The battlefield fell eerily silent, both leaders were sprawled on the soaked ground, their bodies writhing in agony as pain surged through them like wildfire. The rain didn't ease the burning—it only made their suffering more haunting, more raw.
"Sera… Sera—" Liora choked, her voice barely a breath. "Father… help me. I… I can't breathe."
Her lips trembled, and her eyes rolled back as her body convulsed.
Sera darted to her side, her boots slipping in the mud. "Liora!" she cried, gathering the Omega into her arms. "Stay with me. Please—just hold on."
Liora's skin was ice. Her pulse, faint.
Across the field, Zyra fought her own torment. Her claws dug into the earth, trying to anchor herself as wave after wave of anguish tore through her.
"Kael…" she rasped, then screamed, her body buckling.
Kael's eyes widened with panic. "Alpha!" he shouted, shifting into his massive black wolf without hesitation. "Retreat! Now!!"
The Lunarion warriors, stunned and shaken, instantly obeyed. The clash of battle faded as howls rang out. Kael shifted and crouched, letting Zyra's limp form fall across his back before dashing through the trees, the others racing behind him.
Sera, breathing hard, scooped Liora into her arms. The Omega's body was trembling uncontrollably, like a leaf caught in a storm.
"I've got you," she whispered fiercely.
She didn't wait for permission. She turned, running—her heart pounding as fast as the rain.
Behind her, Moonveil's warriors covered the retreat, pushing back what remained of the chaos. And as the pack's gates slammed shut, the skies broke open harder—washing blood, mud, and shattered hopes away.
Aldric rushed to her daughter, he felt pain , he blamed himself for her pain but on the bright side , the bond was broken. He stared at her for a while, then turned to Sera.
"Take my daughter to her chambers , i will inform the healer that she will be coming to his chambers, he said and and went away".
"Alright" Sera nodded.
Pain. Searing, unbearable pain. It was nothing like Liora had imagined. She had thought rejecting Zyra would bring her peace—would sever the cursed bond and finally rid her of the Alpha's presence in her mind, in her soul.
But instead, it felt like something inside her was being ripped apart.
Liora collapsed onto the cold stone floor of her chambers, her body convulsing. Every nerve in her being was on fire, her wolf howling in agony deep within her. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she clutched her chest, trying to suppress the overwhelming emptiness spreading through her veins like poison.
Sera knelt beside her, gripping her shoulders. "Liora! Liora, stay with me!" Her voice was laced with panic, but Liora barely heard her.
"This... this shouldn't hurt this much," Liora choked out. She had prepared for pain, but not for this void—this soul-crushing sense of loss that made her body feel incomplete.
—--------
Meanwhile, miles away in the Lunarion pack, Zyra was no better.
She had barely made it back to her chambers before her legs gave out. Kael had caught her just in time, easing her onto the bed, but Zyra shoved him away with a growl.
"Get off me!" she snarled, but even her voice wavered, betraying the weakness eating at her. Her claws dug into her palm as she tried to will the pain away. It was beneath her—she was an Alpha. Strong. Powerful. Yet here she was, clutching her chest like a wounded pup.
Kael stood over her, his expression unreadable. "Zyra, this—this isn't normal."
"I don't need you to tell me that," she snapped, forcing herself upright despite the sharp pang in her ribs.
Her wolf whimpered, clawing at her mind. Fool. Mate. Gone. Wrong.
The rejection had worked. The bond was broken. So why did she still feel something tethering her to that damn Omega?
Zyra clenched her fists, her silver eyes darkening. "That rejection should have freed me," she muttered, her voice laced with venom. "But I don't feel free. I feel..."
She stopped herself before admitting the truth. Before saying out loud that she felt like something inside her was weak.
Kael's jaw tightened. "Maybe the Moon Goddess doesn't let True Blood mates part so easily."
Zyra scoffed, but the unease in her chest only grew.
—--------
Sera paced restlessly across Liora's lowly lit chamber, her eyes filled with helpless concern as she watched the Omega tremble on the cold floor. Liora was no longer in control—her wolf had surfaced, taking over completely. It was only the second time Sera had ever seen this happen. The first had been when Liora's mother was killed. And now… now she has lost her mate.
Liora's usual blue eyes glowed with an eerie, almost ethereal luminescence. The air around her pulsed with raw energy as she clutched at her chest, her breath ragged. A guttural whimper escaped her lips, shifting into a wail so painful it sent a chill down Sera's spine.
She had heard of wolves grieving, of rejected mates suffering unbearable agony, but seeing it firsthand—watching Liora crumble—was something else entirely.
"Liora, listen to me. You need to calm down," Sera urged, kneeling beside her.
Liora lifted her head, but it wasn't Liora who looked at her. The blue glow in her eyes burned brighter, her wolf fully in control. Her lips curled into a snarl as she spat, "Don't call me that."
Sera stiffened. "What?"
"My name isn't Liora. I don't want it. That name belongs to the one who rejected my mate." Her voice was raw, trembling with fury and sorrow. "Call me Blue."
Sera hesitated, uncertain of how to handle this side of her Omega. The Liora she knew was composed, tactical, and determined. But Blue—Blue was an unfiltered emotion, unrestrained grief.
"She made me do it," Blue whimpered, curling in on herself. "She made me reject my mate."
Sera's heart clenched. She had never seen Liora—no, Blue—this vulnerable before. It was as if her entire being was fracturing before her eyes.
"Blue," she said gently, testing the name, hoping to pacify the wolf . "You need to let Liora come back. We have to get you to the healer."
Blue's luminous eyes flickered with hesitation. She sniffled, the sharp glow in her irises dimming. Her breaths came in shallow, shuddering waves, and then—she surrendered.
Liora gasped as she came back to herself, her body slumping forward. Her fingers dug into the floor as if anchoring herself to reality. She lifted her gaze, meeting Sera's concerned eyes, and for the first time, her pain was completely visible.
Sera forced a smirk, trying to lighten the suffocating tension. "You know, your wolf is like a little fluff ball," she teased.
But liora was in no mood or condition for that
Sera carefully slipped an arm around Liora's trembling frame, guiding her to her feet. The Omega was unsteady, her body weak from the agonizing rejection. Her limbs were tired, as if the very essence of her strength had been drained away.
Liora's breath came in short, uneven gasps as she leaned into Sera for support. Her skin was clammy, her usually radiant complexion dull. Even her scent—once rich and commanding—was muted, tainted with the lingering remnants of pain.
Sera held her tighter, concern deepening in her chest. "Come on, Liora," she murmured. "Just a little further."
The two of them stepped out into the quiet corridors of the packhouse. The torches lining the stone walls flickered, casting elongated shadows that danced as they moved. The night air filtering through the windows was cool, but it did little to soothe the feverish heat radiating from Liora's skin.
She staggered, her legs threatening to buckle, but Sera steadied her. "Almost there," she reassured, though the worry in her voice was evident.
With each step, Liora fought against the throbbing ache in her chest. Her wolf whimpered within, still mourning, but she shoved the emotions down. There was no time for weakness—not now.
As they neared the healer's chambers, Sera caught the faint scent of herbs and burning sage. A sliver of hope flickered in her heart. If anyone could ease Liora's suffering, it was the healer.