C5 Chapter Five

Alina Pov

The bell echoed, a jarring clang that resonated with the turmoil in my chest. As the classroom emptied, its usual cacophony replaced by an unsettling hush, I trudged towards my new locker, the worn leather of my bag groaning under the weight of a seemingly insurmountable stack of textbooks. Reaching my destination, I slammed the metal door with a resonating thud that failed to extinguish the inferno of anger simmering within me. My fist clenched, the phantom memory of it connecting with James' infuriatingly smug face a fleeting, yet tempting, fantasy.

Just then, a low growl reverberated through the empty hallway, sending shivers cascading down my spine. I spun around, heart hammering a frantic tattoo against my ribs, bracing myself for the inevitable confrontation. My gaze locked with his, and for a moment, I could almost hear the confused whimper of my wolf, mirroring the tempestuous cocktail of emotions churning within me.

There he stood, James Wellington, heir apparent to the Dark Moon Pack and by all rights, my destined mate. Yet, the very sight of him ignited a fresh wave of fury. The memory of his touch lingering on another woman's skin, the vivid imprint of her lips against his cheek, was a searing brand etched into my mind.

He cleared his throat, the familiar arrogant swagger momentarily faltering. "Look—" he began, his deep voice laced with an unfamiliar tremor, a tremor that sent a jolt of surprise through me.

"Don't," I spat, the word a tightly coiled spring finally released. The venom in my voice was laced with a potent blend of betrayal and tightly leashed fury.

His hazel eyes, usually gleaming with an impish amusement, were clouded with a flicker of guilt. He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, his gaze refusing to meet mine. The air crackled with a tension that was heavy and suffocating. The aura of effortless confidence that usually clung to him like a second skin had been replaced by an unsettling awkwardness, a stark contrast to the self-assured alpha I knew.

Frustration, a tightly coiled serpent, began to unfurl within me. "Spit it out, James! Whatever charade you're attempting, just get to the point!"

He took a shaky breath, his hand instinctively reaching to grip the back of a nearby chair for support. "I... I can't do this," he mumbled, his voice barely a whisper, catching on the words like they were jagged shards of glass.

My heart lurched. This wasn't the practiced, firm rejection I'd imagined. A cold dread snaked its way into my stomach, coiling tighter with each passing moment. The carefully constructed walls around my heart began to crumble.

"What do you mean you can't do this?" I demanded, the question forced past the lump that had formed in my throat. My voice, though firm, trembled slightly, betraying the turmoil within.

Silence stretched between us, a thick, suffocating blanket. It pressed down, heavy with unspoken emotions and the weight of an impending storm. Finally, he lifted his gaze to meet mine. His eyes, usually sparkling with amusement or determination, were clouded with a deep sadness that mirrored the ache blossoming in my own chest.

"I love someone else," he confessed, his voice barely above a choked whisper. "I have, for the past six years. And..." He faltered, his jaw clenching for a moment before continuing, "I don't think... I don't think I can be with you."

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. His words hung heavy in the air, each syllable a tangible blow. The confident rejection I'd steeled myself for was a mere paper cut compared to the gaping wound his revelation had torn open. A wave of nausea washed over me, stealing the breath from my lungs. My vision swam, the once crisp lines of the room blurring at the edges.

Numbness, a cold and relentless tide, swept over me. I stood there, frozen in place, a statue carved from the sheer force of the unexpected. My mind reeled, desperately trying to grasp the enormity of his words, the years of unspoken feelings, the future that had crumbled to dust in the blink of an eye.

"I'm so sorry, Alina," he rasped, his voice cracking with a raw emotion that sent shivers down my spine. "I... I, James Wellington, future Alpha of the Dark Moon Pack, reject you..." His voice trailed off, the weight of his title a stark contrast to the vulnerability etched on his face.

He didn't need to finish. With a surge of adrenaline, I straightened my spine, meeting his gaze head-on. A flicker of defiance, a forgotten ember of my former self, ignited in my eyes.

"I, Alina Brynn," my voice, though laced with a tremor I fought valiantly to suppress, rang with newfound conviction, "reject you, James Wellington, heir apparent to the Dark Moon Pack, as my mate."

A white-hot spike of pain lanced through my chest with each syllable. Each word was a shard of ice against my resolve, a chilling reminder of the bond I was severing. Ignoring the treacherous wobble in my voice, I held his gaze a beat longer, forcing back the tears that welled up, threatening to spill over like a dam on the verge of collapse.

"Keep it together," I silently chanted, willing my trembling legs forward. My breath hitched, a shudder wracking my entire frame as I wrestled with the storm raging within.

Without a backward glance, I pivoted on my heel, each step echoing with a finality that reverberated through the sterile hallway. James Wellington, future Alpha of the Dark Moon Pack, stood alone, a solitary figure dwarfed by the immensity of the silence, the weight of the shattered bond hanging heavy in the stagnant air.