Breaking the Bond

Broken Heart Syndrome

Ryan just stood there, his dark aura swirled round him like thunder clouds, warning of a storm, angry and threatening. He couldn’t believe that the small human standing in front of him had the courage to do such a thing, then again, did she know the consequences of rejection, and by the look on her face she didn’t have a single clue.

“Now you can let me go”. Lexi curled her hands in tight fists, your nails threatening to piece her skin. She didn’t know where she mustered up the courage.

Ryan threw his head back to give a sardonic laugh. “You thought it be that easy, sunshine”.

He stepped forward as his wolf pushed to the surface making him grow taller and wider, intimating to the human girl. “You need to recite the rejection words and I need to accept them before the bond breaks”. He was inches away from her. “Do you think I haven’t thought about it? That rejecting you would solve at least one of my biggest problems?” He grabbed her by her upper arms, almost lifting her form the ground as she looked at him with hate and fear. That hurt him and he wished he could shake her.  

“I have thought about it many times but I’m sure that it will kill you before the bond is completely broken.” She gasped.

“Kill me?” She shook her head she didn’t want to die; she could have killed herself if she had successfully rejected him. Ryan pulled her into is chest as he buried his nose into the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent, calming himself.

“Don’t ever do that again, Lexi”. He growled. Tom looked at her in complete surprise.

“You never told me, why didn’t you tell me, Ryan?”. She practically sobbed into his shirt. He signed, his grip on her arms tightening almost painfully. “This is something you should tell someone, what else have you kept from me that could put me in danger?”

“Sit down, Lexi”, Ryan placed her on the huge white couch as he walked over to the kitchen, grabbing two bottles of water.

“Ryan, tell her everything…” Tom begged.

“I’ll her tell what she needs to know”. He paced then went back to the living room taking a seat opposite her.

“Lexi, I told you before that a fated mate is important to a werewolf. Chosen by the moon goddess herself, a precious gift, making the other whole. Therefore, if a mate rejects the other, angering the Moon Goddess, there are consequences”. He signed.

“But you don’t treat me like a mate, you actually treat me like a possession. Won’t the moon goddess be angry at you for this….hmmmm?” Lexi whispered but she felt justified. Ryan hung his head in shame.

“You’re right, I have locked you away, hide you from the world but you have understand, it’s for your protection. With everything going on at the moment, I needed to keep you safe. So… the consequences. There is very little we know about rejection. It doesn’t happen that often, especially since fated mates are rare, werewolves they are thankful to the moon goddess. Rejection is frowned upon in our world. The last time a werewolf rejected her mate, she went insane and killed herself. Her mate lived out his days in self isolation, a lone werewolf. Another werewolf, he lost the respect of his pack, they turned on him and he was stripped of his Alpha title, he ended up dying but the circumstances are unknown. His mate, never fully recovered either. There is a pattern, each wolf going insane or losing themselves, cutting themselves off from their packs.” He pressed his hands to his face.

“So you’re afraid?” Lexi looked at Ryan. “You’re afraid what the rejection will do to you?”

“No Lexi, I’m afraid what it will do to you. There has only been one recorded werewolf mated to a human in our pack. Centuries ago, to a beta wolf. I guess that is what you read in that book. He was pressured by his pack to reject such a weak mate; he did it and his mate died a few hours later, killed by the power of the bond, of a broken heart, the human heart is much weaker”.

Tom walked in, “they call it broken heart syndrome, other packs confirmed the same, even though a human mate is rare, all of them died young”. Lexi nodded, she had heard of it, even when her own kind had rejected another, there had been stories of them dying of a broken heart.

“So you’re not going to reject me because its frowned upon?”. Ryan stared at Lexi. A long time passed before anyone spoke. It was written on his face. “You’re trying to find a way to break the bond without killing me, you won’t accept me”. All because I’m human, she thought to herself. A lump formed in her throat, pain engulfed her but she pushed it down. Why would an Alpha pick her? She was not only human but she was nothing special to look at and if truth be told she felt a little damaged, unsure she could entirely trust another man, the monster lingering in her mind. She wouldn’t make a good partner and defiantly not a good Luna like the ones she read bout. She felt so sad. Even though she had built up a barrier to protect herself, the target hits its mark. She hated the bond, why did it torture her like this, a slow rejection from her soulmate. She rose from her position. Ryan and Tom were still talking, both looking at her but she couldn’t figure out the words being said. Instead she headed for the sanctuary of her small room, trying to figure out her feelings. Why was she so hurt, she tried to reject him, this was good. Things would work out and she would be free. That’s what she wanted, right?

The days passed, Lexi lost in her thoughts. The big move to the pack edged closer. Tom also became distracted. They swore Lexi to secrecy of her identity. Just in case someone in the pack had been working with the Hunters. Lexi studied Toms face as they packed up her belongings. He seemed distant.

“There’s something else you’re not telling me”. Tom sighed.

“It’s not my place to say little star, I have to let Ryan chose what is best for you both, even if I don’t agree with everything. He’s a good man Lexi. Try to hold on to that thought for me”. His confession making her more nervous. “You will love the new room and you’ll finally meet Owen, he’s really excited to meet you”. He tidied up the gazebo.  “I will be there for a few days, then I’ll be off for a week, it’s my friend’s birthday in another pack and I promised him id visit and I need to deliver documents to his father, but Owen should keep you company, little star”. Lexi nodded. She knew she couldn’t demand anything and she wasn’t surprised that she’d less of Tom when she was on pack lands, she wouldn’t need a guard when there was a whole pack she’d have to escape.

All she could think about was Toms words, how there were other surprises and information that Ryan had decided to withhold from her. She wished she could read more about this broken heart syndrome, she started to think that it may not affect her, maybe the other human girl had a weak heart.

The big move inevitably arrived and Lexi felt sick. She could feel a shift or change that she couldn’t figure out. A gut feeling that something terrible was about to happen. She tried to calm her nerves. Tom singing as they stood by the elevator waiting for Ryan.

“I’m going to the rooftop”. Tom nodded. She stood on the lawn. “Goodbye paradise”.

Ryan was in a particularly foul mood today, Lexi thought it was her fault, moving his fated mate to the pack house, he was embarrassed maybe. No one spoke as they moved to the SUV parked outside. No one even hummed or breathed to loudly in the car as Lexi watched as the building became smaller and less frequent until they were driving down a dirt path through high trees.

They drove pass two guards by a gated fence who bowed at their Alpha. They moved through until Lexi noticed people wondering and a large grey and white wolf emerging from the trees, her heart beat accelerating. Then she noticed a large modern building with decking surrounding the front, high glass windows spanned the lower floor, broken only by a large stained door with a multi-coloured orb and a wolf howling it. All the colours made it look mesmerising. The ten floors above had a similar design. Each room with their own personal balcony.  though the entire building was made of glass, Lexi couldn’t see inside, it reflected its surroundings so the modern building didn’t stand out in the middle of the forest. As they pulled up she noticed a pretty young woman with long blond her run out the front door, she looked tall, athletic. Her face radiated sunshine with big blue eyes and a narrow face. Her white long dress floated as she stopped on the last step, beaming at the car. Lexi looked at Tom who frowned at the girl. Then she turned to Ryan who sat beside her. He looked at up at the girl his face stoic. He jumped out of the car. He headed straight for the woman. Then she heard him speak.

“Natalie”.