Chapter 3 Sever Our Mate Bond

Countless fists struck my body, my calf, my arms, my fingers… I was certain nearly every bone had been broken. They splashed dirty toilet water over me, drenching my clothes until they turned half-transparent and exposing my body. Even my plain underwear became the target of those uncivilized werewolves' mockery. All I could do was curl up in a corner, crying helplessly and waiting for the moment they finally became bored with beating me. Someone said, "How boring. What's so interesting about her anyway? I don't get what Alpha Damian saw in her." His companion chimed in, "Maybe it's because she lied about being the Silver Wolf. Just wait. Now that our lovely Nicole is back, let's see whether this half-breed can still stay by Alpha Damian's side." Their words echoed in my ears, and I instinctively shook my head. I wanted to tell them that Damian loved me. I was his mate and would forever be his family. That was what Damian promised me when he proposed. My hoarse voice never caught their attention. They walked out of the restroom in groups, leaving me to bleed on the floor alone. I didn't remember how I made it back home. My entire body ached. I was so disheveled that I felt ashamed to let anyone catch sight of me. The only thing I wanted was to find Damian. He was the only one I had in the entire world. The moment I stepped through the door, Damian walked down from the second floor. When he saw me, he froze for a second. "What happened?" he asked with a frown. "I…" My voice was so hoarse it sounded like sandpaper scraping my throat. I only managed to utter one word, and I could no longer hold back the sobs. I broke down, crying inconsolably while still standing at the entrance. I had been so scared. I had just been one step away earlier. If I had reached Damian faster, those wolves would never have caught me. I couldn't understand why I was the one who had to suffer all of this. I had done everything I could to be a good Luna. But why did they still treat me so horribly? I cried for a long time. When my emotions finally calmed a little, I saw Damian standing just a few steps away. His lips were pressed tightly together. He looked somewhat irritated, but he hadn't left. To me, that little gesture was him showing some consideration toward me. It gave me some courage to speak. I said softly, "Damian, Nicole made the other wolves beat me up. She's not the Silver Wolf. You know the witch's prophecies have never been wrong. Nicole is lying to you." I hoped Damian would take action. I yearned to hear him say he would punish those people or verify whether Nicole was truly the Silver Wolf. However, he said nothing and only stared at me. A faint unease grew in my heart when he finally said, "Really? Do you have any wounds to show?" Of course I did! I immediately lifted my hand, wanting him to see my swollen and broken fingers. Unexpectedly, they looked completely fine. Damian's eyes grew cold. Clearly, he thought I was spouting untrue nonsense. "No, no…" I shook my head frantically and pulled up my sleeves and pant legs. "There are wounds! They broke my bones!" But my skin was perfectly smooth. It looked more like it had just received a spa treatment than a brutal beating. Impossible! I bent down and stared at my calves, dumbfounded. Unable to explain myself, I was on the verge of tears. "I'm so disappointed in you, Aurora," Damian said. I was at a loss and could only stare at him blankly, searching his face for any sign or hint that he still believed me. Just then, someone appeared at the top of the stairs. I instinctively looked up. The moment I recognized her, my body trembled violently, and nausea surged up. Nicole? Why was she here? How was she in the home that belonged to Damian and me? "Luna Aurora, why did you lie to Damian?" Nicole asked, her eyes reddened, indicating she had just cried. "I never told Damian that you pushed me and hurt me. You shouldn't accuse me just to escape blame." She sounded so pitiful. If I hadn't experienced the horrific beating myself, I would have believed her too. "You're the one lying!" I retorted, unable to take it anymore. "You did it on purpose! You wanted to humiliate me and see me suffer! But how does this even benefit you in any way?" Nicole flinched slightly, her eyelashes trembling as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. Damian snapped, "Aurora! You have no right to speak to Nicole that way! She's the Silver Wolf and an esteemed guest our pack must protect at all costs! You must respect her!" "I am the Silver Wolf!" I shouted back hoarsely. Silence fell for a moment. Nicole tugged gently on Damian's sleeve and said kindly, "It's alright, Damian. Don't be angry with Aurora. She's our Luna. She can say whatever she wants." Damian looked at me with eyes so unfamiliar I could hardly recognize them. He ordered, "Aurora. Apologize to Nicole." I pressed my lips together stubbornly and refused to speak. "Aurora, apologize to Nicole. Don't make me say it a third time," Damian said sternly. "I didn't do anything wrong." My voice held pure grievance and a trace of anger that Nicole had provoked in me. "Luna? Hah!" Damian scoffed, letting out a cold laugh. He strode toward me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "I, Damian Blackwood, the Alpha of the Blackwood pack, reject you, Aurora Snow, as my mate." His enticing lips uttered the harshest words I had ever heard in my existence. "From now on, you are no longer the Luna." Pain tore through my chest like a wolf claw was ripping me open. My breathing became ragged, and tears soaked my entire face. Compared to the agony from having the mate bond severed, what I couldn't accept was that Damian had treated me so cruelly. "Damian…" I said with difficulty, holding onto my last hope. "You chose me as your mate yourself." "If it hadn't been for the witch's prophecy, do you think I would ever have chosen you? You're just a lowly half-breed. If you're not the Silver Wolf, what right do you have to stand beside me?" he responded savagely. My head spun, and I nearly collapsed. Still, Damian didn't stop. "You disobeyed my orders, harmed Nicole, and tried to frame her. As punishment, you will live in the Forsaken Forest for a week." That forest was filled with mindless Rogues! Right beside it lay the vampires' territory. That was forbidden land that even our strongest Beta warriors feared. Yet, he wanted me to go there! Damian was sending me to my death.