Chapter 6 Bond Breaking

DAHLIA

Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, painting the room in pale gold.

I stood by the window, watching the forest sway with the breeze. It should’ve been peaceful, but my chest felt tight.

The rejection I had declared years ago wasn’t complete. Not officially.

Every pack law stated that when a Luna rejected her Alpha or when an Alpha rejected his mate, the bond could only be fully dissolved in front of the council. A sacred ceremony, witnessed and sealed by oath. Without it, traces of the link would linger forever.

That was another reason why I was here. To finish what I started.

I slipped into a fitted black gown, simple, elegant, and strong. The color of closure. My hair was pulled back neatly, my lips painted red. For the first time in years, I wasn’t dressing to please anyone. I was dressing to end something.

Elder Sam waited for me by the door, his hands clasped behind his back. “Are you sure about this, child?”

I nodded. “I’ve waited long enough.”

He sighed softly but didn’t argue. “Then go. The council won’t wait forever.”

The drive to the pack’s council hall was silent. The roads twisted through familiar woods, the same paths I used to walk barefoot as a girl. Everything looked the same.

Yet nothing felt the same.

When we arrived, the massive stone building loomed ahead, its ancient walls lined with silver symbols of the Moon Goddess. I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The hall was filled with elders, betas, and high-ranking members of the pack. At the far end, seated before the crescent moon emblem, was Kael. He looked every bit the Alpha—strong, regal, and unreadable—but when his eyes met mine, something flickered.

“Dahlia,” he said quietly as I approached.

“Alpha,” I replied, my tone firm, distant.

He flinched slightly at the title. Once, that word had been filled with love. Now it was only finality.

The eldest council member, Elder Orion, rose slowly from his seat. “We are gathered today,” he began, “to witness the official dissolution of the mate bond between Alpha Kael of the Moonshade Pack and Dahlia Johnson, daughter of Beta Nicholas Johnson.”

His voice echoed through the hall like thunder.

Kael’s jaw tightened. I could feel his eyes on me, heavy with words he wanted to say but couldn’t.

“Both parties will speak their final words before the oath,” Elder Orion continued. “Alpha Kael, you may begin.”

Kael rose from his seat, his movements controlled, but his gaze betrayed him. “Dahlia,” he said slowly, “I know I’ve wronged you. I said things I shouldn’t have. I thought—” He exhaled sharply. “I thought I was doing what was best for the pack. But seeing you now…” His voice faltered. “You’ve changed. And maybe I have too.”

The hall was silent.

I kept my expression calm, though inside, I felt the faint tremor of old pain. His words were years too late.

When Elder Orion turned to me, I lifted my chin. “I accept his words,” I said evenly. “But I don’t forgive him. Not yet. Forgiveness is earned, not spoken.”

Kael’s eyes darkened, but he said nothing.

Elder Orion nodded slowly. “Then, Dahlia Johnson, do you confirm your wish to dissolve the bond willingly and without coercion?”

“Yes,” I said, my voice steady.

“Do you hold any lingering affection or emotional tie to Alpha Kael?”

I hesitated for only a breath before answering, “No.”

The word came out clear, clean, and sharp enough to slice through whatever thread was left between us.

A faint sound escaped Kael—something between a breath and a sigh.

Elder Orion raised his hands, chanting the sacred words of severance. The air around us shifted, heavy with ancient energy. A faint silver glow surrounded our wrists where the invisible bond once pulsed, then shattered into dust.

It was done.

The mate bond was gone.

For the first time in years, I felt free.

“By the power of the council,” Elder Orion declared, “the bond is officially broken. You are no longer bound as mates in spirit or law. May the Moon Goddess grant you peace and strength on your separate paths.”

Kael remained still, his head bowed slightly. I didn’t wait for him to look up.

I turned and started to walk toward the door, but a familiar, saccharine voice stopped me.

“Well, well. If it isn’t the new and improved Dahlia.”

Sienna’s tone was sweet, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. She looked stunning as always with her golden curls, perfect dress, and a face sculpted to charm. But beneath the surface, her jealousy shimmered like poison.

“Sienna,” I greeted lightly, not slowing my pace.

“You’ve changed,” she said, stepping closer. “Almost unrecognizable. But no matter what you do, you’ll never be me.”

I stopped, turning to face her fully. “Why would I ever want to be you?”

Her smile faltered. “Because I have what you don’t,” she said sharply. “Status. Power. The Alpha’s attention.”

I tilted my head slightly, amusement flickering in my eyes. “Attention isn’t love, Sienna. You should know the difference.”

Her nostrils flared. “You think you’re better now just because you wore a fancy dress and walked back in like some ghost from the past?”

I stepped closer, my voice calm but edged with steel. “No, Sienna. I think I’m better because I survived what was meant to destroy me.”

For a moment, she didn’t respond. Her perfect smile slipped, revealing the bitterness underneath.

“I heard what you said to him,” she whispered. “That you feel nothing. That it’s over.”

“It is,” I said simply.

She laughed, a brittle, high-pitched sound. “You can pretend all you want, but you’ll never match what I am to him. You’ll always be the broken little omega who ran away.”

I smiled faintly. “And yet, here you are still threatened by me.”

Her jaw clenched, her eyes flashing with quiet rage.

“Goodbye, Sienna,” I said softly. “You should go back to your Alpha before he realizes he’s talking to someone who’s no longer beneath him.”

I turned and walked away before she could respond.

Outside, the late afternoon sun was warm against my skin. The weight on my chest, the bond, the pain, and the shame were gone.

It was officially over.

That night, as I sat by the window watching the moon rise, I let the silence settle. The oath was done. Kael no longer had any claim over me, not as a mate, not as a Luna.

But the words Elder Sam had spoken the night before echoed in my mind.

If the Alpha finds out about your pups, you won’t have a choice but to be his Luna… unless you find another Alpha to protect them.

My gaze drifted to the photo on the nightstand of my three sleeping angels curled together, faces peaceful and unaware of the danger that might soon follow them.

I touched the frame gently.

“I took the oath,” I whispered. “I ended it. But how do I protect you now?”