Chapter 254


    AARON


    Leah is pale and shaky standing in front of the stage. I can tell everything is taking its toll on her.


    There’s been so many shocks in such a short amount of time.


    Finding out Ethan was alive, but then having him kidnapped by Adam.


    Tobin luring her to that factory where he tried to kill me.


    Leah unwittingly bing the Havelock Alpha.


    And now this.


    Leah is strong, but a person can only take so much.


    When Samsen announces the mating bond will be broken,


    Leah crumples, copsing to the floor and my heart ms into


    my ribcage.


    “Leah!” I shout desperately.


    I w my way through the silver frame, shredding it like it’s


    paper. A couple of Enforcers start toward me, but I fling them out of the way as I rush across the space


    to where Leah is lying on the floor.


    Once there, I go down to my knees and gather her into my


    arms.


    Absolute chaos has broken out in the hall.


    Apparently people are actually scared of me, because the


    second I broke free from that silver booth, both the audience


    and many of the Councilmembers immediately fled, as if I’m


    some rogue wolf who was going to indiscriminately ughter my way through them all.


    I don’t care about anything except my wife.


    “Leah,” I murmur gently, brushing her hair back from her pale


    face.


    Luckily, she’s alreadying around.


    I nce up at the stage, where only Karolina and a handful of other Councilmembers I consider friends


    and allies have


    remained. Samsen and Petyr are long gone, I note bitterly.


    “Someone get a doctor!” I shout at them.


    Karolina motions to one of the Enforcers, who rushes off to do


    her bidding.


    “Bring your mate through this way,” Councilwoman Eleanor


    Ainsley says to me.


    She’s one of the oldest Councilmembers, and once she was friends with my own mother.


    I nod and then stand with Leah in my arms. I take the steps up to the stage and Eleanor leads me back


    through the curtains to a private room.


    “Thank you, Councilwoman,” I tell her gratefully as I gentlyy


    Leah down on the couch.


    “I’m sorry this has happened to you, Aaron,” Eleanor tells me sadly. “I don’t believe this case they’ve


    brought against you, but I don’t have anywhere near the power that people like


    Samsen and Petyr have to be able to change things. Your


    mother would be horrified if she saw what has be of us


    all.”


    “I appreciate that,” I tell her in return. “But can I ask you a


    favor?”


    Eleanor nods.


    “If–when Leah survives breaking the mating bond, and goes


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    home to our son, will you check in on her every now and then?


    Neither of us have our own parents left any longer.”


    Not that Roberts was much of a father to begin with.


    Eleanor looks sad. “These wars have taken so much from so


    many packs. I never thought I would outlive all of my children,


    let alone lose them to such violence. And I fear the wars are about to ignite all over again.”


    I should probably have an opinion about that, but apparently,


    I won’t be around to see it.


    “Aaron?” Leah says, finallying around properly. “What happened?”


    “I think you fainted,” I reply, sending her a reassuring smile. “A doctor will be here soon to check you


    out.”


    Leah rises up from the couch and locks her arms around my


    neck.


    “Aaron, this can’t be happening!”


    I hug her back, wishing we could stay here forever and never


    let each other go.


    But fate has other ns for us.


    “I’m sorry, Leah,” I whisper to her.


    The doctor arrives then, and I move out of the way so she can


    examine Leah.


    After taking Leah’s vitals and asking a few questions, the doctor says Leah is probably just dehydrated


    and it turns out she hasn’t been eating enough the past few days since the


    Council brought us here.


    Someone fetches an orange juice for my mate as the doctor


    leaves again.


    “I feel too sick to eat or drink anything,” Leah tells me as I open


    the orange juice for her.


    “Just a few sips. Remember, you need to get home to Ethan.”


    Tears form in her eyes, and she nods, then carefully sips the


    orange juice.


    We sit there holding hands, silent while Leah slowly drinks the


    juice.


    I think there must be so many things I need to say to her, but right now I can’t think of a single one.


    Just when Leah is finally getting some color back into her features, there’s amotion outside, and


    Samsen enters with a bunch of Enforcers, like he’s too afraid to face me


    without an army at his back.


    Probably smart of him, all things considered.


    “Now that Luna Leah is sufficiently recovered, it is time to proceed with the bond breaking ceremony,”


    Samsen says.


    I curse as Leah bes pale all over again.


    However, I hold out my hand for her to take.


    She sets the orange juice aside and bravely puts her hand in


    mine.


    “They can break our mating bond, but it will never change


    how I love you, Leah, with all that I am,” I tell her as I pull her to


    her feet.


    “I love you too, Aaron,” she replies, tears beginning to fall


    down her cheeks again.


    “I’ll be there for you,” I vow. “To the very end.”