Chapter 14
I stood in my parents’ room, feeling like the walls were closing in on me. The weight of the moment pressed down hard, suffocating. It was the last night I would be with them. The last night I would call this place home. My mother, Lucy, sat beside me on the bed, holding my hand so tightly I could feel her shaking. Her eyes were full of unshed tears, and I could see the devastation in every line on her face. She hadn’t said much since dinner, but the pain was clear. She hadn’t expected this moment to come so soon.
Neither had I.
My father, Alpha King Alexander, stood by the window, his back turned to us. He hadn’t spoken at all. His silence was deafening, but I knew him well enough to understand how much this hurt him too. He wasn’t the kind of man to let emotions show, especially not when he felt powerless. And right now, even as Alpha King, he was powerless. The rules of the mate bond were ancient and unbreakable. Even for him.
Aunt Amara was pacing, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She stopped and looked at my father, her voice trembling. “Isn’t there anything we can do? Anything at all?” Her voice cracked, and the sadness in it only made the weight in my chest heavier.
My father turned slowly, his face hard. “The mate bond is not something I can control,” he said quietly. “It’s the way of our world. I can’t interfere.”
The room fell into an intense, suffocating silence. The sadness in the air was thick, and I felt like I might choke on it. I wanted to scream, to cry, to run away and pretend this wasn’t happening. But what good would that do? I had no choice. This was my fate.
At least Alpha Jeremiah’s territory was close, I told myself. Maybe he’d let me visit. Maybe I wouldn’t be completely cut off from them. I held onto that hope, desperate to find something to make this bearable.
My mother finally broke the silence, her voice soft and trembling as she cupped my face with her hands. Her touch was warm, comforting, but it only made the knot in my throat tighten. “Astrid,” she whispered, her eyes full of tears now. “No matter what happens, no matter where you are, I will find a way for us to be together. Even if it means in secret.” She stroked my hair gently, her fingers trembling. “I will always be there for you, my darling.”
Her words hit me hard. I could hear the desperation in her voice, and it broke my heart even more. She didn’t trust Alpha Jeremiah, and neither did I. She didn’t say it out loud, but I knew she hated the idea of me being with him.
“I don’t trust him,” she added softly, her eyes searching mine. “I don’t like this, Astrid. Something about him… it doesn’t feel right.”
“I know, Mom,” I whispered back, blinking away the tears that threatened to fall. “I don’t trust him either. But… what choice do I have?”
My mother shook her head, biting her lip as fresh tears fell. “It’s not fair,” she whispered. “It’s not fair that fate did this to you.”
I couldn’t speak. My throat felt tight, and I was afraid if I opened my mouth, I would break down completely. I didn’t want to cry. I needed to be strong, if not for me, then for them.
Aunt Amara sat down beside me, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “You’ll be okay,” she said, though her voice wavered. “You’re stronger than you think, Astrid. And you won’t be far. We’ll find a way to make sure you’re not alone.”
I nodded, but it felt like my head was floating. The sadness in the room was overwhelming, almost suffocating, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being torn apart from the inside. The thought of leaving them, leaving everything I knew, hurt more than I could have imagined.
My father finally spoke again, his voice gruff but full of emotion. “Astrid,” he said, his eyes locking onto mine. “You’re my daughter. You’re strong. You’ve trained for this… for everything. If anything happens, if you ever need us, you know we’ll come for you.”
I nodded, swallowing hard. His words were a promise, one I desperately wanted to believe. But I could see the worry in his eyes, the unspoken fear that maybe this time, he wouldn’t be able to protect me.
“I’ll be okay,” I said, though my voice didn’t sound convincing, not even to myself.
My mother wiped her tears and kissed my forehead softly. “You better be,” she whispered. “Because I can’t lose you.”
The knot in my throat tightened, and I squeezed her hand, trying to hold back the sobs that threatened to escape. I didn’t want to leave them. I didn’t want to be Alpha Jeremiah’s mate. But I didn’t have a choice.
Aunt Amara looked at my father again. “Are you sure there’s nothing we can do?”
My father sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. “Nothing. The mate bond is absolute. If I try to break it, the consequences could be dire.”
Another heavy silence fell over the room. The weight of my fate pressed down on all of us. I could feel the sadness, the fear, the worry. And in that moment, I felt like I was losing everything.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.
My mother shook her head, pulling me into a tight hug. “Don’t apologize, Astrid. None of this is your fault.”
I held onto her, not wanting to let go. This was it. My last night with them. Tomorrow, everything would change.
And deep down, I knew nothing would ever be the same again.
**** **** ****
I woke up feeling like I hadn’t slept at all. My body was heavy, and my head pounded. I didn’t want to open my eyes, hoping that somehow, if I stayed in bed long enough, the day wouldn’t come. But of course, it did. The sunlight peeked through the curtains, reminding me that today was the day I had to leave.
I groaned, rolling over in my bed. I wished more than anything that this was just a bad dream. Maybe I’d wake up back in my mother’s arms, and everything would be normal. But that wasn’t going to happen. The truth hit me again—hard and painful. I was leaving my family today. Leaving my home. And the worst part? I was leaving with Alpha Jeremiah.
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