Chapter 256


    Aaron straightens, expression furious and eyes glowing. “I


    allowed my Alpha–my equal–to im me, yes. Do you have a problem with that, Samsen?”


    Samsen gulps and backs up a step.


    If I wasn’t in so much pain, I might have found it amusing.


    “Then the ceremony will have to be repeated by Luna Leah to fully break the mating bond both ways,”


    Samsen says, ncing at me expectantly.


    With some difficulty I force myself back to my feet.


    Now, I’m scared.


    If Aaron breaking his mating im was that painful–a pain I’m still feeling radiating through my body


    like hot iron–then


    what the hell is going to happen when I break my im on


    him?


    My hand is shaking as I take the knife.


    And once I’m holding it, suddenly I freeze.


    I don’t know if I can do this.


    Before, I promised myself I would be strong because that’s what Aaron and Ethan need me to be, but


    beneath all this pain, and the knowledge that I now have to do the same thing, cause both Aaron and


    myself even more agony, I don’t know if I can do it.


    “It’s okay, Leah,” Aaron says in a quiet voice. “I know this is hard, but you’re brave and strong–you


    always have been. That’s why I know you’re going to survive this, so you can teach our son to be brave


    and strong as well.”


    I nod numbly, but I can’t bring myself to look at Aaron as I


    slowly drag the sharp de across my palm and blood wells.


    My vision is blurred with tears, and I blink rapidly as I look at the ancient book Samsen is holding open.


    “I, Alpha Havelock, Leah Roberts Rathborn, of the Roberts bloodline, deny you, Aaron Rathborn, of the


    Rathborn bloodline. No longer shall our bond exclude us from all others. No longer do I recognize you


    as my mate. No longer do I im


    you as my own.”


    The pain is getting worse in my chest, but I push on.


    “So it is done in blood, so it will be undone in blood.”


    Aaron steps in toward me–which is lucky, because my legs feel like stone, and I don’t think I can


    move–so I reach up and set my bloody palm on his neck where I instinctively bit himst time we were


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    together, not even realizing I was iming him.


    This time, the pain that rips through my body–rips through both of us–is more like an explosion.


    The power of lightning striking a petrol tanker and exploding


    into a fireball.


    I feel Aaron catch me against him, but it doesn’t really help. It’s like the agony just keeps on expanding


    and doubling back


    on itself and building and building until reality is nothing but this haze of torturous pain.


    It doesn’t seem to end, and I distantly wonder if this is all I’ll be for eternity now, just an embodiment of


    pain.


    It’s solid and unrelenting, I then start wondering if I can even


    survive it.


    But that was always a risk, wasn’t it?


    That we wouldn’t survive breaking this mating bond.


    And we were so enmeshed, so deeply bonded in a way I doubt


    few wolves have ever been.


    I try to catch hold of thoughts of Ethan to keep me anchored to this world, but even that isn’t enough to


    force back the endless waves of agony.


    The darkness ising for me.


    I can feel it.


    But I will not go quietly into it.