Chapter 49

Chapter 49. Live Our Lives Brayden did not let her go. If anything, now he clenched her towards himself tighter in a useless hope that he had misheard the Lycan king right now.

But when Gideon stood up and moved in their direction, he knew that he had lost. He had just lost everything.

“I don’t like to repeat myself,” the lycan looked at him with a challenge in his eyes, “You need to step away from my mate. Now.”

The silence in the room was long and awkward but after a while Brayden unclenched his fingers and Riannon stepped away.

Gideon did not waste any time and pulled her towards him. Rubbing her arm where her ex-husband was just holding her.

“Ria, did he hurt you?” he asked in a fake-sweet tone, and Riannon knew that if they did not want the bloodshed, she’d better shake her head and deny everything. He waited for them to be together for too long and his patience had its limits too.

“No, I am fine,” she said and her mate brushed his palm over her beautiful face, enjoying the tingles that the touch created. He could stay this way forever, but a sound of laughter distracted him.

It was cold and unnatural laughter on the verge of madness.

“Are you kidding me?!” Brayden rubbed his eyes and threw his head back, trying to calm down. Too many eyes were on him now and he needed to get the situation back in control.

It was bad. He was losing his wife and at least half of his pack. No one would ever look at him in the same way again. No one would let him ever forget what happened here today. So, he had to act and he had to act fast.

“So, was this the plan all along?” he scoffed, “This is how the lycans now try to get our lands? You don’t want war, so you are just going to marry daughters of Alphas and grab their packs in the process?”

Neither Ria nor Gideon liked what he was implying now. And some of the alphas in the room became visibly more anxious. In the end, the territory was one thing they were all ready to fight for. Always.

“Can’t you see what he’s doing right now?” Brayden continued, “He is using my wife to weaken me and to expand his Kingdom!

I’m sure that he’s not even your mate, Riannon! Are you sure that this is not some kind of witchery? You two met before and neither of you seemed to be shouting that you were mates.”

“You’d better shut up about it now,” Gideon growled, “before you say something that Ria knew exactly what kind of game her now ex-husband was playing, so she placed her palm on the king’s chest. The gesture immediately calmed him down. Their eyes met just for a “It may come as a surprise to you,” she started speaking softly, but it was only pretence, “but some people know how to control their wolves and their urges. It requires tremendous willpower that you clearly do not possess considering the situation we are in now, but it can still be done. We simply controlled ourselves and behaved like people and not animals. Out of respect for you and our marriage in the first place. You should try that sometimes. And as for my lands, they will always remain mine. Gideon has enough of his own. He doesn’t need to take anything from his woman other than love.”

That was a low blow and she knew it. After all, their packs were merged through marriage. This was how Bray got to his current position that was now slipping away.

But she was cutting the cord today. It had to be done.

“And as for proof of us being mates, not that we owe you anything,” she continued, “I think the fact that the mark you gave me started disappearing when we met should be proof enough.”

She moved the part of the white blazer that she was wearing and demonstrated to him the now pale stains on her skin, where she used to have scars left by his canines. It was there before, only that he did not notice. He did not check. He did not pay attention.

Brayden’s face lost colour as his mouth parted slightly. His eyes were filled with pain now and for the first time, she felt sorry for doing this to him. But then she remembered how he sunk his canines into Roxy’s neck right in front of her. Mere minutes after he denounced her as his Luna in front of the pack. It was unnecessary cruelness that she did not deserve after After months and months of struggle, she was finally free from that feeling that was eating her up from the inside. This was when she was going to leave quietly, knowing that there were places where she would be accepted. But it wasn’t destined to be this way and she never managed to leave her pack. Maybe because it was her destiny to get it back after all. And fix everything that happened.

Brayden’s hand went to his neck instinctively where he tried to find the mark that she left on him. Two small scars were still there, palpable. He couldn’t comprehend what was going on.

“Yet here we are,” Riannon sighed, “I did not want to do it like this. But it seems that you will cause trouble if I don’t.”

“Ri,” he tried to stop her, stretching his hand in her direction but Gideon growled as a warning, “Don’t...”

“I, Riannon Michaels, reject you, Brayden Thorn as my chosen mate, my husband and my Alpha. Starting from today, there is no bond between the two of us.” The words left her mouth and she was afraid to feel the pain. But nothing happened. The lycan king looked at her with concern on his face but relaxed when she gave him a little calm smile.

Brayden, however, did not look too good. He was already pale prior to all that, but now he looked as if he was about to collapse.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He kept standing, but it was obvious that he could feel their bond being broken.

“How could you?” he stared at her now with pain in his eyes, “We... after so many years “Go to your mate, Brayden,” was all that Riannon said to him, “And leave me and my mate alone.”

This wasn’t how she planned to do it. But it was too late now since it was done. There was nothing between the two of them anymore.

The room became silent.

“You know what,” Alpha Zack Morgan stood up, “how about we take a little break and cool ourselves down a bit?”

“I don’t know,” the werecat leader smirked at him, playing with her hair, “I haven’t been to a Summit this entertaining for a while!”

“We’ll meet you back here in half an hour,” Gideon said, taking Riannon’s hand and bumping Brayden’s shoulder with his as they walked out.

He pulled her behind him, not caring where they went and as soon as they made a turn, he immediately slammed her back over the wall and placed his hands on both sides of her. The lycan crashed his lips into hers, tasting them as if he had never done this before. His fingers dug into her hair, and she moaned softly when he thrust his tongue into her mouth. She missed him. Even more than she realised.

“If I don’t take and mark you now, I will die,” he muttered as he peppered her neck with kisses, his canines grazing over her sensitive skin.

place. And...”

“I don’t care,” he growled, pulling the belt of her blazer, and sliding his hands underneath it to feel her exposed skin. She was wearing a lace cropped top underneath and he couldn’t appreciate it more.

“Gideon,” she let out a little nervous laugh, “The place is packed with Alphas who can hear everything. My ex included. Don’t prove him right and don’t give him control over the narrative of our story. Don’t make him a victim here.”

He stopped, still breathing heavily into the column of her neck.

“We just claimed that we can control ourselves,” she reminded him, “We can’t...”

“I get it,” he groaned and pulled away from her. However, a happy grin was plastered all over his face. Her lips curled into a smile too.

“I am free,” she whispered, still afraid to say it out loud. “No, you are not,” he grunted, “You are mine.” “Yes,” Riannon nodded to that, “I won’t argue with that. I...”

A confession almost left her lips but she stopped herself because this wasn’t how she wanted to do it.

“Come on,” he told her, “Maya is waiting outside. I bet you would love to break the news to her personally.”

“Really?” she gasped, “You brought her here too?” “Of course,” he chuckled, “Not that it was a choice. Your friend is... let’s call it stubborn.”

“That she is,” Ria agreed as he led her back to the foyer, while holding hands. They passed a few Lunas who were waiting for their husbands and she saw the looks of shock on their faces.

A lot of people expected her divorce but no one expected this.

When they were outside, Gideon called his driver and asked to bring Maya to the main entrance. But the car took too long to arrive and he decided to go check what was going on.

“Stay here,” he said, “I’ll be back quick.”

Riannon smiled to herself as she stood there, waiting for him. But soon she heard a familiar voice.

“How could you do this to me, Ri?”

She turned to face her ex-husband and sighed. had its limits, “You have your mate and I have mine. Let’s live our lives.”

“You just destroyed my pack!” he said through clenched teeth. “No,” she shook her head, “I saved what I could.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” he furrowed his brows.

She opened her mouth to respond to him when they both felt it. The change in the air as it got heated. And the deafening sound of an explosion.

The glass walls of the hotel shattered to myriads of pieces that were flying their way. This was when the blast wave reached them too. At the last moment, Brayden jumped in her direction and they both fell to the ground as he covered her with his body. It took just a second or two, but it felt like forever.

The whole world fell into silence...