was reflective
Two years…?
It had been two years since I came to this place.
Two years of running. Hiding. Healing.
And then he came along. Francesco. The Lycan Alpha who made my shattered soul feel like it could be whole again. Who never pushed, never demanded, only waited–for me to be ready.
And now, finally… I was.
‘We need to complete the rejection acceptance, El,’ Mika reminded gently.
I nodded. She’s right.
I had never said the words. Not out loud. Not even in my heart. A part of me always thought Ruben would return, realize the bond, ask for forgiveness. But that fantasy was long gone.
This wasn’t just about letting go.
It was about setting Francesco free from my past. Setting myself free.
I knelt beside my bed, the moonlight spilling across the floor like silver water. My voice trembled as I began.
“I, Ellaine Aurora Rollin…”
The air shifted. A sudden breeze danced across my skin.
“…accept Ruben Severius Black’s rejection.”
My throat tightened.
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Chapter 30
“And with this, I sever our soul bond. Forever.”
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A pang. No–worse. A ripping, tearing sensation exploded in my chest, like something inside me was being violently torn away. I gasped and clutched my heart, a scream ripping from my throat.
Audrey burst into the room, panic in her eyes. “Ellaine?!”
But I couldn’t speak.
Couldn’t move.
collapsed, breathless, the pain beginning to fade–but not before it marked me forever.
And then, peace.
‘Finally… Mika whispered with a sigh of relief. ‘We’re finally free.’
A soft smile touched my lips, even as my eyes fluttered closed.
I did it…
I was free.
My last thought before the darkness claimed me was a single name, soft on my tongue like a promise:
Francesco.
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