ra’s POV

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    I could feel it deep in my bones–the pain, a heavy weight pressing down on my chest. The kind of pain that didn’t have a clear source but was so all–epassing it took away my ability to breathe. And right now, it wasn’t just the physical ache I had to endure. It was the one that tore at my soul.

    I recognized it. The mate bond.

    But the person it tied me to wasn’t Thorne. No. It was Dorian Greg.

    I was bound to him now, forever. And by acknowledging it, I had locked myself out of everything I once believed in. Thorne and I–there was no “us” anymore.

    But what choice did I have?

    The only option was to stay silent, to let the words leave my lips even as I died inside.

    “I, ra Manning, princess of the Blood Moon Pack, hereby recognize Dorian Greg as my mate, to cherish and to hold, till death do us part…”

    I choked on the words as they burned through my throat. Till death? Was that how long I’d be stuck in this hell, trapped in a marriage with a man I could never love?

    The moment the words slipped out, I felt it–the connection, strong and sharp, like a silver thread pulling me toward him. The bond between us snapped into ce with finality.

    I’d once shared that connection with Thorne.

    But it was gone now.

    I squeezed my eyes shut, unwilling to face the brutal truth.

    A cold kiss pressed against my lips, itoo /iforceful, too full of ownership. Dorian.

    “I want this to be thest time you cry for Thorne,” his voice growled in my ear, low and harsh. “From now on, you’ll be mine. And you will not shed another tear for him. Do you understand?”

    I didn’t respond. What was there to say? No words would change this.

    His hands on me stiffened as I refused to acknowledge him.

    A sharpugh left his lips, bitter and condescending. “Fine. There’s no rush. We’ve got time.”

    bHe /bstood taller, straightening his back as if he were already a king. “I’ll announce our bond to the kingdom. The mating ceremony will take ce in two weeks. Until then, learn to act like a queen. You’ve got duties

    now.”

    The sound of the door mming behind him rang in my ears, his footsteps growing distant. But I didn’t open

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    How could I?

    :

    I was drowning in grief. In anger. In regret.

    Thorne.

    He had to feel it. The snap of our bond. He had to be hurting, just as I was.

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    Would he hate me? Would he be angry, confused, or sad? Would he believe me if I could exin?

    The thought of him, of how he might see me now, ripped through me. The pain threatened to suffocate me.

    I could feel the tears building, but I refused to let them fall. Not now.

    The rage bubbled up inside me instead, twisting my

    insides.

    And then, the name that had been haunting me for days pierced through my thoughts. Amara.

    That vile, maniptive woman.

    If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have been forced into this. She had found out about my child, told Dorian before I could escape. She had ruined everything.

    If I hadn’t been pushed to recognize this bond, I might have had a chance to escape again. I might have had a chance to fix things with Thorne.

    But no. Now, all those possibilities were shattered. And it was Amara’s fault.

    I clenched the sheets in my hands, the fury burning through my veins.

    I would make her pay for thisb. /b

    Elsewhere, the moon hung low in the sky, casting a sickly glow over the battle below. The camp was under attack.

    The Lycans hade.

    The air was thick with the growls and snarls of wolves. Their eyes gleamed with bloodlust as they surged through the night, their massive bodies crashing into the soldiers.

    The sounds of battle–teeth snapping, ws tearing, the chaos of war–flooded the camp.

    The werewolves were losing.

    Because their King was not there.

    Inside a dimly lit tent, a soldier crouched beside the unconscious form of King Thorne, shaking him awake.

    “King Thorne… Wake up… please!” His voice cracked with desperation, but the kingy still, his body

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    drenched in sweat.

    :

    But the sounds of the battle outside grew louder, and the soldier panicked.

    “Thorne, the Lycans are here! Wake up!”

    The king stirred. His eyelids fluttered, and then, with a groan, he opened his eyes.

    “I know,” Thorne’s voice was rough, raw from pain.

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    He pushed himself up, though his body seemed to fight against him. The soldier rushed to steady him, but Thorne was already shifting into his wolf form.

    The ck beast that emerged was a force of nature—agile, lethal, and furious.

    His golden eyes burned as he darted out of the tent, his massive body soaring over the battlefield.

    A roar erupted from the remaining soldiers as they saw their King.

    “Thank the Moon Goddess, it’s him!” one soldier shouted.

    Thorne’s wolf was a blur, tearing through the Lycans with a ferocity that left them scrambling.

    But even as the battle raged on, Thorne’s mind wasn’t on the fight.

    It was on her.

    ra.

    He had felt the snap of their bond.

    She was with Dorian now. The bond was gone.

    His chest tightened. Pain Lance through him. He had been the one to reject her before–he had shattered their connection.

    And now, she was gone.

    He should have fought harder.

    “What if she needs me again?” he whispered, his voice breaking with the weight of the thought. “I can’t go. I can’t leave her. Not again.”

    But the truth haunted him. What if she didn’t need him anymore? What if she had truly moved on?

    The soldiers gathered around him, a mix of worry and confusion on their faces.

    “King, we should retreat. The Lycan King may be celebrating. This fight is a lost causeb.” /b

    But Thorne didn’t hear them. His eyes were locked on the distant horizon, where a golden light shimmered into the night sky.

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    Fireworks.

    …

    Dorian and ra’s initials. W&J.

    The realization hit him like a punch to the gut.

    She was with him. She had chosen him.

    His heart clenched. The pain was too much to bear.

    But he couldn’t leave her. Not yet. He would find her. He would understand why.

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    “ra,” he muttered, his voice a plea to the night sky. “Exin it to me. Why did you turn away from me?”

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