Chapter 76

Bonds broken.

(Anna)

“I concede the fight.” The second the words leave my lips Faye. explodes, if you could watch actual

anger explode out of someone I think that’s how it would look. One second Faye is standing there

looking bored and the next a fiery ginger wolf is racing towards me. I feel my eyes go wide. I’m not sure

what to do here, this wasn’t part of the plan. I need not have panicked as Darryl walks on to the

clearing and effortlessly picks up the angry wolf and throws her clear across the grass. a tree stops her

from going further as she slides down it with a sickening crunch and cr ack.

“You will not disrespect the rules of this challenge. If you are unfamiliar you should have considered

that before issuing it.” Darryl shouts at her before turning to me, “you know what conceding the fight

means? The consequences to your actions?” I nod at him but he raises an eyebrow at me.

“Yes Alpha Darryl, I understand the meaning.” I say clearly so the people around me can hear,

whispering starts at my back and seems to engulf me as it passes from one person to the other.

“With all due respect Alpha Darryl, but this is bulls hit.” An older man from the other side of the clearing

shouts, he looks much older than he seems and I can see the nicotine stains on his fingers from here.

“My daughter issued a challenge for her true mate and she deserves to see it through. For this Luna,”

he says the word Luna like it leaves a sour taste in his mouth, “if she’s too scared to fight then she

needs to accept it and die like any self respecting shifter.”

“Conceding a fight is not without consequences,” Darryl says loudly,

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“you understand you can not stay in the pack while your challenger does?” I nod at him knowing this is

the moment I have been dreading.

My feet seem to be weighted down as I turn and start to walk towards Fraction, he seems miles from

me and with each step I take he seems to get further away. All too soon I am in front of him, his face is

set in stone, he’s showing me no emotion. He can’t let Faye see any weakness, nothing about this can

seem like we planned it out, it all needs to seem like I have done this of my own volition. If Faye thinks

me and Fraction have planned this it will make his job so much harder once I’m gone. As soon as I’m

standing in front of him I drop to my knees and bow my head, showing him the back of my neck. It’s at

display of submission and I’m told it’s crucial when you are begging an Alpha for something

“I’m sorry for all my transgressions, Alpha Fraction, I ask for your mercy and that I be allowed to leave

the Pack.” I have to force the words out of my mouth, it feels like someone has stuck a roll of

sandpaper in there.

The clearing is so silent you could hear a twig snap for five miles. away, everyone is holding their

breath to see what Fraction will do.

“The Alpha Heir?” He asks me clearly and loudly.

“Is yours.” I say quickly, I feel the tears drop from my eyes. Even though this was all planned I know the

pain coming to me is going to be beyond words.

“You may leave and not return until a time I see fit. I strip you of all Luna responsibilities and powers.”

Once he’s finished I feel a pop in the side of my head as my link to the pack is cut, it doesn’t hurt so

much as all the emotions of those around me just vanishes. It’s like I become an empty void with a

howling wind blowing through me, gasping out loud, Iuse my hand on the floor to keep myself still. I can

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hear shouting behind me and I know it’s Faye but she seems too far away for me to grasp what she is

saying. “I, Fraction of the Swiftmane Pack, reject you Anna as my mate and Luna.”

He has not even finished speaking before I’m being pinned to the floor by an almighty weight, I can feel

it digging into my bones and crushing my lungs. I can’t catch my breath as I try to pull myself up, I can

hear someone screaming as I scramble to right myself. I can hear Winter howling and snarling as every

connection we have to Fraction cut with a dramatic pull. I’m struggling to breath. I just need whoever is

on my back to get off so I can take a full breath. I try to get up again but the black spots at the edge of

my vision dance closer and closer to me, the world starts to spin and I can hear my heart pounding st

upidly fast in my chest.

(James)

“I. Fraction of the Swiftmane Pack, reject you Anna as my mate and Luna.” The second Fraction

finishes the sentence he hits the floor, Anna screams in pain and then they are both silent and

motionless.

“What the hell?” I ask Patrick as I rush over to our Alpha, he laid there in a pile on the floor like all the

life has just been sucked out of him. The noise in the clearing is a deafening sound, people asking if

the Alpha is alright and some concerned for the Luna. Ex-Luna. Reaching Fraction I place a hand on

his upper arm and shake softly, nothing happens. There is no movement from him at all, Anna is just as

still but I can hear the odd small whimper coming from her. Looking over Darryl I see he is holding onto

Faye and looking at Fraction and Anna with wide eyes.

“It is done, Anna is no longer part of this Pack. Your Alpha will be ok, he just needs time to right himself

after such a connection break.” Darryl’s command leaves no room for doubt and slowly the clearing

starts to clear. After a short time it’s just a few of us left including Faye

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and her band of merry family.

“Wake him up!” Faye yells as she pulls herself from Darryl’s hold. When none of us make a move to get

Fraction his feet she actually stamps her foot, even n*ked, she looks like a petulant child. “I’m your

Luna, wake him up.”

“You are not my Luna yet.” I scream at her rising from my spot next to Fraction. “don’t you see the

damage you have done. Rejecting Anna as a mate and Luna has hurt them both, he did this because

your stu pid. challenge forced his hand.”

“James.” Patrick says in a warning but I wave my hand at him, she needs to hear this, she needs to

understand what she’s done.

“If you hadn’t gone after something that is not yours this would never have happened, so no we can’t

just get him up. He will wake up when he’s good and ready and he will see you when he’s good and

ready. “I get close to her so she can see I am serious, “you are not and never will be in charge here.”

“Enough James.” Darryl says, clapping a hand on my shoulder, “Eliza, Patrick you need to get Anna

away from the pack.” I start to interrupt Darryl but he silences me with a simple look. “James help me

get Fraction back to the Packhouse. Faye, go home. Fraction will call for you when he needs you.”

Everyone stays still for a minute and then we are all moving and doing exactly what Darryl said. Faye

doesn’t move though, she watches us. move Fraction and Anna’s lifeless bodies from the clearing with

her family at her back. She’s just literally ripped our Pack apart and there she stands unpunished and

looking smug.

“He’s not going to like that we sent her away while he’s out.” I tell James as we head into the trees at

the edge of the clearing, each of us

1281 Woucher

has one of Fractions arms draped over us and we are pretty much dragging him.

“It needed to be done, it’s too dangerous for her to be here now.” I know he’s right but I can’t help but

think I will have to deal with my

Alpha’s wrath when he wakes up. If he wakes up.

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