The Unclaimed Luna

Breaking point

(Darius)

'She’s carrying our pup, Darius. This is your fault for stressing her out,' Kael said, his voice filled with frustration in my head. I ignored him. I didn’t need his commentary or his judgment right now.

After talking to Lauren, I went back to visit Emma. I was ready to set boundaries, to make it clear how things would be moving forward, but the moment I reached the door, her voice stopped me cold.

“I can’t stay here anymore. I have to leave.” Her tone was quiet but firm. Every word hit me like a blow.

She was planning to leave. Leave me. Leave the pack. Take my pup.

'Stop her. Now,' Kael growled, his urgency matching my panic.

I didn’t hesitate. I shoved the door open, stepping into the room with enough force to startle the doctor. His head snapped up in surprise, but I didn’t care. My eyes were locked on Emma. She was sitting on the bed, her legs swinging over the side as if she was already preparing to leave.

Her movements froze when she saw me. Her wide eyes showed of guilt before she masked it. “Darius,” she said cautiously.

“You’re not going anywhere,” I snapped.

Her hands gripped the edge of the bed, her knuckles turning white. “You can’t stop me,” she said.

I took a step closer, ignoring the doctor as he glanced between us and quietly slipped out of the room. “Watch me,” I replied, my tone daring her to challenge me.

Emma stood, her shoulders squared as if she wasn't going to back down. “I’m serious, Darius. I’m leaving. I can’t do this anymore.”

“You’re not leaving,” I said firmly, my jaw tightening.

Her eyes narrowed. “And why not? Give me one good reason why I should stay.”

“Because you’re carrying my pup,” I said. “And that means you stay.”

Her jaw tightened, as she continued to argue. “You think that’s enough? Do you think you can just tell me to stay, and I’ll do it? You’ve treated me like I’m nothing, and now you want to claim me because it’s convenient? No, Darius. I won’t stay for that.”

Her words hit harder than I expected, but I refused to let her see it. “You don’t understand what you’re saying,” I said. “Leaving isn’t an option. Not for you. Not for our pup.”

Her glare grew colder. “You don’t get to decide what’s an option for me, Darius. You don’t get to make that choice.”

Kael growled in my mind. 'Fix this,' he snarled, but I ignored him. This wasn’t his fight.

“You think you can just leave?” I said, my tone harsher than I intended. “Take my child and disappear? Do you have any idea what that would mean? For you? For the pack?”

Emma’s expression didn’t change. “It means I get to take control of my life. It means I don’t have to stay in a place where I’m nothing more than a burden to you.”

“You’re not a burden,” I snapped.

“Then what am I, Darius? Tell me. Because from where I’m standing, that’s exactly what I am. An obligation. A responsibility. Something you feel trapped by.”

Her words hurt a lot, but I forced myself to keep my expression calm. “You’re mine,” I said simply. “That’s what you are. Mine. And that means you stay.”

Emma’s eyes were filled with anger once more. “I don’t want to be yours,” she said. “Not like this. I want more than that. But I know now that’s never going to happen.”

Her voice was strong, and there were no tears this time. She was determined and I hated that it was directed against me.

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” I said, taking another step closer. “This isn’t just about you. It’s about the pack. It’s about the pup. It’s about—”

“It’s about you,” she interrupted. “It’s always about you. Your rules, your pride, your need to control everything. Well, guess what, Darius? I’m done playing by your rules.”

Kael’s frustration was noticeable in my mind, but I shoved it aside. “You’re not leaving,” I said again.

Her chin lifted stubbornly. “And what if I do? What will you do, Darius? Lock me up? Force me to stay? Because that’s the only way you’re going to keep me here.”

My hands clenched at my sides at her words. “You don’t get it, do you?” I said. “You think you can just walk away from this? From me? It doesn’t work like that.”

Emma stepped closer, glaring at me. “And why not? Because it hurts your pride? Because it makes you look weak to the pack? Tell me, Darius. Why does it matter so much to you?”

For a moment, I didn’t know how to respond. Kael’s voice growled in my head, demanding that I tell her the truth, but the words wouldn’t come.

“You’re not leaving,” I said again, my voice softer this time. “Not now. Not ever.”

“I’m staying for now,” she said finally. "And when the time comes for me to leave, there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

“You won’t leave,” I said. “I won’t let you.”

Her laughter was bitter. “You can’t stop me, Darius. Not when I’ve already made up my mind.”

She turned toward the door, and something inside me snapped. I moved before I could think, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. Her wide eyes met mine, filled with surprise.

I didn’t give her a chance to speak. My hands cupped her face as I closed the distance between us, my lips crashing against hers. It wasn’t soft or gentle—it was a bit desperate.

For a moment, she froze, her body stiff against mine. Her eyes searched mine, and I could see the different kinds of emotions there—anger, frustration, confusion.

“You don’t get to do that,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. “You don’t get to kiss me and think it fixes everything.”

“It doesn’t,” I admitted. “But it’s a start.”

She stared at me for a while, then, without another word, she pulled away, turning back toward the door.

“This isn’t over,” I said as she reached for the handle.

She paused but didn’t look back. “No, it’s not,” she said. “But it’s not up to you anymore, Darius. It’s up to me.”

And with that, she walked out, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding and my mind filled with everything I should have said but didn’t.