Seven years of molding myself to fit his desires are now gone. I thought back to all the times I tried to be what he wanted. Cutting my hair when he said he preferred it short. Skipping meals to fit into his ideal of beauty. Enduring painful trials alone, so he wouldn’t see me weak. But no matter how much I gave, Winona was always there between us.
“You’re strong, Ariana. You don’t need me like she does,” he’d say, using my strength as an excuse for his neglect.
The next day, I visited my mother’s grave, the air heavy with grief. I traced her name on the stone, my fingers numb against the cold granite.
As I turned to leave, Scott and Winona appeared, her hands clutching an urn. “This place is near my ,” she murmured. “If I bury my baby here, it’s like he never left.”
My jaw tightened. I wanted to avoid a confrontation, but Scott stepped into my path. “Are you following me?” he asked, his tone accusing.
“No,” I replied, my voice weary. “I’m leaving.”
Winona’s voice cut in. “My puppy died, and Scott stayed with me for the funeral. Don’t misunderstand,” she said, acting like a victim.
“Good for you,” I muttered, brushing past her.
“Ariana!” Scott’s voice followed, laced with reprimand. “Can’t you be sympathetic? Winona is grieving.”
I stopped, turning to face him. “Sympathetic?” I repeated, incredulous. “Do you even hear yourself?”
“She needed me,” he said defensively. “You’re strong. You can handle yourself.”
It was like a slap to the face, the final justification every time he had abandoned me. My wolf growled low in my chest, but I held her back.
“I guess you've never care listening to my call through the mind link. I rejected you as my mate. It’s over, Scott,” I said flatly, turning away.
“Don’t be like this!” he called after me, his voice tinged with desperation. “Your mother would’ve wanted us together. We can reschedule the ceremony. There’s always another mating season.”
I froze, his words twisting the knife deeper. Slowly, I turned to him, meeting his gaze with all the pain and fury I’d been holding back. “You don’t get it, do you?” I said, my voice breaking. “There’s no more us. Not now. Not ever.”
His eyes widened, and for a moment, I thought he might fight for me. But instead, he grabbed his phone, muttering about planning a new ceremony. As if this was something he could fix with a grand gesture.