MATES: REMNANTS OF A BETRAYED BOND (BOOK 2)

-VALEN'S POV-

Low sobbing sounds filtered through the mind-link. Anguish delved into my chest when I considered the shattered dreams and hopes.

Finding a fated mate was supposed to be blissful. However, for unfortunate soulmates, the ending was the opposite. The mate bond was meant to serve a purpose and then a rejection was imminent.

I could not have done it if I had been looking into her beautiful electric blue eyes. Still, it did not lessen the way my chest felt like a large sword was gradually piercing through it.

Closing my eyes, I recited the awful renunciation, "I, Valen Wolverson, future Alpha King of the Royal Dark Wolverson Pack, reject you, Raina Singh, as my fated mate, my Luna Queen, and other half and hereby sever all ties as ordained by the moon goddess."

Raina wallowed in dismay and whined. "I-I can't."

"You must." I could feel Zeus' rage. Was my wolf waking up? He could have suspected what we were trying to do. This was devastating.

"Please don't make me. If you love me, you won't do this." Raina begged through her weeping.

My emotions swirled like a turbulent storm. With those words, she cornered me in a precarious position that carried the full weight of the circumstances.

Like a three-banded armadillo, my heart rolled itself into a cocoon. The volvation was its shell of protection, blocking all the emotions out.

“Raina,” I darted a harsh and cold tone at her stubbornness. “Do it, now.”

“No. No. Please, Valen.” She whimpered.

I didn’t want to do it.

I had to.

So I took a deep breath and alpha-commanded her to do it with thunderous force and power. “Now!”

“I accept your rejection.” She yelped in response, unable to disobey my authority.

Heart-shattering pain slammed into me. Punching agony pelleted in my gut. Clutching my chest with heaving breaths, my body burned.

I grunted through the anguish. It lasted for a while.

Then there was silence. A desolate silence that had me panicking and surfing in regret.

-

*(A/n: To read the backstory, you can check out Mates: Regrets and Redemption's latter chapters. That is the last 70 chapters.)

-

-RAINA’S POV-

Funny how, in fairy tales, things may go horribly wrong. Nothing is ever accurately depicted since everything got twisted upside down and inside out. The thin line between love and hate was crossed. It was so much easier to hold on to the bitterness when the pain of rejection was a constant reminder.

Humiliated.

Shattered.

Humbled.

The rejected Luna Queen.

All of these represented me and I made the headlines on social media as well as in the newspapers. It was three days later and the wound in my heart was fresh. She-wolves joyously commented on Valen’s bachelorhood.

Many expected the elders to convene for a claiming ceremony to be held or at least issue letters of candidacy to Alphas, whose daughters they thought would be outstanding Luna Queen prospects.

In a rapt buzz of togetherness, the werewolf realm sang their way through the summer haze. Their droning and raves saturated the air with a tincture of annoyance that understated a terrible bitterness.

On the flip side of the coin, I had their abhorrence. They branded me as a pathetic loser and undeserving of Valen. I was a bad luck charm. Snide remarks came from all over the world.

It was heartrending and embarrassing. The pain was excruciating as I felt all of my organs shriveled and withered, then died like a bluebell flower that had been thrust out into a cruel, sun-blazing desert. It haunted my memories to this day.

After I was forced to accept the rejection and shift into my human form, I stayed in my room at the pack house in solitaire. I’ve cried more than I have eaten.

Call after call, text after text—Venus and Azara would not take a hint. Based on my request, they have stayed away. Mom and Dad were worried. Valen wanted to see me and I refused. Seeing him, hearing his seductive baritone, and smelling his cardamom and amber scent were ingredients for a waterfall of tears.

Today, I was summoned to a meeting on the loft of the Alpha floor at the pack house. Technically, it was my family and Valen’s family that was here.

The afternoon’s brilliance made fun of my pessimistic attitude. I was unable to merge my dejected emotions with the natural exuberance of the sunny day.

Valen and I have broken up. It was permanent and I kept missing him. Since the conception of the mate bond, howbeit Valen and I spent a mere two days as official mates. Our time together was cut short. This was the ending for unfortunate soulmates. Selene knew every crevice of my heart and yet she shattered it.

The moon goddess did not favor me.

My eyes pricked up with tears. I cleared my throat in an attempt to squelch them. I counseled myself not to cry. Not in front of them. I curled my legs under as I sat in a Sacramento green wing chair and hugged myself.

Luna Sianna sat in Alpha Vance’s lap. Mom and Dad mimicked them. Grandma gave me a nice warm hug before she took a seat. Valen and Devin were the last to arrive.

“Cuz,” Devin inclined his short shaggy caramel blonde head with a wink and leaned on the wall with hands in his black, ripped jeans pockets.

My eyes only met Valen’s for a moment. My heart started beating erratically. I was happy to see him. No. I ached even more now that I saw him.

Much like his Dad, he sported his long, wavy black hair in a neat man-bun today. He looked refreshingly good. Like he wasn't as miserably as me. D*mn him! Not a pound has dropped from his taut body. His turquoise short sleeve Henley Tee clung to all those strapping, bulging biceps.

Pinning me with his precise gaze, Valen’s handsome features softened and his lush lips gave me a subtle smile that enamored me. He was powerfully hot. Really, really hot. Tall, thick and burly, he still looked like a decadent piece of work as his lewd emeralds devoured me.

Although Hera, my wolf, hated me, she perked up in my mind because he was here. My stomach churned with longing. A dizzy spell caught me when his scent swirled like the ambient air.

The weighty aura emanating from him was begging my soul to marvel in it. My wolf shuddered in pleasure. A deep desirous feeling emerged to run to him.

Why do I still feel this way about him? It will probably pass in due course. Love takes time to heal from the inescapable pain of a broken bond.

Time heals all wounds. I had to be patient to get over him.

Quickly, I cast my eyes down with a dicing reminder that I could not have him. It was best to forget and move on. Lest I suffer again. Unfortunate soulmates have no future. I had to spare myself from a bitter end.

“Raina, we are here because I haven’t told you much about our family.” Nitya, my sixty-six-year-old Indian grandmother began, sitting across from me.

Looking up, I swept my naturally burgundy hair away from my face and used both of my index fingers to curl the loose strands behind my ears.

I nodded with nothing to say. Under the progressive depression, I have had minimal communication with everyone.

“Your grandfather, Shahid, was from a special bloodline. It’s called the maior mana that is carried within his genes.” Grandma explained with her chestnut eyes on me. “It gives our children unique abilities, but the most powerful one is the catalyst of power. With that, you can strengthen or weaken a person.”

“Your case strongly implies that your maior mana is exceptional. Our enemies are aware of what you are and that’s why they want you.” Dad took the floor. His gaze seemed troubled.

“Alphas could also be tempted if the information got out. This is huge.” Devin remarked from my left side. “Your powers will work on any species.”

My hands shook and my eyes swelled in their sockets with mingled fury and awe. They knew all along and would not tell me why those wolves were targeting me. At the same time, I had no idea that my family bloodline carried this power. Then why was the mate bond cursed? Did the moon goddess pair me with Valen so that I’d have his protection but not him, the man?

“I can do all of that?” My lips twitched in fear. I blinked and stared blankly for a few seconds. Learning this frightened me. I adjusted myself in the chair and lowered my feet, hugging myself.

“Yes. Through physical contact, you have the ability to absorb the life essence, talents, memories, and superpowers of anyone else. While people could also extract essence from you to significantly increase their abilities. That's what Farrah did when she attacked you.” Valen imparted, clenching his fist and digging holes in the side of my head. I refused to turn around to cast my eyes on him.

“Have you figured out who they are?” I asked, regarding the white-haired enemies.

“We have formulated a theory.” Alpha Vance finally spoke. “Based on all the information that we gathered, they could be Worgen Guardians. There was a set of ancient wolves who were created to stand at Selene’s side. Half of them rebelled ―”

“―And they killed her, right?” I cut him off before I could stop myself, forgetting that he was the Alpha King. I remembered the last vision I had.

Everyone paired their attention to me.

“Yes,” Alpha Vance responded. “Since that big fight that happened centuries ago, it was believed that Selene took them with her when she left that lifetime. How did you know that history?”

“I visioned it on the day that I shifted,” I told them about the battle that I witnessed. “It was like I was there with them.”

“Miriam informed us that you were being given visions of the past and future.” Luna Sianna added. “You have them because they are communicating important things to you.”

“Visions of the future? I don’t understand.” I questioned with confusion flitting through me.

“In time you will,” Luna explained, curling a faint smile on her lips.

“Sweetie, the enemy needs your power to strengthen theirs. For now, they are weak, but if they get to you, they will reign hell on us.” Mom said with a pained expression. “It’s the only plausible reason why they haven’t attacked us as yet.”

“Their attack is inevitable.” Alpha Vance aired, deep and vibrating. “Your father will be in charge of your training.”

“They will come for you. So we’ll alpha-command you to stay within Central City.” Mom stated, solemnly.

“Is that necessary?” I swept my glance from Mom to Dad, to Alpha and Luna Sianna.

“Yes.” Mom, Dad, Devin, and Valen all blurted simultaneously. I darted a skeptical leer at Devin and he shrugged. Grandma chuckled lightly.

My heart sank. I did not want that. Now that I had a clearer understanding of the situation, I wouldn’t be reckless anymore. The lives of the pack were on my shoulders. They would be caught up in a war because of my existence.

Truly, I wish there was a safe house that I could run away to be hidden from the enemy if it could keep the peace, and people alive.

I hated feeling weak.

“Raina, we know that you are upset. The rejection was necessary. You and Valen could try to complete the mating process and let’s see what happens.” Luna Sianna gently encouraged. “It would be best to be marked and mated to ensure that no one else claims you.”

Tension filled the room. My heart constricted with unwillingness. I stared blankly at the painting of the pack’s white yacht above Grandma’s head. Her last words spun over in my head. This was a cruel intervention.

Eager eyes settled upon me, waiting.

They were cold-hearted and selfish. Was anyone considering my well-being? Or was this to ensure that the Alpha King's bloodline would possess my power?

The latter seemed closer to the truth.

-

-RAINA’S POV-

Not everything that contains sugar is sweet. Not everything that comes from above is a blessing.

“It would put you in a better position if your mating was done immediately,” Alpha Vance stated in a calm tone. He was deflecting things to make it look like it was in my best interest.

“I agree,” Mom consented, looking down at Dad, who nodded.

I can’t believe that my parents were in on it too.

I listened, thinking that it was unfair that they all kept deciding what was good for me. After our wolves had sex for four months, I should have been impregnated. I wasn’t sure if I was. The thought of carrying Valen’s pup would complicate the situation between us.

What was the rush anyway? Valen knew that I needed space, but obviously, they didn’t take my breakup with him seriously.

Valen was the deceptive wrapping of an artificially sweet bond. Devoured and bleeding. The barriers crumbled whenever I was around him as the walls kept caving