Page 14 of The Alpha's Shattered Bonds

The words slammed into me, an irrevocable sentence that left me breathless. She backed away, leaving the letter on the table before retreating to the inner door with her bag.

“I need some rest before treating the packmates,” she said flatly. “I’ll see you once I’ve slept.” Her footsteps sounded down the hall and then on the stairs.

As her bedroom door clicked shut, I felt the distance between us resonating through the hollow in my chest. The finality of her words made it painfully clear. Even if she harbored feelings for me, she was intent on shutting me out. An invisible barrier had risen between us that was as vast as the mountains guarding our town.

But determination ignited deep within me. Seraphina was back in our home where she belonged. This time, I wouldn’t let her slip through my fingers. I would fight to prove her place was by my side. Tonight, the knowledge that my girl was back filled my heart with embers of promise. Our bond could be reforged, and I would reclaim my mate.

Chapter Six

Seraphina

After shutting my bedroom door, I leaned against it, allowing a shaky breath to escape my lips. My heart thundered in my chest, a frantic echo of the words still drumming in my head:“I don’t love you anymore.”I wanted my body to reflect that declaration, but instead, it felt like a fragile shell on the verge of shattering. Beneath the surface, a mix of terror and excitement simmered, an unsettling contradiction that left me breathless.

Before returning to Nahachoh, I had convinced myself that the years apart had extinguished my feelings for Tyler. I’d believed that without the mate bond tethering me, my emotions for him would fade. But now, standing alone in my old room, everything felt muddled. Disorientation spun through me, settling into my bones. His presence clung to me, a whisper of magic that called to me just like his cedar scent wrapped around me, an intoxicating reminder of all I’d tried to leave behind.

I rebuked myself for getting too close to him earlier. Tyler had looked at me with such directness, something raw and vulnerable in his bright blue eyes. In the past, that stare had often been filled with lightness or protectiveness, but now, there was a new openness—one that both thrilled and terrified me.

Physically, he hadn’t changed much. Perhaps there were a few more lines etched around his eyes and mouth, but they only enhanced the rugged handsomeness I remembered. And every time his lips hinted at a smile, echoes of our laughter in thisspace came tumbling back, a delicious ache that stirred deep in my stomach.

“I need to cleanse this stagnant energy,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper. I turned away from the door, my gaze landing on the small altar before the window. My eyes settled on the incense holder nestled among my crystals. Yes, it was a good idea to clear my mind before sleep.

With determined movements, I tipped the contents of my bag onto the bed, rummaging until I drew out a stick of white sage. I slotted it into the holder, feeling the smooth surface of the sikin crystal on the altar humming gently with the sun’s energy.

“Kaumma,” I murmured, channeling the energy from within the crystal to ignite the stick. It flared to life, releasing an earthy perfume that spiraled through the air. Inhaling deeply, I focused on the aroma, letting it carry me to a place of calm while I meditated on the smoke.

Yet my thoughts refused to dissipate, swirling around like one of those spirals. Memories of Tyler filled my mind. He had lit up when I appeared, not questioning me like the patrol. His fierce defense of me in the Council chamber stirred something within me. A warmth ignited as I recalled his unwavering faith in me, even before hearing about my parents’ innocence.

I’d insisted on Alexis detailing everything the Black Moon prisoner had said, convincing myself that Tyler would need that information as much as anyone. But now, Tyler’s words about trust—how he had always trusted me and always would—wrapped around me, especially after enduring the day filled with cold, mistrustful gazes and accusations.

The memory of his warm hand enveloping mine filled me with longing, but I forced the sensation away, inhaling the cleansing scent of sage, convincing myself it washed away the past. He may have canceled the mate ceremony with Linda, but the image of them together that night scarred my heart, a jagged reminder of what had been lost.

Taking a deep breath, I turned back to the task at hand. I was here for my parents, not for Tyler. The need to clear their names fueled my purpose, but pain twisted in my chest as I pictured Tyler pacing in anguish, burdened with the guilt of failing them. Reflexively, I had risen to comfort him, instinctively wanting to soothe his pain before reminding myself of my own scars.

As I stood at my altar, something caught my eye—my ulu, the ceremonial knife. It hadn’t been there when I’d left; I’d last seen it abandoned in the snow, a tool in the magic circle I had cast to sever the mate bond. My heart fluttered, and for the first time, I let myself imagine Tyler’s desperate chase after me that night. Those words he had uttered echoed in my mind:“I promise to love and protect you…”How my younger self would have cherished such a vow. But now? It felt too late. What did those promises really mean when he’d almost dedicated himself to another woman? Despite the fire in his eyes, despite the way his hands enveloped mine, I couldn’t shake the betrayal that coursed through me. When I had needed him to choose me, he had faltered.

The words were sweet, but they felt like flimsy bandages applied to a wound that ran too deep. Forgiveness required trust and the kind of commitment that he had overlooked while I fought through my pain alone. I may have severed the mate bond, creating a chasm between us, but Tyler had crafted the distance when he’d rejected the love I’d given so freely.

The thought of letting him back in sent a wave of fear crashing over me. Trust, once broken, was a fragile thing to rebuild. I couldn’t afford to let him back in when I had worked so hard to banish the pain he’d created.

Myulusteadied me, its sharp edge reminding me of my resolve. I had chosen to sever the bond, and it was done.

As I surveyed my old room, an unsettling realization swept over me. Everything was exactly as I had left it. My robe was hanging on the door, and the floral sheets were on the bed. I approached my old wardrobe. My clothes remained untouched. Unease prickled over me. The room had become a shrine to a life I had outgrown. Tyler still needed to confront his past, just as I had.

But it was a roof over my head. After all, my parents’ house had been burned down after the invasion by the Black Moons, the pack choosing to wipe out even their memory. Here, this room was all I had.

At least I was able to pull out a pair of pajamas from the drawer, and the familiar scent of fabric softener was comforting. Drawing back the sheets, I climbed into the bed, feeling the freshness envelop me. Soon, I succumbed to exhaustion, falling into a dreamless sleep—a much-needed respite from the day’s turmoil.

The next morning, after a refreshing shower, I made my way downstairs, ready to visit the infirmary.

Tyler sat at the kitchen table, a bowl of cereal before him. With one look, I saw that it was the usual granola in front of him.

“Morning,” he greeted, his tone somewhat formal before quickly asking, “What can I get you—toast or—”

“I can get it,” I interrupted, already planning to fuel up for the energy I’d expend treating packmates.

“Did you sleep all right?” he asked as I joined him at the table with my toast and coffee. “Did you have everything you needed?”

“Of course,” I replied, casting an amused look at him. “Like—all my stuff.”

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