Chapter 4: When the Bond Turned to Pain Part Two

Julia threw her head back and howled. Long. Broken. Desperate. Her blood stained the mattress. Her breathing grew erratic. The pain pulsed and pulsed until finally— Darkness took her again. When Julia woke, the room was dim with early dawn light. For a moment, she didn’t remember. Then she felt the dried blood against her skin. The ache in her body. The hollow emptiness in her chest. And then she felt him. A familiar presence close to her. A hand brushed gently against her cheek. She opened her eyes. Jason. Her alpha. Her mate. The reason for the worst night of her life. He knelt beside her bed, his gray eyes filled with concern. His jaw was tight. His shoulders tense. He looked like he was in pain seeing her like this. And Julia could see the fresh claiming mark adoring his neck. But Julia felt nothing. Her eyes were dull. Empty. The affection that once warmed her gaze when she looked at him was gone. And then she smelled it. Her. Willow’s scent clung to him. Strong. Fresh. Intertwined with his. And on his neck— The mark. The clear mating mark of his luna. Something inside Julia didn’t even crack this time. It simply… went still. “Why are you here, Alpha?” she asked quietly. “Do you need something?” The formal title cut through him. “Julia, why did you hurt yourself like this?” Jason demanded softly, noticing the dried blood. “You need a healer. I’ll summon one immediately.” “No need, Alpha,” she replied calmly. “The healer cannot do anything to help me.” She gently pulled her hand from his grasp. “Thank you for your concern. But you should leave. I do not want anyone to see you here and think something inappropriate is happening. I would not want the luna to misunderstand why the alpha is visiting an omega in the early morning.” Jason’s expression darkened. “Stop this, Julia. I’m sorry you found out that way. But the decision I made was for the pack. The pack always comes first.” “Of course, Alpha,” she answered. “I understand.” And she did. In the hierarchy of the pack— The alpha. The luna. The warriors. And somewhere at the bottom— The omega. Her heart felt dead. Her wolf had retreated deep into her mind, licking her wounds in silence. Jason inhaled sharply, frustration flickering in his eyes. “I will come back tonight,” he said. “We will talk when you are calm and not this emotional. But listen to me, Julia—you are my mate. You will always be my mate. You are mine. Do whatever you need to move past this because I will never let you go.” He leaned forward to kiss her. Julia turned her head. His lips brushed air. The rejection was quiet. Soft. But absolute. She met his gaze steadily. “You chose your luna, Alpha,” she said, her voice no longer trembling. “And I will respect that choice. But do not speak of ownership to me.” Jason’s jaw tightened. Something unfamiliar flickered in his eyes—uncertainty. Julia slowly pushed herself into a sitting position despite the ache in her body. “I have duties to attend to,” she continued calmly. “The kitchens will need preparation for the morning meal. The pack will expect their omega to function as usual.” “Julia—” “Congratulations on your union, Alpha,” she said. Not bitter. Not crying. Just… finished. Jason stared at her for a long moment. Then he stood. “I am not done with you,” he said quietly. Julia did not respond. He left. The cabin door closed behind him. Silence returned. Julia exhaled slowly and swung her legs over the side of the bed. The sheets beneath her were stained red, but she did not look at them. She stood. Wiped her face clean. And stepped toward the wash basin. The pain had not disappeared. It had simply changed. It was no longer sharp and burning. It was cold. Controlled. And somewhere beneath the grief— Something new was forming. Not love. Not hope. But strength. For the first time in three years, Julia realized something undeniable. If she was nothing to the pack— If she was nothing to her alpha— Then she had nothing left to lose. Right now, all Julia needed to think about was surviving the day. One breath at a time. One task at a time. One moment at a time. If she allowed herself to think too far ahead, she would break apart completely. So she focused on moving. On carrying trays. On cleaning dishes. On answering when spoken to. On pretending she could still function while her heart slowly bled inside her chest. But tonight… Tonight would come eventually. And with it, Jason. Because she knew him. When Alpha Jason said he would come back to talk, he would. He would walk into her cabin like he always did, expecting her to listen. Expecting her to obey. Expecting her to accept whatever scraps of affection he decided to give her after spending his nights with another woman. And the worst part? He would not think he was doing anything wrong. In his mind, he was trying. Trying to keep both his pack and his mate. Trying to balance duty and desire. Trying to make her understand why she had to suffer quietly for the sake of everyone else. Julia’s chest tightened painfully. Would he touch her tonight after touching Willow? Would he kiss her with lips that had already kissed his Luna? Would he hold her and ask her to understand while another woman carried his mark openly for the whole pack to see? The thought made her stomach twist violently. But did she really have a choice? As an omega… she didn’t. That was the reality of her life. The reality of being born at the very bottom of the pack hierarchy. Omegas survived by enduring. By lowering their heads. By accepting. The stronger wolves decided. The weaker wolves obeyed. That was how the world worked. And everyone—including Jason—expected her to simply accept her fate. Accept that her mate belonged publicly to another woman. Accept that she would remain hidden forever. Accept the pain. Accept the humiliation. Accept the nights spent alone while hearing the pack celebrate the Alpha and his Luna. Because to them, what she felt did not matter. She was only an omega. An omega who dreamed too high. An omega foolish enough to believe being fated mates meant she would actually be chosen. Her eyes burned again, but she forced the tears back down. No. She would not cry now. Not in front of the pack. Not where someone could see. She had already humiliated herself enough by hoping. Still, deep inside her, something cracked further. Because for the first time since meeting Jason… Julia realized something terrifying. He did love her. In his own way, he probably always would. But his love would never be enough to save her. Not from the pack. Not from Willow. And not from himself.