The Heartbreak

MAX

The attack came at dawn.

We were ready for them, but luck wasn’t on our side. Lucia fell ill, and our attention was divided.

Patrick was a mess, worried sick about his daughter. His panic only grew when I admitted I didn’t know what was wrong with her. I’d never seen symptoms like hers before.

She was restless in her sleep, her hair changing from black to white multiple times a day, and she was running a high fever.

I was sure it was related to her gifts, but Eva wouldn’t discuss it. She was as scared as Patrick, but she kept silent.

The only thing she shared was that she used to calm Lucia’s episodes with a mild sedative.

The dosage was harmless, but I advised her to stop. It wasn’t helping.

When Lucia was awake and I was nearby, she’d cry and hit me, yelling that I should have kept Estella here.

Her words didn’t make sense, and when I asked what she was seeing, she just cried harder.

A sense of unease grew within me, leading me to call Estella about three times a day. Hearing her happy and sharing her news calmed me.

I held back from asking when she’d return, not wanting to seem needy, but I was eager to see her again and ease my worries.

On the morning of the attack, Lucia had another seizure, the worst one yet. I brought Delta with me, hoping another female presence might help.

I was wrong. Lucia reacted badly, screaming for Delta to leave the pack.

She seemed out of her mind, and it broke my heart that I couldn’t help her.

When the patrollers mind-linked us about rogues trying to breach our borders, we sprang into action.

Eva and Delta took the boys to safety, despite their protests, and I picked up Lucia.

She’d passed out by then and didn’t resist.

We reached my safe place just in time.

I left the women and children there and went out to fight.

The battle escalated quickly, as expected. What we didn’t expect was that they seemed to know exactly how prepared we were.

Patrick and Rohan suspected a traitor among us.

Every alpha in the alliance had been given antidotes, but only three packs knew about the poisons—ours, Rohan’s, and Caleb’s.

Still, they used their knowledge against us, slaughtering our men.

The issue wasn’t just our losses, though they were significant. The real problem was that we almost lost both our alpha and our luna.

When the rogues’ leader got Patrick, Eva must have felt it through their bond. She rushed out to help, making herself an easy target.

Despite her gifts from the Moon Goddess, Eva was untrained and driven by fear. She’d left her antidote bag behind.

Patrick had already been hit when she jumped in to protect him. Then the rogue leader shifted, ready to kill them both.

With the beta’s help, we stopped him and inflicted enough damage to prevent his escape, but in the process, my own antidote bag broke.

I didn’t think about it then, focused on killing the leader. But I wasn’t successful.

The beta captured him while I rushed Patrick and Eva to the hospital.

Their wounds were severe, laced with silver and poison. Patrick had been hit in the abdomen, but Eva’s wound was closer to her heart.

Both had terrible claw marks that couldn’t be healed immediately due to the silver and poison in their blood.

I don’t know when the fight ended, but I remember the beta mind-linking me that the remaining rogues had been captured.

He’d called our allies for backup, which arrived within hours.

I didn’t care about any of that. I just wanted Delta and the children out of my safe place and away from the hospital until I said so.

I didn’t want the children to see their parents like that.

The boys would be devastated, and Lucia was already unstable. I didn’t want to make things worse.

Especially when I wasn’t sure if I could heal them.

ESTELLA

I’m finally going back.

Not that I didn’t enjoy my time with Gaby and her mates or catching up with Laurent, who now has a steady girlfriend, but I missed home.

I hadn’t called Max, figuring he’d be busy if he didn’t call me. Plus, I didn’t want to accidentally reveal that I was coming back early.

That’s why I didn’t call anyone else either, though I was a bit worried.

So, I returned today, earlier than promised. I couldn’t help but smile as I saw the familiar house.

It was a safe distance from the pack house and clinic.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but the doctor’s house was strategically placed so he could rush to either location without losing his peace of mind.

He should be home at this early hour. I pictured him by the kitchen window, sipping his tea before heading to the clinic.

I made my way up the steps to the tidy porch and nudged the door open. He never bothered to lock it. It was pointless.

If a pack member or the alpha wanted in, no lock would deter them. He’d told me that countless times. I stepped inside, feeling happier than I’d been in a long time.

The house was quiet in the soft morning light. It was unusual, but not concerning.

He usually had music playing softly in the mornings, but I figured he might not be in the mood today, or maybe he was still in the bathroom.

With that thought, I turned towards the narrow staircase that led to his—no, our—bedroom when a scent stopped me in my tracks.

Coffee.

Coffee?

He despised the stuff, so why on earth would he be brewing it? Certainly not for me.

As I’ve mentioned, it’s one of the things we share. Neither of us can stand the bitter taste, and he had no clue I was coming back early.

I cautiously made my way to the kitchen, and I paused awkwardly at the entrance. He wasn’t there. But there was someone else, a woman, standing by the window.

Her long auburn hair caught the light and seemed to sparkle. She had her back to me as she sipped her freshly brewed coffee.

I wrinkled my nose at the strong aroma but tried to ignore it. Taking a deep breath, I slowly walked in.

“Good morning,” I said, my voice less steady than I’d hoped.

I don’t know why, but I had a strange feeling in my stomach. The woman with the auburn hair spun around, looking startled.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you like that.”

She smiled immediately.

Oh God! She was stunning! Her auburn hair was complemented by clear, pale skin and bright-blue eyes. She was tall and slender, with an air of elegance about her.

Add in that dazzling smile, and you had a woman who was utterly irresistible.

I blushed without thinking. I couldn’t compete with her beauty.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, honey. I was just surprised, that’s all. How can I help you?”

Something wasn’t right. Why was this woman acting like she owned the place?

I’d only been gone for a week. Less than a damn week. What could have… Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

“Are you Max’s patient?” I asked politely.

I remembered that sometimes he brought home patients who needed special care, mostly children. But still…

The woman burst into laughter.

“Patient?” she said, trying to suppress her giggles. “No, no. I’m not Max’s patient, but you look familiar, I think.”

She studied me, looking puzzled for a moment, then clapped her hands excitedly. What was she so thrilled about?

“You’re his protégée!” she exclaimed.

“Well… yes,” I admitted, feeling uncomfortable.

I was a bit disappointed and confused. Before I left, our relationship wasn’t exactly a secret. But if he referred to me as his protégée when he spoke to this woman…

Maybe he hadn’t told her about us yet.

“Max had an early call at the hospital. We’ve had some minor issues with rogues this past week, and he’s been kind of busy,” the woman explained, continuing on.

“I’ve barely seen him the past couple of days. It’s been kind of boring, really. But now that you’re here, I’ll have some company. I’ve been dying to meet you, you know.”

She said all this in one breath, hugging me by the shoulders and guiding me to sit on one of the wooden chairs. But this whole situation was odd.

I’ve known Max almost my entire life. I was already familiar with his relatives. They all lived in the pack, after all.

She wasn’t a relative of his. I’d never heard about her. Not a single word.

But here she was, playing hostess in the house, when it should be me making her feel comfortable, because I was going to be living here with Max from now on.

Or… I started feeling a little sick and dizzy as the only possible explanation began to sink in. But maybe I was wrong. Couldn’t I be?

“I’m sorry,” I finally said, barely recognizing my own voice. “I don’t know anything about you. Who are you?”

“I’m Delta, Max’s mate, of course, you silly!” The woman grinned, pushing some auburn locks behind her ear.

It felt like a punch in the gut—a feeling I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Still, I managed to find a tiny sliver of hope inside me when I spoke to her again.

“I don’t mean to offend you, but you can’t be his mate. Max would have told me,” I said, trying to sound more composed than I felt.

“When was the last time you spoke?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

“We spoke every day while I was away,” I began, then frowned. “Until two days ago.”

I whispered the last part, but of course, she heard it.

“That makes sense.” She nodded. “That’s when we found each other, and then the attack happened. I’m sure Max didn’t mean to deceive you. He’s an honest man.”

“And how would you know that?” I snapped, jumping up from the chair.

“He’s my mate,” she said, and I wanted to rip her damn heart out.

Along with mine.

“You’ve known him for two days. Don’t tell me what he’s like,” I hissed.

“I’ve upset you.”

“Yes, but it’s not your fault. I need to talk to him.”

“No,” Delta shouted as I was about to storm out the door. “Please, don’t.”

“Why not?” I glared at her. “I deserve an explanation.”

“What explanation, dear? This is how our world works. You should know that.”

I should. But it didn’t hurt any less.

“I don’t care. I want to talk to Max. I want him to tell me himself if he has the guts.”

“Why cause yourself and him pain?” the woman questioned.

“Why can’t you understand? I need to hear it from him!” I shouted, tears streaming down my face. “I don’t care if he’s marked you. I need him to tell me he’s chosen you.”

I could feel the lump in my throat, the heaviness in my chest. It was hard to breathe.

How could he do this? How could he just mark her the moment he saw her? Forget about me as soon as she walked in? I knew it was in a werewolf’s nature, but Max was supposed to be different.

She approached me, her eyes filled with sympathy and guilt.

“I can’t pretend to know how you feel,” she said softly. “And I don’t know what you and Max had, but please, don’t go to him. For me.”

“I just met you,” I shot back. “I don’t owe you anything.”

“You’re right. But you’re a woman, and you’ve lived among us. You know how important it is for us to find our mates.”

“I love Max,” I confessed. “I love him so much. I can’t just let him go, even if I understand. I can’t.”

“If you really love him, you’ll let him go. We’re mated now. Fully mated. I have his mark, and he has mine. If you go to him, you’ll just confuse him. You’ll make him feel guilty if you force him to choose.”

“Then let him choose!” I yelled. “I’ve chosen him my whole life. It’s his turn.”

“Do you know what happens when a bond is broken after mating? Do you know what will happen to me?”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she asked me, and I felt a pang of guilt. I knew breaking a bond was rare, dangerous, and frowned upon.

“I’ll never feel complete again, and neither will Max. Even if he stays with you, the void will remain.”

“You don’t know that,” I said, my voice shaky. “That’s just what you’ve been taught to believe. Besides, Max never seemed eager to find his mate.”

“Many wolves say that until they find their mates,” she said, biting her lip.

“But I’ve always dreamed of the day I’d find my mate, of the day I’d be loved and accepted by him. Please, don’t take this from me. I have nothing else. Just Max.”

“And what about me?” I asked. “Why are your feelings more important than mine?”

“Because I’m bound by destiny,” she replied. “We’re blessed and cursed to have only one soulmate. You love Max, but it’s not like you can’t love someone else.”

“Believe me. It is exactly like that.”

“Only if you choose to. You’re not bound by your human nature. And you’re young, with your whole life ahead of you. You can love someone else if you want to.”

“The same could be said for you,” I said, gritting my teeth.

“Not when I’ve already bonded with my soulmate. I know what I’m asking of you is hard…”

“Cruel,” I corrected her. “It’s cruel.”

“Even that.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “But, please, don’t take my mate away from me.”

“What do you want me to do, then?” I asked, throwing my hands up in frustration.

“Make him believe you’ve left him,” she said so quietly I almost didn’t hear her.

“What?” I laughed, disbelief washing over me.

I was sure I was losing my mind.

“It’s the only way,” she said. “If he thinks you’ve given up on him, he won’t have any doubts about us or feel guilty about you. He’ll devote himself to me, like he’s supposed to.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t even look at her.

I just sank into the chair I’d been sitting in earlier and buried my face in my hands.

Why? Why did this have to happen now?

UNKNOWN

She had accepted defeat until she smelled the human and heard her enter the house.

With Max gone to the hospital, a plan quickly formed in her mind, and she had to act on it without hesitation.

She wasn’t exactly lying. Max was her last hope, and she felt no guilt. What the human girl didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

She was clueless about the bond between her and Max, so she assumed she would heal in time.

Hopefully, she would fall in love with another one of her kind. Humans weren’t known for their deep or lasting emotions.

Still, she felt a pang of sadness for her as she watched her walk out the door, trying to hide her pain.

After all, if anyone knew what it was like to have a broken heart, it was her. She had experienced the most painful rejection.

When the human girl was out of sight, she closed the door and went back to the kitchen to clean up any evidence of her presence.

Then, she dragged herself upstairs to the guest room. She was suddenly exhausted.

She had used real emotion for a fake performance, and it had drained her. But it had given her what she wanted. What she thought she could have. Eventually.

Because Max would need some time to accept his mate’s rejection, surely.

Maybe she should have made the girl act while she was here, where she could see her, but she trusted her when she gave her word.

Strange, wasn’t it?

MAX

Two days.

That’s how long it took me to save Patrick and Eva. I barely slept or ate because I couldn’t while they were in danger, but I saved them.

They're not completely healed, but they're getting there, bit by bit. I even let the kids visit them for a short while last night. They've all been so worried.

Delta shared with me that while they were in the safe house, the boys took care of their sister. They were the ones who helped her through her crisis.

I don't think I've mentioned this much, but the boys absolutely adore Luz. They love her, they care for her, and they always make time to be with her.

I'm not sure they fully grasp what's wrong with her. But it's heartwarming to see how they stick by her regardless.

As for the rogue leader, he's still in custody but won't reveal who's pulling his strings. He hasn't said a word, actually. But he's not my main concern right now.

Patrick and Eva are my priority—along with getting in touch with Estella.

We haven't spoken since before the attack, and I've been swamped ever since.

I know it's not a good excuse, but if I'd told her about Patrick and Eva, she would've flown back immediately. And I'm not sure it's safe for her to do that just yet.

I mean, if the rogue leader hasn't spilled the beans, I can only assume he doesn't see this as a lost cause.

Whoever's behind this must still have some tricks up his sleeve. If all hope was lost, wouldn't the truth have come out by now?

Anyway, after two days, all I want is to go home, take a shower, and get some sleep. And of course, charge my phone and call my girl to see how she's doing.

In a few days, this will all be over, and I'll have her back with me.