60

"Witch?" Malachi flings back at me. "That title is rich coming from you, Ariella. You, who has weird premonitions of my death."

I hear the others in the room collectively suck in a gasp of surprise, but they are ignored.

"You know," Malachi continues with a new light entering his eyes, a light I shiver at. "All these problems only started since you came here. All the more reason for you to go back to where you came from."

Hamilton opens his mouth to say something, but then closes it when he sees the hard look in his Alpha's eyes.

My own eyes plead with him to tell me it isn't true, but the Beta ignores me, remaining loyal to his Alpha. This makes me so angry, I feel the urge to scream at them all.

"Really? You think I'm to blame for all this? I told you before, Knight is working with the rogues. If you just throw him in your dungeon, you could stop all this!"

"That's enough!" Malachi shouts at me, his eyes blazing. They aren't red like I expect, the demon beast inside him rising to the surface and possessing him in an angry passion.

No, his eyes are blue, cool and icy, and filled with such malice I take an involuntary step backward. This is my mate talking, and the force of his vehement denial slams into me and I crumple from the inside out. All the trust we had between us is slowly crumbling and I have no idea how to make it stop. How to reach out and show my mate the truth of us, whatever that is.

"Now go. Leave my territory, and never dream of returning," he leans close and emphasises one particular word, one word that he knows is laden with enough significance to slice my heart to ribbons.

Dream.

"Are... are you rejecting me?" The words escape my lips on a quiet breath, faint even in my own ears. Lost and full of hopelessness.

"Yes. Yes I am, Ariella."

Hamilton immediately leans forward, his face twisting in a frown of confusion. "But Malachi—"

"Shut up, Beta! I'm in charge here," the Alpha snarls at Hamilton, his lips pulled back to reveal his sharp teeth. He flexes his fists, the veins in his forearms bulging against his tight skin. When he swivels his head back to me, I almost wish he hadn't. I don't think I can stand up against the devastating animosity I see in his gaze.

"At least tell me why," I manage to ask in a wobbly voice, needing to know why he is suddenly turning on me like this. "I thought you trusted me."

Malachi's eyes brighten, his lips curling up in a sad smirk. "I wanted to. But if I recall," he says with precision in his words, as lethal as a surgeon's blade, as cold as the permanent ice caps on Sword Mountain, "You're the one who sold me out to the rogues, resulting in Jasper's death." He steps closer, his heated breath bristling the hairs on my neck as he says in a cold voice, "You're a damn traitor, Ariella. And there's no way in hell I'd let you be Luna of my pack. Do you need any more reasons as to why I'm rejecting you?"

I recoil, his words cutting me deep like a razor blade pressed too sharply against my skin. But instead of blood seeping from the harsh cuts, a cold numbness settles into my bones as if my body is protecting me from feeling the pain of his utter rejection.

"Malachi," I whisper, my voice thin and breathy. "You don't mean that."

He turns away from me, his broad shoulders hiding the hard clenching of his jaw. My words hang in the silence between us, broken only by my heavy yet shallow breathing.

"Malachi, you don't mean that!" I repeat, louder and with shrill denial in my voice. "You said you cared for me!" I rush forward, my hands raised and clenched into fists. Before they can slam against his rigid back, I am blocked by a strong arm and look up to see the dark hazel glare of Hamilton. He is defending his Alpha.

Protecting him from me. I feel betrayed, but I can't afford to linger on that thought. I turn my eyes back to Malachi.

His head turns slightly, and I see the profile against the bright window in front of him. His eyes are to the carpet, his hands balled by his side as if he is restraining himself. I can see the pulse in the vein on his neck, fluttering nearly as rapidly as my own. I can't tell if his heart matches mine like it normally does, since my heart is thundering much too loudly in my ears. A freight train barrels through my chest with each breath, each beat of the heart that is breaking to pieces all over again.

"You said you cared for me!" I yell again, feeling my chest heave in ragged motions, trying to get enough air but it seems I can't. My chest feels bound by steel weights, twisting and constricting. My heart feels on fire, as though flayed with knives of silver and rubbed in salt. His rejection is a fast burn that goes on to slowly consume me. I wrench on Hamilton's hand and try to break free, try to pummel my fists into Malachi, and wrap my arms around him until he explains why.

Why is he doing this to me?

To us?

"Take her away," he says flatly, the words knocking me back again.

"Why?"

He doesn't explain. He remains turned away from me, facing the window. Unaffected, as if I'm no longer in the room.

"Malachi, you don't want this, I know it. We can work it out!"

Silence lingers in response, not the deep voice I've come to know so well.

Then he turns around, and I expect to see the eyes I've fallen in love with. But he doesn't even look at me.

"Hamilton, I said take her away!" he bellows, and his Beta grips my arm even tighter, pulling me back.

I continue to struggle, to touch him one more time. "But Malachi, I'm your mate! I've never given up on you, despite everything. Please, don't do this!"

But he does. He commands his men and they have no choice but to comply. His eyes of icy steel flicker to me briefly, his face a work of indifference. It's as if he doesn't even hear my pleas. "If she doesn't go willingly, escort her to the edge of our territory yourself."

Knight grips my other arm, and together they lead me out, my feet wooden as they carry me further away from my mate. The sting of rejection courses through my veins, severing the bond and causing my mark to burn with a fierce intensity.

"Hamilton, you don't have to do this," I say numbly, trying one last time to correct this horrid mistake. But it is futile. The Beta I once called friend stares ahead and clenches his jaw shut.

"I'll take her to the border. You continue with the plans against the rogues for tonight," Knight speaks to Hamilton, not even acknowledging me when I glare up at him.

We reach the front door, and I barely get time to snatch my coat off the rack before Knight pulls it open and icy air blasts in.

Hamilton drops my arm as he deposits me outside on the doorstep. I stumble and catch myself before my knees slam into the ground, with the aid of Knight who still holds my other arm. His grip is tight, likely to leave a bruise.

"Go, Ariella," Hamilton growls, his voice deeper than I've ever heard it. "Run away, and never come back."

I am stunned by the finality in his words, but even more stunned by the cool object he presses into my hand. I glance down and see his pocket watch, its gold chain sliding through my fingers until it catches and swings languidly between us. My eyes are mesmerised by the rhythmic movement of the second hand, the quiet tick matching the thump of my heart.

Then the great wooden door to the entrance of the Alpha's mansion thuds shut behind Hamilton, and the finality of the situation crashes over me like a tidal wave of despair.

I am alone.

Rejected.

And in heat.

"Where are we going?"

"Didn't you hear the Alpha?" Knight sneers, his grip tightening on my arm.

My hand has gone numb, but he doesn't seem to notice. He doesn't even care that I stumble and trip over the uneven snow-covered ground. He just keeps pulling me along with his wide strides, yanking me periodically as I lose traction and fall behind. Deeper into the forest. Deeper into the darkness as the sun sets and shadows fall swiftly over the territory. "On the other side of the border is where rats like you belong."

"How dare you!" I pull away from him and level my gaze on him. With a fiery intensity, I clench my free fist and pound it on his chest, but he doesn't budge. It doesn't affect him. "Would you really leave me out here in the forest? There are rogues everywhere!" I hate the desperate tremor in my voice, but with the cold pressing in and the heat inside wanting out, I am a chattering mess that can only think of one thing.

Survival.

"Oh darling, the rogues are the least of your worries," he replies casually.

I realise where we are heading, and understand with sinking clarity what he means. We aren't at the western border that is close to my parents' place. We are further north, in the mountainous foothills where the terrain alone is a formidable enemy. I won't last the night out here, with my delicate clothing and my fragile sanity. Malachi's rejection keeps pounding in my ears, reverberating through my body and rattling my core. My very soul is cracking, threatening to tear in two and I don't know how much longer I can last.

Not many wolves survive rejection. If they felt nothing for each other, a severation of their bond is minor, especially if they hadn't marked or mated. But though my bond with the young Alpha seems superficial, with not much in the way of physical claims tying us together, my heart has forged a connection that is stronger than I realised. This pain I now feel is terrifying, consuming, ravaging.

My body shakes like a fallen leaf, afloat on the currents of a blizzard, and I can't stop the shivers that the cold winds induce. Night hedges closer around us, and I feel the border approaching. Soon I will step off the territory, and the breaking bond with shatter even further. The link with Malachi will grow weaker, and I will feel even more adrift, detached, and helpless.

I hate this feeling. With everything within me, I wrench my arm free and shove against Knight. He counters my move, pushing me back until I flail, my arms waving in futility as my rear falls to the ground.

"Just give it up, Ariella. You're never going to win," he scolds, crossing his arms and staring down at me coldly.

My dignity stings, and I hastily push myself up and brush the leaves from my clothes and hair. "The Alphas of ForgedHearts know who you really are. They'll come after you. You won't get away with this, be sure of it, friend." I put as much fire behind my voice as I can in my weakened state, but I know it falls horribly short of what I intended when Knight just laughs. He takes a step closer and I take a step back.

"You won't tell your Alphas about this. You won't even tell your parents. You know how I know this? Because I know you know what's really going on. And if you care anything for your family, you won't want them anywhere near what is going to happen tonight," he leans close, smiling wickedly.

My stomach falls away, cold dread curling down my spine and settling like a snake in my gut. Demons. Surely that's what he means. He has a plan, and I don't know what it is. But by involving my parents in any of this, I might only be sentencing them to death.

"Then I'll have to fight you myself," I growl, leaping at him and baring my teeth.

He blocks me easily, his brute strength overpowering my feeble body. Shoving me back, I fall to the ground again. And as I look over my shoulder, I see a cliff drop away behind me. The sound of rushing water growls louder over the howl of the wind, and I smell the fresh sweetness of Falcon River.

Knight leans down and grips the neck of my dress, yanking me up a few inches. "If you ever come back, I will finish you," he threatens in a low growl.

I feel paralysed for a moment, but then my senses kick into function and I swing my fist, hitting him across the cheek. It barely affects him, but his rage increases. With a savage growl, he lifts me and throws me easily from the edge of the small cliff, and I find myself falling towards the swirling cold waters of the river below.

I feel a scream bubble in my throat, but have the sense to take a breath instead of releasing it in terror. The cold water, smacking against my body and sucking me under, shocks me into numbing pain, distracting me from my shattering heart. I've crossed the border, and I'm no longer on the territory I would be Luna of. With nothing but a rejected claim on my neck, I am officially packless.

I continue to hold my breath as I watch swirls of bubbles rush past me as I sink. Where I fell is a deep section of the river, so I am not smashed against the rocks.

Though I wouldn't care if I was.

A memory of Malachi flashes in my mind, of being held encased in his arms as he presses his lips to mine. He once gave me his very air to breathe. Now this time, he sucked it from my lungs in the most painful way possible.

Struggling to the shore with stiff limbs takes a few minutes, but I eventually make it and climb up onto the leaf covered bank on the opposite side. Mud and bracken clings to my limbs, cold and grimy, scratching my skin and bruising my tender flesh.

Once I've caught my breath, I struggle to a sitting position and turn, wrapping my arms around my freezing body. Glancing up at the cliff, I meet the dark and relentless stare of the man I once called friend. His glittering emerald eyes are trained on me, forbidding and merciless, then he disappears and I am left to wonder just what I was left alive for.

I have no direction. No reason to press on. But I do that anyway. Struggling to my feet, I look around to try and find the way to my parents' cottage. I tilt my head back and search the stars, recognising the constellations before I decide to head south. I don't get far before a searing pain replaces the throb in my chest. I sink to my knees and clutch my chest, gritting my teeth against the scream that crawls up my throat. I need to remain silent, as I don't want to alert anyone or anything that I'm here alone in the deserted forest.

Doubled over, I take short breaths, the pain wracking my body in undulating waves. I can't go on. I can barely even breathe. I can only pray that the frigid air takes me swiftly, but I doubt that is possible with the heat that continues to radiate from inside me. I clench my fists and mumble curses against the pull of the full moon, then close my eyes against its unremorseful stare from above me.

The thought of cursing Malachi crosses my mind, of just giving in and accepting his rejection. But could I live with myself if I gave up on him now? Am I alive now anyway? All the time we had together, I thought I was living. But my life just seemed to be placed on hold. He'd let me in to his heart for a moment, before pushing me away again with tightly pressed lips and a sealed mind, keeping the innermost parts of himself under lock and key.

He said he cares about me, but has he done much to prove he wants me as mate?

A fresh stab of pain begins in my chest and travels outwards. Biting my bottom lip to withhold a choked sob, I am reminded of what he did this afternoon. Of when he turned his back on me.

His actions spoke louder than words.

His silence has finally killed me.

My mind is adrift, unable to think anymore, lost in a haze of numbness as my body fights the toxin of the rejection.

Soon, clouds shift over the taunting face of the moon, blocking the silvery light and bringing with them cold mists of rain that fall and wash my skin clean. Goosebumps replace the leaves and bracken, leaving me shivering and burning at once.

"Girl, you are one pitiful mess."

The familiar voice startles me, and I turn my head to see Luci kneeling beside me. I can't speak, and don't know what I would say anyway. I just implore her with my eyes to leave me alone.

Ignoring me, she smiles knowingly, "Good thing I specialise in rescuing lost puppies." She lays a hand on my forehead and gasps. "As cold as ice! Let's get you someplace warm."

My mind and thoughts are fuzzy as she helps me to my feet, my limbs unresponsive to her gentle prodding. I try telling her my story, that I'd rather die a dramatic death in the snow, but my lips can barely form anything beyond incoherent chattering.

"Save your breath, darling," Luci pats my waist, her arm securely around me as she leads me to my parents' place. I'm not sure I want to face them right now, but I have no strength to protest. It isn't long before I see the cottage through the trees, and wonder why each window is dark.

"My parents...?"

"Are out with Alpha Kaiden and his command, searching for Caleb Scumbag Knight. Been hunting for him ever since Alpha Chesca gave birth to baby Hunter and told everyone how he nearly killed them both. They haven't had any luck finding him though. That vermin seems to have dropped off the face of the earth," Luci rants, her fingers digging almost painfully into my side as her fists clench in anger.

"He is at DoubleEdge, working as advisor to Seneca and Malachi. He just pushed me off a cliff, over the border. We have to stop him," I mutter though my jaw is numb from the cold.

"That slimy piece of garbage! We'll get him, don't worry. I'll let your parents know," Luci assures.

"No!" I gasp.

"No?"

"Yes, no. He...he threatened them. I can't let them get hurt."

"It will be the whole force of Alpha Kaiden's warriors. They can handle him."

I continue to shake my head against Luci's arguments. She would never understand my fears of the dark forces at Seneca's command. The former Luna may claim to only want peace and live a quiet life, but I can't fight the impression that there's more to her story.

"Whatever, Girl," Luci sighs. "They're gonna find him soon. I know he used to be your friend, but you can't protect him forever."

We reach my old home and I see Gabby rush forward to greet us. "Ari! What happened to you? Luci told me you were in trouble. Come on, let's get you inside."

I nearly faint as my friends help me upstairs, and I'm not sure whether to cry in gratitude to them, or cry tears of humiliation at my pathetic situation. I can't bear to face the truth.

"Malachi rejected me," I fall face first onto my bed and mumble into the soft quilt.

"Well, isn't he an idiot," Luci growls expectedly, but it does nothing to assuage the pain I feel. "He never did treat you right. Good riddance, I say."

"It's not like that! I care for him, and he felt the same. We were meant to be together. Forever," I sit up and hug my pillow to my chest, wincing at the pain it causes. Sobs wrack my body and Gabby sits beside me, gently rubbing my back. "He said he cared for me." I whisper. I don't understand it. I feel the mark on my neck, my fingers brushing over it and causing a fresh sting to radiate through my body. My internal temperature is spiking, and I take shallow breaths to minimise the pressure building in my lungs.

"Actions speak louder than words, hon. Just get over him already," Luci rolls her eyes and examines her nails as she sits at my old desk.

I shiver at her choice of words.

"Don't be so harsh. You have no idea how close they've probably grown these last few weeks," Gabby scolds her, still patting me gently. "Ariella, I can't imagine the pain you must be feeling, but I'm going to help you get through it."

I lean against her shoulder and thank God for giving me at least one understanding friend. "Thanks, Gabby. But...I don't want to get through it, as you say. I want to make it right. I can't accept he would just do something like this to me. I can't stop feeling that there's more to it. A reason why he rejected me... A reason beyond his control."

Luci snorts. "He's an Alpha. He's in control of everything."

I glare at her, willing her to shut her mouth.

"Did he say the words himself?" she prods.

I wince.

You're a damn traitor, Ariella. Do you need any more reason as to why I'm rejecting you?

"Yes."

"And was anyone holding a gun to his head?"

"Luci!" Gabby gasps, but I meet the cool eyes of my raven-haired friend and answer steadily though it cuts my tongue in two.

"No."

"Ha! Then it was his choice. Just accept his rejection and be done with it."

"I won't! Call me crazy, but I can't let go of him. Not when I feel he needs me."

"He needs you? The mighty Alpha of DoubleEdge needs you? What he needs is a good kick up his backside, and maybe a slice to the neck," she gestures wildly, her hands charading the actions. "You'd be an imbecile to keep holding out for an amendment to his rejection. What are you expecting him to do? Show up on your doorstep again, confess he lied and loves you more than breath itself, and whisk you away to a happily ever after? He doesn't want you! Just get that into your head. The sooner the better."

I can't stop the tears that leak from eyes as I listen to Luci's reasoning. It's true, all of it. If I just accept that he let me go, this heat would stop. The pain would be unbearable for a while, but it too would go away. I could go back to normal. Only without a beating heart. All I can see is a dark, endless hole of despair if I were to just turn my back on the mate God made for me.

"I won't." I straighten and wipe my eyes. "Maybe I am insane. But isn't love an insanity? Isn't the mate bond meant to drive us to do extraordinary things to protect our other half?"

"It's not meant to get you killed! If you don't even want your parents going back over there, then there's no way you should be."

"What?" Gabby asks, confused.

"Long story. Caleb Knight and rogues, and I think it's all going down tonight," I mutter, wiping my eyes furiously to clear my vision. "That's why I need to go back. For Malachi's sake. And for his pack."

"You're unbelievable," Luci just shakes her head.

"I agree with Ariella. She's still connected to Malachi, and if she thinks he needs her, he probably does. Whether he wants to admit it or not. The bond will continue to strengthen her. She was born to be Luna, and that still counts for something no matter how many times he rejects her. Until she's accepted it and it's final, she will still sense the connection.

She still bears his mark, which is a powerful thing. Ari, you have to think carefully and make the best decision now."

"I'm trying, honestly I am," I say as I rub my aching forehead. Sweat beads on my skin and I feel it trickling down my back. It's getting hot in here, too hot, and I'm not sure I can think clearly anymore.