☽ Chapter 23 - A Bond Breaking ☾

?Chapter 23 - A Bond Breaking?

“Riv, please go away.” I groan, throwing a pillow at the man’s head as I bury myself in the warm blankets, seeking the cover of darkness and more sleep. It’s been a week since arriving at Hidden Claws, the experience still bitter with the horrid memories from my childhood making fulfilling this request for aid hard. The second request sent by Amberle and Ira of looking for Soulless added stress to my already stressful job and for the last few nights I spent running around no-mans land outside pack territory to look for evidence of the Soulless caravan and their possible leader. Last night I had a lead that I had to chase down and in the end it left me coming to the guest house at four in the morning and exhausted with the need for sleep. “Come on, Gem. You’ve been distant from me after the last few days. I just want to come cuddle with you and talk.” Ariven’s husky voice pleads, his hand finding my hair that he promptly plays with. I want to melt into his touch, allow him to explain his thinking of tricking me to accept Lace’s request. But right now I want sleep and to be alone. “Ariven, leave me alone. I got in at four in the morning, and you wake me just to talk. Go find someone else to preach to or annoy.” I growl in warning, flicking my wrist in his direction and sending a blast of air at his body. His weight on the bed is gone as I hear him crash to the floor—packmates will wonder what is happening, but I don’t care. I just want to sleep. “Fine, I understand you need your space. I’ll be back by eleven to wake you up for training.” He concedes as I snuggle closer under the covers, sleep taking hold of my body once more. His footsteps grow faint, and the door to the room is lightly shut just as I let sleep take its hold over me.

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I jolt awake as the dream I was having ends abruptly, with the harsh feeling of ice-cold water drenching my body. I begin shivering, my bed completely soaking wet, with ice cubes littered around me. “Hey Matt, Ariven was right about using a bucket of ice water to wake up the Alpha.” I turn immediately to the sound of the voice and catch Maddie and Matt leaning against the wall, fist-bumping each other and laughing. “I guess so, Madds.” Matt answers laughing. I am going to kill these two for ruining my bed and sleep. “One.” I growl, flicking my fingers as the water evaporates and the chill in my body fades away. The twins freeze, fear creeping into their eyes the moment they realize my anger is directed their way. "Two." I continue, Maddie dropping the bucket and running out the room screaming as if a murderer is chasing her, Matt hot on her heels. “Three!” I shout, bounding out of bed in pursuit of my prey - the twins. Doors open with pack mates poking their heads out only to spy me chasing after the twins, furious that they would ruin my sleep by dumping ice water onto me. Their screams ring clear through the halls of the guest house, some of my pack mates coming out to watch the show knowing that although Maddie and Matt Bridge are amazing Hunters, they are pranksters always causing a headache for me. Once the two run outside, I take the time to trip them by shifting the earth under their feet. Their tumble to the ground gives me enough of a start that as the two manage to climb to their feet once more, they are met with my fingers grabbing them by the ears. “Who the hell told you two to wake me up the way you did?!” I demand, watching the twins wince as their eyes shift around. No one will help them though as they got themselves into this mess. “I did, darling. You were supposed to be up an hour ago as we have a meeting with Lace and Mika before the Alpha Ceremony tonight.” Ariven calls out, causing me to release the twins now that I know who the mastermind behind today’s rude awakening is. My anger is directed at Ariven now, my Theta slowly walking towards me with hands up in surrender. I growl as he comes too close, the betrayal of him hiding that Hidden Claws was the pack to request help, tricking me into accepting said request and now having me being woken up rudely knowing I am exhausted being the breaking point. “Ariven Lucas Cross, you have crossed a line.” I growl, walking over and, without thinking, slapping the wolf before me across the face in rage. “First, you accepted a request from the pack that abused me, hiding this fact until it was too late and tricking me into coming!” I shout, my body shaking as I allow the hurt and betrayal to finally have their space. “Then you go on thinking that this betrayal is fine and that I am okay with being here when I am not. I hate being here, even if the trip is going smoothly. You try to act like everything is normal between us when it’s not! I trusted you, and you used it to trick me!” I continue, anger fading as tears start to flow from my eyes. I wrap my arms around myself, trying my best not to become a sobbing mess as the hurt takes control, the hurt from my friend, the hurt from facing my old pack, the hurt from facing the mate who rejected me, the mate I grew up with who betrayed me. “And finally, you allow Matt and Maddie to wake me up knowing how exhausted I am from dealing with being around my old pack and old abusers, as well as trying to get intel on the Soulless to send to Ira and Amberle.” I finish, my voice weak. I want to go home to my pack Silver Crystal Crescent. I no longer want to stay in Hidden Claws. Ariven can take over training; I am just too mentally and physically exhausted to continue pretending that everything is fine between the wolves of Hidden Claws and me, that things are fine between Ariven and me when they aren’t. “I’m sorry, darling. I never wanted to hurt or betray you.” Strong arms pull me into a body I always find comfort in for the last three years, Ariven’s scent wrapping around me as one hand combs through my hair gently. Allowing myself to feel weak, my hands clutch his shirt, and I sob. The hurt, pain and betrayal from the years of abuse in Hidden Claws, from Ariven’s trickery, and the fact Mika has spent every waking hour since arriving back here trying to rekindle the mate bond are too much to bear. “I know you never wanted to come back here, even refused to talk about the past to me when you would wake from a nightmare. I couldn’t keep watching you go on like that and knew you had to face your demons, darling. I did it to help you.” His words are gentle, guilt blending in with his own pain as he tightens his hold on me, allowing me to just cry. “You needed this to become a strong Alpha, a strong Goddess. Mika is your weakness, the bond still strong enough to cause you pain, to cause your heart to hurt and the pain of him with another wolf to nearly kill you. I couldn’t watch you go through that for another month.” Ariven finishes, kissing my forehead and tucking me under his chin. His steady heartbeat and the truth of his words help me to calm myself, my sobbing being the outlet to release all the pain until nothing but numbness remains. “I’m sorry I slapped you.” Comes my quiet whisper. Ariven just chuckles for a moment as he pulls away, his eyes staring into my own as he wipes away my tears. “I deserved it, Geminie, so don’t apologize.” He smiles at me before surprising me and planting a gentle kiss on my lips. Surprised at first, I find myself closing my eyes and leaning into his touch, my heart fluttering and mind going blank with nothing but Ariven as my focus. The kiss is cut short as a loud feral growl causes the two of us to separate and Ariven pushes me away just in time as a blur tackles him to the ground. “Stay the fuck away from my mate!” Mika’s angry voice calls out, the scent of Ariven’s blood filling the air as my ex’s nails turn to claws and Ariven’s skin is cut deeply. My mind snaps: watching the man I consider my home being injured angers m e to no end and the grip on my power slips. Mika falls off of Ariven, clutching at his throat as I slowly draw the air from his lungs. “For the last time, Mika, I am not your mate and will never be your mate!” I state, allowing my Alpha blood to radiate the power inside. I see the panic in Mika’s eyes, his face slowly losing all colour, and the thought of strangling him is tempting. “Geminie, stop. You’ll kill him.” Ariven is by my side once more, his strong arms wrapping around me and pulling me flush against him once again. I consider his words, looking into his worried-filled eyes, and decide that Mika has learned his lesson. As soon as I pull my power back and hear Mika take a deep breath, something inside me pops and fizzles out, a peace of mind I have not felt in two years fills me, making my body go limp. If Ariven wasn’t holding onto me I would have collapsed onto the ground. “No! No! No!” Mika exclaims, a crazed look in his eyes as he stares at me, clutching his head. He crawls towards me, taking my hand as tears fill his eyes, a pained expression on his face. I feel nothing at his contact. No sparks, no heat, nothing. It’s then I realize that the bond has finally broken. We are free from each other, and now I can gain a proper mate, a mate who will love me for who I am. “Like I said, Mika, I am not your mate.” Reiterating my statement, I look at Ariven who gets the hint and scoops me into his arms, carrying my tired body into the guest house and leaving Mika to mourn the broken bond by himself .