Chapter 18
Ashton’s Point of View
Now, at the sacred cove, I stood beside Kathryn, holding the golden scissors. The waves crashed softly in the distance, a solemn melody accompanying this final moment. She had waited so long for this, and after everything I had done to her- every mistake, every failure–I knew it was time to grant her wish.
But still, my heart and my wolf rebelled, pleading silently not to let her go, to fight for her, for us.
I took a deep breath.
you
As a final attempt, a desperate plea, I reached for her hands. “Kathryn, won’t change your mind?” I asked, my voice breaking with the question I already knew the answer to. “I’ll change–I’ll be better. A better mate, a better husband, a better father for the pup we could have…” The
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words tumbled out, the same ones I had uttered countless times before.
Her gaze was icy.
“Just do it, Ashton,” She said, her voice devoid of emotion. “I want to end everything and start over without you.”
“Don’t you love me anymore?” I asked, my voice trembling as I tried to keep my emotions at bay. “Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t love me anymore, so I won’t have any regrets for not trying harder to make you stay.” My words were soft, almost pleading, though I knew they wouldn’t change a thing.
Kathryn raised her head and met my gaze with steady eyes. Without pause or hesitation, she said, “I don’t love you anymore, Ashton.”
The lump in my throat grew unbearable, but I swallowed it down, forcing myself to nod.
That was it.
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The she–wolf who had once given me everything–her love, her devotion, her entire soul–was no longer in love with me. And I had no one to blame but myself. All the chances she gave, all the times she waited for me to love her the way she deserved… I squandered them all. Now, there was nothing left to do but let her go.
I gathered her hair in my hands, the strands slipping through my fingers. With a heavy heart, I used the golden scissors to cut the edges. Then, standing before the Moon Goddess‘ sacred statue, we
completed the ritual, severing our mating bond.
As the final ties between us snapped, a cold silence settled over the cove. And then, the sky opened up. Rain began to fall, soft at first, then steadily heavier–a sign that the Moon Goddess had accepted our decision.
I thought severing the mating bond would erase my feelings for Kathryn. But I was wrong. Standing here in the rain, looking
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into her eyes one last time, I felt it just as strongly, together with the unbearable weight of knowing I’d wasted someone who had given me everything.
Kathryn walked out of the cove without looking back, her figure disappearing into the mist. And I stood there, frozen, watching her leave.
My mind swirled with torment, imagining what we could have been if I’d only done. my part–if I’d been the mate, the husband, the partner she deserved.
I never knew regret could hurt this much.
A month has passed since that day, but nothing has changed except for how much my love for Kathryn has grown. I haven’t seen her nor heard anything about her. The emptiness she left behind is a gaping wound, and the longing has become constant. Sometimes it feels like it might kill me.
my
Today, as I carried out pack duties at the
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kingdom, Jake, one of my closest friends, approached me.
“Have you heard the news about your ex- mate?” He asked casually.
Immediately, my attention snapped to him. “What about her?” I asked, my voice urgent, my heart pounding as I braced myself for whatever he was about to say.
Jake smirked and gave my shoulder a firm tap. It felt like he was mocking the pain I was feeling.
“Stop playing around, Jake. Tell me what about her?” I demanded.
“Well…” He paused, his smirk fading slightly. “Just a week ago, Kathryn and the healer, Jethro, discovered they’re second- fated mates. And from what I hear, they’re getting along really well.”
My jaw dropped, and for a moment, I couldn’t even breathe. This–this was my worst fear. When we severed our mating bond, I knew there was a rare chance she
37
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might find a second–fated mate, but I never truly believed it would happen. Not so
soon.
My heart shattered into a thousand irreparable pieces, and before I could stop myself, tears began streaming down my face.
“That… cannot be true…” I choked out.
Jake’s smirk disappeared completely, replaced by a look of shock at my vulnerability.
“I’m sorry, Ashton,” He said softly. “Honestly, I also heard they’re switching packs, and–well–your father has already approved it.”
His words were another blow to an already battered heart. Kathryn was leaving–not just me, but the pack entirely. She was moving on, starting fresh, building a life I was no longer a part of.
I clenched my fists, my tears falling harder now. All I could think about was how I had
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pushed her away, how I had let this happen. And now, someone else–someone better–will get the chance to love her the way I never did.
“No… I won’t let that happen,” I muttered. Without another thought, I shifted into my wolf form, my heart pounding as I sprinted off to find her.
I sniffed the air, searching for her scent, but I couldn’t recognize it anymore. Still, I didn’t stop. I ran through the town, the farmland, and the forest, my mind racing with the thought of losing her forever.
Finally, at the border of our pack, I saw her. Kathryn stood there with Jethro, her belongings packed and ready for the new life she was about to start.
I shifted back into my human form without hesitation, my pride abandoned. I
approached her, my steps unsteady. As I reached out to hold her hand, Jethro
stepped in, shoving me back protectively.
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“What are you doing here, Ashton?” Kathryn asked, her voice detached, as though I were nothing more than a
stranger.
I lowered my head.
“Please… don’t go. Don’t leave me,” I begged, my voice trembling with emotion.
“Kathryn, let’s go. Alpha Roger is waiting for us,” Jethro said in between us.
I watched as Kathryn turned to him, nodded, and took his hand. And, without looking back, they crossed the border together, leaving me standing there, helpless and broken.
