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No 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 289560117523208 4.7/5 Rated ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ &quot;I’ve had neck pain for a very long time. After using this for about 7 days, the pain was GONE. I slept on my regular pillow last night, woke up expecting normal cramps and migraine, I had none. I was much more productive today as well. This is a winner!&quot;<br /> <br /> ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Michelle W., USA<br /> <br /> Fix your neck pain &amp; neck hump with this simple device!<br /> <br /> ✅Eliminate neck pain &amp; neck hump the healthy way (no more painkillers)<br /> ✅Avoid expensive chiropractor bills<br /> ✅Optimal 26 degree angle<br /> <br /> 52% off all today&#039;s orders!<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdainelylab.com%2Fproducts%2Fstretcher&amp;h=AT1wJfUp9ygbOPL5ExXDRA8jh4in-N_RkImcRoAJMXX5mlyg6UNWaWzud8UoUh74MSHledL9F6MYF8kDmERSKGZmf4-rarXzy1UMnc8Ogpy91sm8EMpKRtxLQ1WZLU1_10hyukjSXuFx3t85p0p2mw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://dainelylab.com/products/stretcher</a> SHOP_NOW https://dainelylab.com/products/stretcher 106537275405242 Dainely Devices https://facebook.com/dainely.devices 22,620 28 392,236,529,892,849 2024-04-14 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Shop now 0 Dainely Devices 120205220167690267 dainelylab.com NONE video Sale Ends Today! https://dainelylab.com/products/stretcher 2024-02-06 01:04 https://scontent.fabe1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/421946917_1041116386967247_1646134187990500655_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=W3Y_TwfXHSIAb7konwC&_nc_ht=scontent.fabe1-1.fna&oh=00_AfDAHKSNt80wO8rAZ2Jb0zhs1FLhp57PDtZ7DH7t5QkFXQ&oe=6621E7EF person_profile 0 Dainely Devices https://scontent.fabe1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/421991831_402012539051524_3556796229598269501_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XISm5oZ0KYwAb77Brun&_nc_ht=scontent.fabe1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAjEm96Dhy7xK6RROhw-EFPNQI1jD7LOtqFsfZV8GzaGg&oe=662203A4 0 3 Dainely Devices 0 0 2024-04-14 02:00 View Edit
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Yes 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 390620863887670 4.8/5 Rated ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ &quot;Back feels so much better immediately upon putting it on. Tighten it up and keep it on a few hours. It makes a huge difference in my day and in my life. Can&#039;t say enough good things about it. Just GREAT&quot;<br /> <br /> ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Catherine H. USA<br /> <br /> Fix your sciatica &amp; back pain with this simple device!<br /> <br /> ✅Eliminate sciatica &amp; back pain the healthy way (no more painkillers)<br /> ✅Avoid expensive chiropractor bills<br /> ✅Flexible and non-slip unlike other hip belts<br /> <br /> 50% off all today&#039;s orders!<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now👇<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdainelylab.com%2Fbelt&amp;h=AT3r2MXwU-L48nVaRHSILzYYReH4ATyOyp0Hx3gB9i6fEMm5SMkEJGufMvnYSIahwTsKUaC9LFEFBK-4oXpdE4AkmE_ilD3aaBk_05f3LCAigkAVPL7XZzEyS9G_evKnBb6VxYvNrjFLextRRU21Tg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://dainelylab.com/belt</a> SHOP_NOW https://dainelylab.com/products/back-belt 106537275405242 Dainely Devices https://facebook.com/dainely.devices 22,620 3 403,650,069,263,828 2024-04-14 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Shop now 0 Dainely Devices 120208312884210373 dainelylab.com NONE video 50% Off Sale Ends Today! https://dainelylab.com/products/back-belt 2024-04-14 01:41 https://scontent.fabe1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437951435_781185890319630_7485865634409741338_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oKwFiWr3t2EAb5rwkzJ&_nc_ht=scontent.fabe1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCQ2IEl15p-M7kf6JlwgV8up2geD9ImCrmQs94XHji4vw&oe=6621DCD4 person_profile 0 Dainely Devices https://scontent.fabe1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/425738796_1864141267347051_1543798286026316123_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=eqbnUcISR34Ab4XY_jg&_nc_ht=scontent.fabe1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCOuFZ7iCMDfK-uWtb7-CfIUr_YX0aMYjGokpcqPBYBxA&oe=66220B56 0 3 Dainely Devices 0 0 2024-04-14 02:00 View Edit
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/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281)
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No 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 721606946853583 4.8/5 Rated ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ &quot;Back feels so much better immediately upon putting it on. Tighten it up and keep it on a few hours. It makes a huge difference in my day and in my life. Can&#039;t say enough good things about it. Just GREAT&quot;<br /> <br /> ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Catherine H. USA<br /> <br /> Fix your sciatica &amp; back pain with this simple device!<br /> <br /> ✅Eliminate sciatica &amp; back pain the healthy way (no more painkillers)<br /> ✅Avoid expensive chiropractor bills<br /> ✅Flexible and non-slip unlike other hip belts<br /> <br /> 50% off all today&#039;s orders!<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now👇<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdainelylab.com%2Fbelt&amp;h=AT1V3svbsAvkRAIXpiESBor5NV6m14pQYX9KLC5jXP9nqEY35JoHBRw0njdBRQLmOpo75KUpn7JIUdY33E-LOYna0JI9qqHQQCpbtw1gQ_XbGyJRBoXyytvQID_prD9sv96S0Z0gzaEA2xJBtwcDyg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://dainelylab.com/belt</a> SHOP_NOW https://dainelylab.com/products/back-belt 106537275405242 Dainely Devices https://facebook.com/dainely.devices 22,620 3 25,298,202,729,825,800 2024-04-14 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Shop now 0 Dainely Devices 120208312881420373 dainelylab.com NONE video 50% Off Sale Ends Today! https://dainelylab.com/products/back-belt 2024-04-14 01:39 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436302653_1463054364289534_288241454749872007_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sDsG2wNJnecAb6MqzRz&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBAUdffaWaNc88CDKiufSwr9CLnMJdWIxLMTFOoccZrWg&oe=6621FFDB person_profile 0 Dainely Devices https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435488739_277534535414420_536999671550675831_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oDAkPvVH98oAb45XiEp&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCSx6sjKnrpMsSFHKHJxzlN2UzlBLIYHsUVPnLHBYqkKw&oe=6621E892 0 3 Dainely Devices 0 0 2024-04-14 02:00 View Edit
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Yes 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 1147606756247915 4.8/5 Rated ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ &quot;Back feels so much better immediately upon putting it on. Tighten it up and keep it on a few hours. It makes a huge difference in my day and in my life. Can&#039;t say enough good things about it. Just GREAT&quot;<br /> <br /> ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Catherine H. USA<br /> <br /> Fix your sciatica &amp; back pain with this simple device!<br /> <br /> ✅Eliminate sciatica &amp; back pain the healthy way (no more painkillers)<br /> ✅Avoid expensive chiropractor bills<br /> ✅Flexible and non-slip unlike other hip belts<br /> <br /> 50% off all today&#039;s orders!<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now👇<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdainelylab.com%2Fbelt&amp;h=AT0LrpYyyLE_1A-vTL7PKaGAeGymKm2koRT3sQeeGjOazMg3zV2YvDGR1NLWhcw8IqcxSK-lyHNxDchYZTug98SpEE25DXaqBMkpp69NuQHjx2vnuAEw0_m49I0dKYOwpOqL0Pq0qtmXXB2RQUVP2iubvnHGulQrwaM" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="async">https://dainelylab.com/belt</a> SHOP_NOW https://dainelylab.com/products/back-belt 106537275405242 Dainely Devices https://facebook.com/dainely.devices 22,620 0 25,298,202,729,825,800 2024-04-14 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Shop now 0 Dainely Devices 120208312880230373 dainelylab.com NONE video 50% Off Sale Ends Today! https://dainelylab.com/products/back-belt 2024-04-14 01:39 https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437939908_2158444904525068_6406756074459206206_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=w0K2oraBpScAb4-T_iX&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB3O8ceE-ex__kVKjGpZKVTT16n1dHTO0ZpUAX5TDZmjA&oe=66220209 person_profile 0 Dainely Devices https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435309873_3786015034968789_1531762412444286505_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=5J2ATjsADbwAb5mB7e3&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCFQA1QQN4-otOMEIgiefGdZHu5l4EMUPkfdJDDrZ0WIQ&oe=6621DD8E 0 3 Dainely Devices 0 0 2024-04-14 02:00 View Edit
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Yes 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 790663732604298 4.7/5 Rated ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ &quot;I’ve had neck pain for a very long time. After using this for about 7 days, the pain was GONE. I slept on my regular pillow last night, woke up expecting normal cramps and migraine, I had none. I was much more productive today as well. This is a winner!&quot;<br /> <br /> ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Michelle W., USA<br /> <br /> Fix your neck pain &amp; neck hump with this simple device!<br /> <br /> ✅Eliminate neck pain &amp; neck hump the healthy way (no more painkillers)<br /> ✅Avoid expensive chiropractor bills<br /> ✅Optimal 26 degree angle<br /> <br /> 52% off all today&#039;s orders!<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdainelylab.com%2Fproducts%2Fstretcher&amp;h=AT1YHi2KVEtqkKDtuKo0Enn7m-w_8F2roDJrU7fODJvJ6v3HzxDT0xPoU4hAC3sdRGex2x9v2zuVgwPjpKcB_8PAtP-kRcCxwMEgrZtELqyoCW5eSnotPL3vQvUYrQ2Z87o2FnUm8iDi_zEc4pxSvw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://dainelylab.com/products/stretcher</a> SHOP_NOW https://dainelylab.com/products/stretcher 106537275405242 Dainely Devices https://facebook.com/dainely.devices 22,620 27 673,396,104,867,528 2024-04-14 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Shop now 0 Dainely Devices 120205220167750267 dainelylab.com NONE video Sale Ends Today! https://dainelylab.com/products/stretcher 2024-02-06 01:04 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/426052484_240005452492185_3721291503809034841_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8GQD3SUGSSUAb5ECitW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDTKGNkbgL2SG4dQ6gVW26B4UcOOjTqHZKrpR9uF3eJVA&oe=6621F0A2 person_profile 0 Dainely Devices https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/426044557_7207337935971489_8646018470429303158_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZzpfdXRLROMAb50OE8q&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCHl7JPCV8d3j04KpOW-0fnr4h9oW1IQE7Ra4vwnStJ0g&oe=6621FC92 0 3 Dainely Devices 0 0 2024-04-14 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 993693452173124 4.7/5 Rated ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ &quot;I’ve had neck pain for a very long time. After using this for about 7 days, the pain was GONE. I slept on my regular pillow last night, woke up expecting normal cramps and migraine, I had none. I was much more productive today as well. This is a winner!&quot;<br /> <br /> ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Michelle W., USA<br /> <br /> Fix your neck pain &amp; neck hump with this simple device!<br /> <br /> ✅Eliminate neck pain &amp; neck hump the healthy way (no more painkillers)<br /> ✅Avoid expensive chiropractor bills<br /> ✅Optimal 26 degree angle<br /> <br /> 52% off all today&#039;s orders!<br /> <br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdainelylab.com%2Fproducts%2Fstretcher&amp;h=AT0B--DbtdLF8HEiI7uiRLxQ7WX_NwYLSIXS978q4azhD12y1bQp9REmYI3BUcO845CaIFe9opYlUvIr8bD566sGWkIVj49Cr4PG8RxS9d-3sZ5Kh5rKA_eFkJes1xRDqNgOANqqCjAaWH_bH540yA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://dainelylab.com/products/stretcher</a> SHOP_NOW https://dainelylab.com/products/stretcher 106537275405242 Dainely Devices https://facebook.com/dainely.devices 22,620 0 673,396,104,867,528 2024-04-14 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Shop now 0 Dainely Devices 120205220167750267 dainelylab.com NONE video Sale Ends Today! https://dainelylab.com/products/stretcher 2024-02-06 01:04 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/426052484_240005452492185_3721291503809034841_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8GQD3SUGSSUAb5ECitW&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDTKGNkbgL2SG4dQ6gVW26B4UcOOjTqHZKrpR9uF3eJVA&oe=6621F0A2 person_profile 0 Dainely Devices https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/426044557_7207337935971489_8646018470429303158_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=ZzpfdXRLROMAb50OE8q&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCHl7JPCV8d3j04KpOW-0fnr4h9oW1IQE7Ra4vwnStJ0g&oe=6621FC92 0 3 Dainely Devices 0 0 2024-04-14 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 2162668534081242 4.8/5 Rated ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ &quot;Back feels so much better immediately upon putting it on. Tighten it up and keep it on a few hours. It makes a huge difference in my day and in my life. Can&#039;t say enough good things about it. Just GREAT&quot;<br /> <br /> ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Catherine H. USA<br /> <br /> Fix your sciatica &amp; back pain with this simple device!<br /> <br /> ✅Eliminate sciatica &amp; back pain the healthy way (no more painkillers)<br /> ✅Avoid expensive chiropractor bills<br /> ✅Flexible and non-slip unlike other hip belts<br /> <br /> 50% off all today&#039;s orders!<br /> <br /> Get Yours Now👇<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdainelylab.com%2Fbelt&amp;h=AT3vJ26nfUgPVn8oiCp8u0HMeDGOZpJSa6ocMU7XGeiMGCYiofFM8Suci9modEkP7_M4m_u6KETuoBVozQr4KKs0wlNofRn01x17jYtIh5QiaxP8aYKo5p9x_EMF_B-0c-kbLiPYdIMcX6xHVhbqevKe_gvNZPYiXCcP7A" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://dainelylab.com/belt</a> SHOP_NOW https://dainelylab.com/products/back-belt 106537275405242 Dainely Devices https://facebook.com/dainely.devices 22,620 0 1,587,415,818,766,897 2024-04-14 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Shop now 0 Dainely Devices 120208312880300373 dainelylab.com NONE video 50% Off Sale Ends Today! https://dainelylab.com/products/back-belt 2024-04-14 01:39 https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437719305_993301938856058_6887398640860505471_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=VLk4IEcKrIUAb5L8rVc&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfABiqT0FRLJC6ACMMoHDPP_7jzyBSFd_hfAtqYuJxYVAQ&oe=6621E498 person_profile 0 Dainely Devices https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437671758_1548410806018185_2508689352462795385_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hC7-WmvFnBIAb4ri_qT&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCjKU1TPS-8Mmz5ApU-oHonBMdLK8Elq9GDwuAqZr2fhA&oe=6621E562 0 3 Dainely Devices 0 0 2024-04-14 02:00 View Edit
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No 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 3750580698524129 28-Years Of Natural Plant-Based Healing In ONE Book Throwing natural healing plants in the garbage by mistake?<br /> <br /> Yup, many of the weeds that most people pull out and toss away have scientifically proven benefits!<br /> <br /> For the last 28-years, I’ve made it my mission to unearth the BEST plants with natural healing properties...<br /> <br /> Today I’m revealing everything I’ve discovered, including:<br /> <br /> 👉The ‘forgotten’ plants &amp; herbs found in most gardens that support healing<br /> 👉800+ powerful plants &amp; natural remedies<br /> 👉2-4 pictures per plant for easy identification<br /> 👉Expert advice on growing, collecting, and preparing plants to harness their healing power<br /> <br /> 📗Grab a copy of The Lost Book Of Herbs Today📗<br /> <br /> 👉 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.book-of-herbal-remedies.com%2Fpresentation%2F&amp;h=AT3hkovweRU31GbpnxalIXFLA8I7irJI8oSDc4SS6x7tVlej4oO--353uuo7MYZaHbo_VklqD_eqBjOWhEtk0M5i-M9jgSpZtrU6TttZgQfig0pH8yJGwlekGwGWISavEBNqUbRg4Mm3ErWFzNn5cM6zHKiBmBJWcmqtNw" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.book-of-herbal-remedies.com/presentation/</a> 👈 LEARN_MORE https://www.book-of-herbal-remedies.com/presentati 105801885200108 BookofRemedies https://facebook.com/BookOfRemedie 259,141 1 1,695,107,061,019,764 2024-04-14 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Learn more 0 BookofRemedies 120208029165990601 www.book-of-herbal-remedies.com NONE video It's Like Having A Medicinal Garden In The Backyard https://www.book-of-herbal-remedies.com/presentation/ 2024-04-14 01:58 https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436361955_735571028566442_2234389596014785601_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Q1TnjyJ1WesAb5V7OK0&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfC9wg02hPvjzNG1IpN9fZ6YNVqcLElFVhjqm8a621Y1ZA&oe=6621E189 person_profile 0 Book of Remedies https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436237146_430794832879327_5970917059863539600_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=StzwziP9MnkAb4NB4BW&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD3WranDrYU7E4eS8rC0B-V407oKX1ebAKoNnn0A06fNA&oe=662200E2 0 3 BookofRemedies 0 0 2024-04-14 02:00 View Edit
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Yes 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 1406785673290634 Tongue-tie, also known as ankyloglossia, is a congenital condition in which a string of tissue under the tongue, aka Frenulum or Frenum, is too tight or too short. This can cause restriction in normal tongue movement and prevent the tongue from functioning properly.  <br /> •<br /> Some of the consequences of the tongue-tie include, but are not limited to: shallow latching, painful nursing, slow and poor weight gain for the baby, often diagnosed as “Failure-to-Thrive” without any underlying medical condition 😥 However, this is not the end, as these children continue to grow, their restricted tongue movement can cause speech delay or difficulty producing certain sounds like T, D, Z, S, TH, SH, or R. <br /> •<br /> We can easily treat the tongue-tie and restore the normal function of the tongue by using a CO2 laser. The benefit of using a laser for the frenectomy procedure is that it’s extremely precise and because the laser seals up the blood vessels and nerve endings during the procedure, there is minimal to no bleeding at all 👍🏻 Because there is no bleeding, stitches are not needed. The procedure itself takes only 30-40 seconds, and there is no need for general anesthesia 🤩👏🏻<br /> •<br /> If you want to learn more about tethered oral tissue (TOT), please visit our Instagram page &#064;njtonguetiecenter or our YouTube channel “Tooth Talk with Tommy” 🥰🙌🏻<br /> •<br /> ➡️ Instagram: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.Instagram.com%2Fnjtonguetiecenter&amp;h=AT1TTPHBF-zPLbV980lciAovkOAMG9gwxNppnOylHoKJpKKydTzRMAusf3J0LkMlLGeolJkL4BInOHnbSX0fYE7InNpnpmGAtiSQS9JF8uGzkIUK11K-N-4H4BQ7_GJCPL9eoG36AvtfKCjj4Rf18efCJf4" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.Instagram.com/njtonguetiecenter</a><br /> 🎬 YouTube: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Ftoothtalkwithtommy&amp;h=AT0RtUipj1amklg_c5IfZoISf6XJqkw5jb2CCF0cqZ50MX1ZrGCbhLaskrqR76hdLti0zbWECUaXTD7MCFp4rzH6PczYpACIdGritiUVVp6txK1pABdd_KKzPNaFnQt6FihJQZPhX0dDOuKIo4kYkRZPjfE" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.youtube.com/toothtalkwithtommy</a><br /> •<br /> Dr. Tommy Lee is a Board-Certified Pediatric Dentist and an Assistant Clinical Professor at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.<br /> <br /> ▪Pediatric Dentistry Specialty 📕 Yale Hospital<br /> ▪A.E.G.D. Residency ✏️ Columbia University<br /> ▪Doctor of Dental Medicine 📚 Boston University<br /> <br /> 🔍<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tonguetiecenternj.com%2F&amp;h=AT1HdQzCUi_BF6ogC2gIxDeT6v5NUf-edJAKDuXIEKapDlE-a9dpouMd_5YO3In6nNxeC-cmF25Gql38ysDtNWH50NOIfaITPEX4J7MkCghc2hvs3fsnHGMnGlgd8VMgKaA454KDq1PAhAOHSGT_tCK_90E" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">www.tonguetiecenternj.com</a><br /> 💌 info&#064;tonguetiecenternj.com<br /> ☎️ (201)515-5534<br /> <br /> #tonguetie #children #speech #frenectomy #baby #breastfeeding #hoboken #nyc #nj #firsttimemom LEARN_MORE http://www.tonguetiecenternj.com/ 106230505903801 njtonguetiecenter https://www.instagram.com/_u/njtonguetiecenter 0 1 403,905,155,830,899 2024-04-14 02:00 ig_ads_identity eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 1 Learn more 0 njtonguetiecenter 120208940258250588 www.tonguetiecenternj.com NONE video http://www.tonguetiecenternj.com/ 2024-04-13 22:59 https://scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-19/365796943_1379628972598065_3038997513342813663_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s200x200&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=3fd06f&_nc_ohc=fyy0lzVWBvAAb523OGU&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.cdninstagram.com&oh=00_AfDcHtYMgjmDVylbYYvkt1yNFErz43SU_PN6zwlJ-BSbPA&oe=6621F06D ig_ads_identity 1 New Jersey Tongue-Tie Center https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436467760_1639246320221137_2446221290777827548_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Rc07OmzCBmQAb6Tpm8O&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDxz-b4xCdkIC4l3jQimkVTcJDpOifDXMEilwZoeQvUkQ&oe=66220FB1 0 3 njtonguetiecenter 0 0 2024-04-14 02:00 View Edit
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Yes 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 456121490168715 🔥🔥🔥Download and search book ID: 9792 My sister&#039;s boyfriend turned out to be my mate! As he rejected me, I retaliated by cutting off all contact with the pack…<br /> Chapter 1: Ayla <br /> “Ayla, is dinner ready? No more delay. Kylee and Theo will be soon here!”<br /> “Yes, mom.” I sighed hearing my mother&#039;s impatient urging.<br /> Kylee is my little sister, and Theo is her mate as well as our future Alpha. It is said that they had been together for over a year, and today is the first Kylee has brought her mate home. I was so happy for her.<br /> Our current Alpha, Alpha Torin, was a good leader, a fair leader, and a good man. I knew he had a son, but I had never met him before.<br /> But I had heard that his son, Theo, was promising to be just as good an Alpha as his father. So I really couldn’t have been more relieved that he was my sister’s mate. She would be properly looked after and taken care of, and she would be happy.<br /> I was pulling the chicken out of the oven when I saw my mother rushing past me, excitedly shouting towards the door, “They&#039;re here.”<br /> After my father passed away, my mother had become an alcoholic. But she always managed to look presentable in front of Kylee. For example, today, she was not only dressed neatly, but even used mouthwash.<br /> <br /> I was still transferring the food when I heard the front door open and the squeals of my mother and sister as they embraced. I finished my task and moved the dishes to the dining room table that was already set neatly. I smiled at my presentation and excitedly hurried to the living room. <br /> <br /> I froze at the threshold. A scent overwhelmed my senses, causing my stomach to knot and my heart to race. <br /> <br /> The tall, broad man standing next to my sister turned toward me and we locked eyes. <br /> <br /> Mate.<br /> <br /> I practically gagged trying to stifle the word from slipping from my mouth. <br /> <br /> What was happening?<br /> <br /> This was my sister’s mate. <br /> <br /> Not mine. <br /> <br /> This man was fated to Kylee. <br /> <br /> So why was I having this reaction?<br /> <br /> Better question…<br /> <br /> Why did HE seem to be having the same reaction?<br /> <br /> His eyes were wide, pupils dilated, and they held my gaze with a vice-like grip as he, too, seemed frozen to where he stood. <br /> <br /> Dasha, my wolf, bounced excitedly in my head, recognizing him and his wolf just as I was. It took a minute for her to understand the situation, but once she did, she started whimpering in the back of my mind.<br /> <br /> This couldn’t be happening. <br /> <br /> What was happening?<br /> <br /> I forced myself to address the situation as a whole. Fine, this was happening. Now, what is the best way to handle the situation? I wasn’t going to break my sister’s heart. Absolutely not. I wouldn’t let him either. Not right now. We’ll just get through dinner, and I’ll find a way to speak with him in private later. <br /> <br /> I cleared my throat and plastered a smile on my face.<br /> <br /> “Kylee, I’m so excited you’re home,” I said, opening my arms so she could jump into them like she had since she was little.<br /> <br /> “I’ve missed you, sis,” she said. <br /> <br /> “I’ve missed you, too,” I said quietly. <br /> <br /> We separated, and she turned to the male behind her. “Theo, this is my sister, Ayla. Ayla, this is my mate, Theo.”<br /> <br /> Theo’s hands were clenched into fists, and he forced a tight-jawed smile toward me. At least I was better at faking it them him. Geesh. <br /> <br /> I nodded to him with a broad smile. I knew it didn’t reach my eyes, but at least Ma and Kylee wouldn’t notice. <br /> <br /> “It’s lovely to meet you, Theo,” I said. “Dinner is ready in the dining room. Why don’t you guys go take a seat, and I’ll be right there. I need to tend to dessert first.”<br /> <br /> “Don’t take too long,” Kylee said brightly. “We have some big news, and I don’t think I can wait much longer.”<br /> <br /> “I promise I’ll be right there,” I assured her as I rubbed her shoulder. <br /> <br /> Kylee grabbed Ma by the arm and led her to the dining room. Theo followed a few steps behind. He had to pass me to get through. Right as he approached, I turned my body to ensure we didn’t touch. He paused in front of me for a moment. I looked up to meet his eyes.<br /> <br /> There was anger, confusion, desire, and possibly even hurt reflecting in his eyes that I couldn’t help but notice were the color of honey. He had questions. I subtly shook my head at him. Hoping and silently begging that he knew we couldn’t do this here. <br /> <br /> The sound of Kylee’s laugh from the other room made me jump and then quickly retreat to the kitchen. I grabbed the homemade cheesecake from the fridge and set it on the counter for later. <br /> <br /> I listened to the others conversing in the next room and took several deep breaths. I felt a lump start to form in my throat and quickly pushed it down. This wasn’t the time to cry. <br /> <br /> I was almost to the dining room when I heard the last part of what Kylee was saying, and again, I was left frozen at the threshold.<br /> <br /> “… our mating ceremony is in three months.” Kylee looked up at me. “Oh, Ayla, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t hold back any longer. Aren’t you happy for us?”<br /> <br /> I put the same fake smile back on. “Of course I’m happy for you,” I said. “You deserve the best.”<br /> <br /> I took my seat at the table, ignoring the fact that I was left sitting directly across from Theo. His eyes were boring into me, and my face felt like it was on fire. I started dishing out food and passing plates. I didn’t say much over dinner. Instead, I just listened to Kylee and Ma talk about all the ideas they had for the mating ceremony. Theo didn’t say much either but slowly started to do a better job hiding his discomfort with the situation. <br /> <br /> It took everything to ignore the touches they shared, pushing down the jealousy that kept surging through me. <br /> After dinner, while they were still talking, I made an excuse to slip out through the back door.<br /> <br /> I stood on the porch and took several deep breaths. I released a string of curses.<br /> “What is happening? Why is this happening? This ISN’T happening,” I whispered with the force of a yell. <br /> <br /> ‘Our mate.’ Dasha insisted.<br /> <br /> “No, he’s not,” I said back to her. “He’s Kylee’s. There must be some kind of mistake.”<br /> <br /> All of a sudden, I stiffened as a mouthwatering scent hit my nose. I knew who was standing behind me. <br /> <br /> Chapter 2: Theo<br /> I fought against the urges her scent was influencing as I stalked up to her. But more importantly, the urge to grab her and take her against the nearest tree. My wolf was going crazy about the idea, but he would learn fast that that was never going to happen. <br /> <br /> I wouldn’t accept her. <br /> <br /> Knowing what I knew about her, that would never happen. <br /> <br /> She turned to face me. <br /> <br /> “This won’t happen,” I spat out before she had a chance to speak. <br /> Her jaw clenched, and her silvery-gray eyes stared into mine for a few short moments. But I couldn’t read a thing behind them. <br /> <br /> “I absolutely agree,” she stated evenly. <br /> <br /> My wolf growled and snarled inside me, demanding to know what I was doing. I pushed down the hurt that hit me when she didn’t fight me. Her reaction just proved why this needed to be done. I could never be with someone so cold and self-absorbed as her. There was no way someone like her could ever be my Luna. <br /> <br /> ‘Don’t know her.’ Kieran yelled in my head. <br /> <br /> I knew enough. <br /> <br /> “Kylee is my mate. Not you. I, Theo Arden, future Alpha of the Greytooth Pack, reject you, Ayla Garner, as my mate and Luna.” Kieran was snapping his teeth, pushing to take control to stop this.<br /> <br /> “I, Ayla Garner, accept your rejection and relinquish my claim as your mate and Luna.”<br /> <br /> My wolf howled in pain. A pain that was mirrored within me as it felt like my heart was being ripped apart. It was the bond breaking. Releasing me from the tie that bound us together.<br /> She stood there like nothing happened. <br /> <br /> How could she stand there like nothing had happened?<br /> <br /> She really didn’t feel anything, did she? It was so easy for her to let us go.<br /> <br /> ‘Mate wants me.’<br /> <br /> I grimaced. He meant her wolf. Her wolf wanted mine. He could sense her. She was even denying her wolf. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I needed to get away from her. <br /> <br /> I stormed back into the house, returning to the woman the goddess should have made my mate. I returned to the dining room to find her mother and her still deep in conversation. I was grateful she hadn’t seemed to notice my absence or the change in my mood. It wasn’t surprising. She was excited about seeing her family and sharing the news with them. <br /> <br /> I had been, too, until her sister walked into the room. The scent had engulfed me, driving me to seek out the source like a lifeline. When I saw her, her beauty took my breath away. She was petit but strong, with long legs and perfect curves. She had a mass of caramel-blonde hair that cascaded over her shoulders, framing a face with plump lips and intense gray eyes that shined green in the light. I couldn’t help but want her. I recognized who she was to me immediately. <br /> <br /> But then I noticed her narrow nose and soft jawline were familiar. Her fair skin had a sun-kissed glow that I had always found attractive. Once I realized she had similar features to Kylee, I knew this was her sister, Ayla. <br /> <br /> Kylee had told me on many occasions how her sister had changed after the death of their father. She was there for Kylee at first, but in less than a year, she started spending all her time away from home. She ended up dropping out of the private school her parents had worked so hard to send her to. Eventually, Kylee lost track of what she was doing with her life. <br /> <br /> Kylee was there for her when she was around, trying to be supportive. But she wasn’t the sister she used to love. What bothered her most was Ayla’s treatment of their mother. Ayla still lived in the house with her, but Kylee always got the impression that helping their mother was just a burden. She worried their mother would be left with no one to take care of her, and she wasn’t in the best of health anymore. <br /> <br /> “I have an idea,” I interrupted. They both looked up at me expectantly. “Why doesn’t your mother come to stay with us for a while? At least until the ceremony? We have the room in the packhouse, and I’m sure you and my mother would appreciate the extra input.”<br /> <br /> Both their faces lit up.<br /> <br /> “Really? We can do that?” Kylee said happily. <br /> <br /> “Of course,” I said with a smile. <br /> <br /> “Thank you.”<br /> <br /> Kylee jumped up from the table and threw her arms around me, kissing me sweetly. I ignored the growls coming from Kieran. Seeing their reaction told me I had made the exact right decision. Despite what the burning in my chest told me. <br /> <br /> This was who I was supposed to be with. Not Ayla.<br /> <br /> ‘Keep saying. Maybe believe.’<br /> <br /> I told him to shut up, and he retreated into the back of my mind, cutting himself off from me. <br /> <br /> He would get over it. Once the bond was completely severed, he would understand this was the right thing for us and the pack.<br /> <br /> Chapter 3: Ayla<br /> I had managed to get myself together enough to rejoin my family. The pain that seared through me from Theo’s rejection and my subsequent acceptance almost brought me to my knees. It took all of my strength to keep my body from shaking, praying he didn’t notice the blood coming from my palms. I had clenched my fists so hard trying to stay on my feet that I broke the skin.<br /> <br /> When he finally left, I released the sob that was the only thing capable of coming out of my mouth. But I didn’t let the tears fall. Not yet. They couldn’t know. <br /> <br /> So, I steadied my breathing and went back into my house. I was surprised to find that Kylee and Ma weren’t in the dining room anymore. They weren’t in the living room either. But Theo was. <br /> <br /> “They’re in your mother’s room packing,” he said coldly.<br /> <br /> “Packing?” What was he talking about?<br /> <br /> He stepped closer to me, lowering his voice. “I think it’s best that you keep your distance from Kylee for a while. We don’t want her finding out about this. But I know she’ll want her mother to be a part of the ceremony planning. So she’s coming back with us.”<br /> <br /> I felt like he just slapped me in the face. As if I would ever tell her. That’s why I was doing this. So that I wouldn’t break my baby sister’s heart. I gave him what he wanted, and now he was going to keep me from my family?<br /> <br /> Dasha was confused and in pain, whimpering in my head because she didn’t understand how he could be so cruel to us. <br /> <br /> “If that’s what you think is best,” I said to Theo through gritted teeth. <br /> <br /> “Kylee,” he called out, not breaking eye contact. “Let’s get going.”<br /> <br /> My sister came prancing into the room. “Already?”<br /> <br /> “It’s getting late. Let’s head to the hotel for the night. We’ll swing by in the morning to pick up your mother.”<br /> <br /> “Okay,” she said brightly before turning to me. “What about you, Ayla? You’re coming with, too, right?”<br /> <br /> I opened my mouth to speak, but Theo decided to answer for me. <br /> <br /> “We were just talking about that. Ayla has some things going on with work and can’t get away.”<br /> <br /> I gave her a tight smile. “Yes, I’m sorry. But I will try to come out there as soon as I can.”<br /> <br /> “Oh, okay, I understand. But I’ll make sure we have a room ready for you whenever you can come.”<br /> <br /> “Of course. I can’t wait,” I said, my heart breaking again, knowing Theo wouldn’t allow me to be there with her. <br /> <br /> We all said our goodbyes, and they left. Ma was still standing at the window watching them drive off when I went to clean up the dishes in the kitchen. She finally came in behind me and started opening another bottle of wine. We had gone through four during dinner already. And I barely touched my glass. <br /> <br /> “Ma, you’ve had enough for the night,” I said calmly.<br /> <br /> “Oh, come on. It’s a celebration,” Ma said. “It’s not every day you find out your baby is going to be a Luna.”<br /> <br /> “Ma, you can celebrate more tomorrow. You need to finish packing,” I said, gently taking the bottle from her hand. “I’m sure Kylee and Theo will be here first thing in the morning.”<br /> <br /> “We can celebrate together while you help me pack,” she said, grabbing the bottle back from me. “Then I’ll help you pack.”<br /> <br /> I winced. This wasn’t going to end well. “I’m not coming, Ma.”<br /> <br /> She stopped with the glass halfway to her lips. “What do you mean you’re not coming?” she asked with a pout. “You have to be there. Kylee is going to be mated. I told her we would help pay for the ceremony.”<br /> <br /> I winced again. She meant me. I would be helping pay for the ceremony. Ma didn’t have a penny to her name.<br /> <br /> “This is a big deal. Don’t be so selfish, Ayla.”<br /> <br /> Her words stung, but they weren’t unexpected. This was kind of the norm when she got like this. I know she didn’t really mean it. At least, she wouldn’t mean it when she was sober. I got her into her bedroom and set her on the bed. I changed her into her nightgown and tucked her in. <br /> <br /> She was asleep in seconds. I hurried through the rest of her packing. Stuffing two large suitcases as full as I could before carrying them out to the living room. Then I locked the front door, finished the last of the dishes, and slipped out into the backyard.<br /> <br /> I stripped off my clothes as I headed for the forest, desperate to get under its protective shadows. As soon as I passed the treeline, I shifted, taking off at full speed. I let Dasha feel all the pain. I didn’t try to hold her back anymore. <br /> <br /> We would mourn the loss of our fated mate. The loss of the one person who was supposed to see us for who we were. The one person who was supposed to always put us first, without demands or expectations. We would mourn the loss of never getting to experience that.<br /> But we wouldn’t mourn him.<br /> <br /> We ran until we could barely breathe. Until Dasha stopped at the edge of our pond — our place of solace — and let out a heartwrenching howl into the night air. Shifting at the end as she retreated back into my mind, out of reach to heal her broken heart, while I let the torrent of tears finally fall.<br /> <br /> I walked into the water, curling into myself as the sobs wracked my body, intensifying the burn that was still there from our bond being ripped from my heart.<br /> <br /> I submerged myself completely, washing my body clean of Theo, the mate bond, and every dream of finding my soulmate. <br /> <br /> In the midst of this pain I drifted off to sleep.<br /> The next morning.<br /> When I made it back to the house, there was no one there. My mother had been taken away by them.<br /> I was standing in an empty room in an empty house. The silence was deafening. And it all came crashing down. I sank to my knees, begging the goddess to just let it all go away, just for a little while. I just wanted to feel numb.<br /> <br /> I lost track of how long I sat in that spot, staring without seeing. I didn’t even know Zeff was there until I felt him grip my arms.<br /> <br /> “Ayls, what happened? What’s wrong?” he asked, brushing hair out of my face, forcing me to look at him. “Ayla, what is going on?”<br /> <br /> “I found my mate,” I said, the corner of my mouth tipping up mockingly. “He’s scheduled to be mated to my sister.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Zeff exclaimed, anger and concern twisting his handsome features. <br /> <br /> Zeff was a good man. He had been there for me when no one else was. He was the only person who knew everything I went through. And here he was, listening to me tell him about meeting Theo, the mating ceremony, and my rejection. Why couldn’t he have been my mate? He should have been. <br /> <br /> “Come on,” he said, lifting me up. “You’re coming to stay with me.”<br /> <br /> I didn’t protest. The goddess had given me this one little blessing. I was numb. Zeff held me up by my waist and led me out to his car. He tucked me into the passenger seat and disappeared into the house again, only to emerge a few minutes later with a duffel bag in hand. <br /> <br /> He pulled out and drove us the twenty minutes to his house. Just like before, he helped me inside, this time sitting me on the big, comfy leather couch in his living room.<br /> <br /> He came and sat next to me, putting an arm over my shoulder and pulling me into him. I let myself relax some. This was the first thing since Theo walked into my life that felt normal, felt comfortable. He leaned his head on mine, rubbing his fingers along my arm. <br /> <br /> “Ayla. You’re going to deal with this — we’re going to deal with this together. Screw him, okay. He’s a dirtbag. You deserve so much better than some fool who doesn’t see how incredible you are.”<br /> <br /> I wanted to roll my eyes, but it wasn’t just about him. <br /> <br /> “He took my family, Zeff. I would have gotten over him just rejecting me because of Kylee. At least she would be safe and happy.”<br /> <br /> “No. They either treat you like a servant or a bank. They don’t care what their actions do to you as long as they keep getting what they want.&quot;<br /> <br /> “Zeff...But they were my family” I wanted to contradict him, but I knew he was right.<br /> <br /> “Get over him.” He took a step toward me, reaching up to hold my chin. “He’s not the only one who can take care of you, Ayla. He may be foolish enough not to want you, but I’m not.”<br /> <br /> My breath caught in my throat. He had told me about his feelings before, but we both avoided going down that road with each other. We knew we could find our fated mates at any time, and we didn’t want to deny each other that. <br /> <br /> “Move in here with me, Ayls,” Zeff said. “There’s nothing stopping us now.”<br /> <br /> “Zeff, you still have a mate out there somewhere.”<br /> <br /> “Ayla, stop. I’m thirty-four and well-traveled. If I was going to find her, I would have long before now. We both know that.” <br /> <br /> Suddenly his lips were on mine. I was shocked, but mostly because it felt good. I felt wanted. I kissed him back, not wanting to give that feeling up. I leaned into him — until Dasha came charging to the forefront, growling and snarling that someone who wasn’t our mate was touching us. <br /> <br /> I ripped myself from Zeff’s embrace. Breathing heavily, the pain of the severed bond renewed. I clutched my chest. <br /> <br /> “Ayla.” <br /> <br /> “I can’t. The bond. It’s still there. It hasn’t faded yet.”<br /> <br /> Zeff pulled me into his arms. “Okay. It’s okay. We can wait. We’ll take it slow.”<br /> <br /> I rested my head on his chest. “Okay.”<br /> <br /> He squeezed me tighter. I still didn’t know if we could make this work, but I wanted to try. <br /> <br /> I stayed with the Zeff, and it was quiet. Until a week later, when Theo burst in.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4: Theo<br /> It had been a week since I had gone home with Kylee. Seven days and a hundred miles away, and the bond was still there. The burning in my chest wouldn’t go away. I didn’t understand and it was annoying. <br /> <br /> More important is Kieran. He had spent the whole week giving me the silent treatment, except when Kylee was around. Then all he did was growl and snarl. It was getting exhausting. <br /> <br /> I had taken to holing up in my office most of the time. I didn’t want to snap at Kylee, or her mother, which had become hard to avoid by the third day. I was glad I had a good reason for me being so busy all of a sudden. <br /> <br /> Alpha was sick. He was diagnosed with a progressive disease almost a year ago. So, he decided it was time to hand the title down to me. It wasn’t official yet. We were planning on making the change at the same time as Kylee’s and my mating ceremony. Actually, that’s why I decided to make Kylee my official mate. Alpha’s were always stronger with a strong Luna by their side. With the circumstances of my father’s abdication, our pack needed to be as strong as possible. <br /> <br /> But there was still a lot to take care of and a lot I had to learn about being an Alpha before that time. So it wasn’t hard to convince her that it was the stress that was causing me to be distant. <br /> <br /> But this morning, I&#039;m driving myself to Kylee&#039;s house. I promised to help her retrieve her mother&#039;s necklace, which she wanted to wear during our mating ceremony.<br /> <br /> In addition, if I couldn’t completely sever the bond between me and Ayla, Kieran could end up taking control and stop me from marking Kylee.<br /> So, once I got the necklace, I’d reject Ayla again, making sure it stuck this time, and I’d go back home.<br /> <br /> When I pulled up to the house, something twisted in my gut. When I step into the house, her invigorating scent of oranges and cloves invaded my nostrils, but it wasn’t nearly as strong as it should have been.<br /> I realize Ayla wasn&#039;t home.<br /> Instead, there was another smell in Ayla&#039;s room.<br /> The scent was male. It was faint, he wasn’t here long, but mixed in with the distinctive scent of my mate, I could pick it out anywhere. From the trail, it seemed as if he was the one who packed up her things.<br /> <br /> I stormed out of the house. Tossing the jewelry box in the passenger seat, I took my phone out and searched for the number for the publishing house Kylee said Ayla worked for.<br /> I got another address that Ayla had added to her personal profile from the receptionist.<br /> <br /> I followed the GPS to the address, pulling into the drive of a large, two-story house in a nice neighborhood. Parking half on the lawn, I didn’t even close the car door before taking the front steps two at a time. <br /> <br /> I banged on the door until I heard movement inside. A man opened it. It was the male I smelled in Ayla’s room. Before he could say anything, I lunged at him, my hands grabbing the front of his shirt and practically lifting him off the ground.<br /> <br /> “What have you done with her? I smell her all over you. Where is she?”<br /> <br /> He pushed me off him, his eyes glaring at me with recognition and disdain.<br /> <br /> “You must be Theo.”<br /> <br /> “What is going on?” Ayla’s voice floated down to me as she ran down the stairs. She froze halfway down the moment she laid eyes on me. “What are you doing here?”<br /> <br /> A silk robe hung open, revealing the shorts and cut-off tank top she wore underneath, her caramel-colored hair flowing loosely around her shoulders. She was gorgeous. And clearly not in distress. I took a step toward her as my rage grew.<br /> <br /> “What are you doing here?” I spat back. <br /> <br /> “That’s none of your concern,” the male interjected.<br /> <br /> I turned on him again, a rumbling growl emanating from my chest, my claws extending. I was ready to rip his throat out. <br /> <br /> “Stop,” Ayla yelled, coming the rest of the way down the stairs and stepping between the two of us. “Zeff, go to work.”<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. I’m not leaving you here with him. Not in the state he’s in.”<br /> <br /> “I would never hurt her.” Kieran was ready to burst from my skin. How dare this dirtbag think we would ever lay a hand on her.<br /> <br /> “We both know that’s crap.”<br /> <br /> “Zeff, I said go.” Her expression softened a little. “I’ll call you later.”<br /> <br /> She would. <br /> <br /> The Zeff guy shot me another hate-filled look before exiting out the open front door. We stood in silence until the sound of his engine faded. <br /> <br /> “Are you dating him?” <br /> <br /> Her eyes went wide, then narrowed as she took a step forward. “What I do with a male — or anyone for that matter — is none of your business.”<br /> <br /> “It isn’t.” Electricity passed through the air between us. “He has no right to put his hands on you.”<br /> <br /> “He does if I want him to,” she yelled, not only holding her ground against the alpha energy I was exuding but taking another step toward me. “I don’t belong to anyone, remember? I have no mate.”<br /> <br /> I lost it. My hand was around her neck and my mouth was on hers before I even knew what I had done. But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. Sparks of intense electricity shot through me, invigorating all my senses. I pushed her to open for me, my tongue seeking hers. Goddess, she tasted so good. She returned the kiss, her arousal mingling in the air. <br /> <br /> “MINE.” <br /> <br /> She pushed me off her with force.<br /> <br /> I took a step toward her again but she backed away. <br /> <br /> “Don’t you hurt Kylee like this.”<br /> <br /> “Like you care about your sister getting hurt,” I spat, but for some reason, I instantly regretted it. But I couldn’t take it back. I wouldn’t take it back.<br /> <br /> “Excuse me?” Pure rage radiated off of her, her eyes turning an icy blue. <br /> <br /> “You abandoned Kylee a long time ago. You disappeared all the time, leaving her alone with a mother who was struggling to keep everything together.”<br /> <br /> Ayla’s face paled. Every ounce of anger seemed to drain from her instantly, that blue fire fading from her eyes. <br /> <br /> She almost went completely limp in front of me, stumbling until her back hit the wall. Her façade cracked. <br /> <br /> “That’s what she told you? She said that?” her voice was almost a whisper. <br /> <br /> Kieran was going insane in my head, telling me to shut up, to just stop talking. Urging me to stop hurting her. Because I was hurting her. I had struck a nerve, a very deep one, and I wouldn’t stop. She had to break the bond. Once and for all. If it meant I had to break her to do it, I would.<br /> <br /> “She told me everything. She told me how you would keep things from her and your mother. That you would be out at all hours of the night when you were a teenager. How you dropped out of high school, waisting the tuition your parents worked so hard for.”<br /> <br /> “What?” <br /> <br /> “I could never be with someone as cold and heartless as you.”<br /> <br /> Ayla’s head snapped up. Her eyes a steely gray as she resolved herself to something I couldn’t figure out but would soon find out. <br /> <br /> “I, Ayla Garner, reject you, Theo Arden, as my mate. I relinquish my claim as your mate and Luna.”<br /> <br /> I gritted my teeth as Kieran howled in my head, screaming for me not to accept it. <br /> <br /> “I, Theo Arden, accept your rejection.” The pain in my chest amplified, but I could still feel the bond. “We’ve done this before. It’s not working.”<br /> <br /> “Tell your wolf to accept it,” Ayla said with a crack in her voice. <br /> <br /> The muscles in my jaw tightened to a point I thought my teeth would shatter. The noise in my head from Kieran becoming almost unbearable.<br /> <br /> “He won’t.”<br /> <br /> “Make him,” she forced out.<br /> <br /> “I can’t.”<br /> <br /> “He doesn’t have a choice. I’ll never be with him, and neither will she,” Ayla said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. <br /> <br /> I could feel the pain he felt. It was excruciating. I told him it would end if he just accepted, but he wouldn’t give in. He was an Alpha. He was as strong as me. I’d never overpower him on this. Ayla must have sensed my stalemate. Or her wolf did and told her because she pulled herself from against the wall, standing up straight again.<br /> <br /> “I, Ayla Garner, cut my ties to Alpha Torin…”<br /> <br /> “What are you doing?” There was desperation in my voice. She couldn’t do this. I moved to stop her. <br /> <br /> “And the Greytooth Pack.”<br /> <br /> “No.” I fell to a knee, feeling the invisible tether that united pack members with their Alpha splinter. Kieran was pounding against the barriers of my control, putting all his might into taking over the shift. I knew I was on the verge.<br /> <br /> “From this day forth, I am a rogue.” She took an unsteady step toward me, silent tears rolling freely down her face. “Now get out.”<br /> <br /> She had used my father’s name. Either of our names would have worked in the limbo state we were currently in. But she used my father’s. There was nothing I could do to stop her. Nothing I could do to fight the separation. She knew exactly what she was doing. <br /> <br /> If my wolf wouldn’t sever the mate bond, she would remove herself from any control I had over her. <br /> <br /> With one final, agonizing look, she walked away, disappearing upstairs. <br /> <br /> I took in a ragged breath of air. Ayla now had until midnight to be out of our territory. If I caught her on our land after that, I would have to murder her. Mate bond or not. She was a rogue now. It was our laws. <br /> <br /> Kieran had finally gone still in my mind. <br /> <br /> ‘Mate’s gone.’<br /> <br /> Did he mean Ayla or her wolf?<br /> <br /> ‘Dasha. Mate’s name is Dasha. Dasha’s gone.’<br /> <br /> Realization hit me and panic set in. Her wolf was gone. The pain was too much. She had retreated deep into the recesses of Ayla’s subconscious. Ayla wouldn’t be able to call on her. She wouldn’t be able to shift. She wouldn’t be able to heal.<br /> <br /> She was a rogue without a wolf. She couldn’t protect herself. <br /> <br /> I had to get as far away from her as possible. <br /> <br /> I dragged myself back to my feet, forcing them to walk out the door. <br /> <br /> Chapter 5: Ayla<br /> The moment the door was closed, I sank to the floor. It was no longer sobs that escaped my body but soul-shattering screams. <br /> <br /> She said I abandoned her. <br /> <br /> Theo made it sound like I spent my teen years partying and getting into trouble. She said I dropped out of high school. <br /> <br /> She said I wasn’t a sister to her. <br /> <br /> The betrayal was soul-crushing. <br /> <br /> I had given up everything for them. <br /> <br /> I screamed and let the tears flow freely until my body ached. As soon as it felt like I could breathe without being stabbed by a red-hot dagger, I pulled myself up and started moving. I only had a few hours to get my things and get out of Greytooth territory. <br /> <br /> I had made myself a rogue. I didn’t have a pack anymore. And I had no idea where I was going to go. All the borders on this side of the territory sat right against other pack lands. To get out of one, I’d have to enter another. But it was my only option. Trying to get to unclaimed territory was too risky. I would have better luck on foreign pack land than on the land I just severed ties to. <br /> <br /> After leaving a note for Zeff, I packed up and drove away.<br /> <br /> The Greytooth Pack may not be the largest in population, but they had one of the biggest territories. The closest border crossing was nearly two hours away. And I needed to be far away before Zeff got home. I couldn’t have him tracking me down.<br /> <br /> Especially since I didn’t give him much of an explanation. <br /> <br /> But it was better this way. I wasn’t going to risk him cutting ties and going rogue as well. Because he would. He would hold Theo responsible, and he would never stay in a pack with an alpha he didn’t respect, let alone hate. This way, the note I left would have just made it seem like I got cold feet about us being together. <br /> <br /> I drove to the outskirts of town and got on the highway. From there, it was practically a straight shot to the border. I was grateful at first, but after about an hour, I realized the monotonous ride only left my mind wondering and worrying and thinking about things I didn’t need to think about. <br /> <br /> When Theo found me in the yard that first day, I had no idea what he would say. His initial reaction to our meeting had me thinking he would pursue the pairing. But then his increasingly icy demeanor throughout the evening made it seem like he was thinking along the same lines I was. He wasn’t going to hurt Kylee for someone he didn’t know. <br /> <br /> He loved her. She loved him. I had no idea who he was, nor he I. We could reject each other and just go on our way. Neither one of us would have to break Kylee’s heart. I thought he was keeping me from my family to be cruel. Or maybe to make things easier for both of us. <br /> <br /> But today, his words revealed a different motive. He didn’t reject me for Kylee. He rejected me because of her. Because he believed what she said and painted me as some coldhearted delinquent. But why? I just couldn’t figure that out. <br /> <br /> Dad died in a gas explosion along with my aunt and uncle ten years ago. I was fourteen, and Kylee was nine. Our thirteen-year-old cousin, Mina, came to live with us for a while after their deaths. Ma was hit pretty hard by the loss, so the three of us quickly started taking care of each other. We spent every spare minute with each other. Then our financial situation changed. Kylee was entirely too young, and Mina had been through enough losing both her parents for me to put that on her. So, it was up to me to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. <br /> <br /> But I was still fourteen. Finding jobs that paid enough to support a family of four at the age of fourteen was non-existent. I would need to work multiple jobs, and there just wasn’t enough time in the day. So, I approached the headmaster at my private high school and confided my situation with him. I was desperate not to drop out or risk my grades dropping and losing my scholarship. My parents didn’t pay a dime of my tuition. <br /> <br /> Headmaster Fordham was a miracle worker. He helped me test out of over eighty percent of my academic requirements by the end of my freshman year. I only had to take four summer classes to graduate a week after my fifteenth birthday. I was even able to broker a deal with him that would set the remaining three years of my scholarship fund aside for Kylee when it came time for her to attend high school. <br /> <br /> I still ended up working multiple jobs for several years. But no matter what, I always tried to be there for Kylee as much as possible. <br /> <br /> Everything I did was for her. <br /> <br /> I completely lost touch with all of my school friends. I never partied. I barely socialized. The jobs I held were really the only place that happened. But I was home to take her to school every morning, and I ensured I had at least an hour to help her with her homework almost every day. <br /> <br /> I didn’t discuss the lengths I went to with Kylee. I didn’t want her to feel bad or that it was her fault. And I didn’t want her to see what Ma was going through. She was struggling to keep any job. She was drinking daily. There were even a couple of times she racked up gambling debts that put us in some scary situations. <br /> <br /> But I never let Kylee see any of that. It was my job to protect them. <br /> <br /> There was so much more that didn’t add up with what Theo had said. But I didn’t get to think about it further. <br /> <br /> A searing pain shot through my chest, making my vision go white at the edges, blinding me to a point I almost missed the figure standing in the road before me. <br /> <br /> My heart jumped into my chest. I turned the wheel as sharp as I could, slamming on the brakes to avoid hitting them head-on. The moment I did it, I felt foolish. Within seconds, I was spinning through the air and sliding down an embankment.<br /> <br /> When the vehicle came to a stop, I was upside down. I registered the smell of blood, but everything was blurry. I didn’t feel significant pain, so I didn’t think the blood was coming from me. <br /> <br /> The person on the road!<br /> <br /> I scrambled out of the car and up the incline. Without Dasha, I couldn’t see well in the dark, but I could see a blurry figure moving toward me.<br /> <br /> “Are you okay?” I called. <br /> <br /> I didn’t catch what they were saying because I suddenly felt the world falling out from beneath my feet, and everything went dark. <br /> <br /> Chapter 6: Theo<br /> I said I would break her if that was what it took.<br /> <br /> And I certainly followed through with that.<br /> <br /> Ayla’s hard exterior had cracked and shattered before me. <br /> <br /> I had driven over an hour, and my stomach was still in knots. So much so that I had to stop to throw up at one point. Guilt tore at me. <br /> <br /> I really had been cruel to her. <br /> <br /> Especially since it turned out it wasn’t even her fault the bond hadn’t broken. She and Dasha had accepted my rejection. They had done what I needed them to do. Ayla had stayed away from Kylee and me. She hadn’t tried to be around them. From what I could tell, she hadn’t even called Kylee like she used to. And how did I repay her? By ripping her apart with every intention of doing as much damage as possible. <br /> <br /> It was my wolf that was still hanging on. It was Kieran who kept us in a constant state of heartache. Kept Ayla in a constant state of pain. <br /> <br /> And then she had to go and do something foolish and cut herself out of the pack. She was completely lost to us now. The only thing I could do was tell myself it was what I wanted. It was the only way to get rid of the temptation and put enough distance between us until Kylee and I were marked and mated and leading our pack. <br /> <br /> Every time I said it, Kieran was there to argue. <br /> <br /> By the time I pulled up to the packhouse, I was so pissed that anyone around instantly took a wide birth. My aura was probably so intense that I was making everyone physically uncomfortable, but I really didn’t care.<br /> <br /> I was going to head to my office but decided against it. Too many people had access to me there, and I really didn’t need anyone coming around. <br /> <br /> What I needed was to work off some of this rage and pent-up energy. <br /> <br /> I made a beeline for the private training room in the wing of the packhouse reserved for ranking members of the pack. I was relieved to find it empty, tugging my shirt over my head and immediately heading to the punching bag in the corner. <br /> <br /> I had worked up a sweat when Briggs entered the room. Walking over to me with his usual swagger, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall close by. He knew something was up. He had been hounding me about it since we got back from Kylee’s house. So had my mother, but I sure wasn’t going down that road.<br /> <br /> Briggs was my Beta. We had been friends since we were eight and had been through everything together since then. I didn’t think there was anything we could hide from each other. But I surely wanted to hide this from him. So I just ignored his presence.<br /> <br /> “You ready to tell me what is going on with you? Or at least, where you were today?” he said loud enough to be heard over the sound of my fists hitting the bag. <br /> <br /> “No.”<br /> <br /> “If you don’t, we’ll sedate you. Your aura is out of control right now, bro. This isn’t about you just being in a pissy mood anymore,” Briggs said with an edge to his voice that meant he was serious.<br /> I yelled as I hit the bag hard one more time. I winced as I forced my fingers through my hair. I hadn’t realized I had been breaking the skin on my knuckles. I fell back against the wall, sliding down to the floor. <br /> <br /> “You know I’m here for you, bro,” my Beta said calmly. “Whatever it is, you can talk to me.”<br /> I nodded. <br /> <br /> ‘Tell him.’<br /> <br /> I winced at Keiran’s demand. But I couldn’t really disagree anymore. <br /> <br /> “I found my mate,” I admitted. I could feel Briggs’ eyes go wide in his head. <br /> <br /> “What do you mean you found your mate?” he took a step closer. “Please tell me you’re talking about Kylee.”<br /> <br /> I shook my head. “No. I found my fated mate.”<br /> <br /> “What. The. Fu-” He had warned me about this when I first got involved with Kylee and again when we announced our mating ceremony. “Where is she? Who is she?”<br /> <br /> “I rejected her. She’s gone.”<br /> <br /> “Theo, man, you’re really scaring me now. Why would you do that? What were you thinking?” Briggs demanded.<br /> <br /> “She’s Kylee’s sister,” I snapped. Briggs tensed up.<br /> <br /> “Ayla? As in the sister that allegedly abandoned Kylee?” <br /> <br /> His use of the word “allegedly” pissed me off and confused me a little. He really liked Kylee. They’ve always gotten along. Even when he was cautioning me about finding my mate, he told me he was happy for me. <br /> <br /> “Are you trying to say Kylee is lying?” I snapped.<br /> <br /> He made a face. “No, but I do think it’s foolish to reject your mate without all the information.”<br /> <br /> “I have all the information I need.”<br /> <br /> “No, you have Kylee’s side of the story,” Briggs said with a worried look.<br /> <br /> “And their mother’s,” I added.<br /> <br /> Briggs scoffed. “Look, Marie Garner is a nice enough lady, but I wouldn’t exactly trust her judgment.”<br /> <br /> “What are you talking about?” I asked, my own concern growing.<br /> <br /> “Bro, she’s a lush,” Briggs said with a shrug. “Not that you’ve been around enough to notice since she’s been here. I can’t tell how bad, and she seems pretty harmless. But these things often have a dark side that no one sees.”<br /> <br /> I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation. The last thing I needed was any kind of doubt in my decision. <br /> <br /> “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. And Ayla’s reactions to all of this told me all I needed to know from her.” I pushed myself to my feet. <br /> <br /> “What were her reactions?” Briggs asked cautiously, and I realized my choice of words may have given away more than I intended. I knew he wouldn’t let it go unless he was sure I told him everything. <br /> <br /> “Which time?” I said quietly.<br /> <br /> “Excuse me?” He heard exactly what I said. “What happened, Theo?”<br /> <br /> “She never argued or fought the rejection. She agreed and accepted it the first day we met like it was nothing. She had no response, no rebuttal, no explanation,” I told him. “You have to be coldhearted to feel nothing after breaking a mate bond.”<br /> <br /> “Or extremely strong,” Briggs stated. “You said she didn’t argue or fight. Did you even give her a chance to speak or even get to know anything about her before you threw her to the curb? Or did you just walk up to her and say tough words?”<br /> <br /> I grimaced. That’s exactly what happened. “There wasn’t exactly an opportunity for that. Neither one of us wanted Kylee to find out.”<br /> <br /> The muscles in his neck flexed as he tensed. “You said ‘which time.’ When did you see her again?”<br /> <br /> “This morning.” <br /> <br /> “Why?” <br /> <br /> I could tell he was choosing his words carefully. <br /> <br /> “Kylee wanted a necklace of her mother’s that was left at their house for some appointment this week. I went back to get it.”<br /> <br /> “Okay, someone else could have done that. Why did you go?” Briggs pushed, but the words stuck in my throat. “Theo, you’re hurting. There’s no way this is as cut and dry as you’re trying to say it is.”<br /> <br /> “The bond didn’t break. Not completely.”<br /> <br /> “Goddess, Theo. So you both have been walking around with your hearts ripped open for the past week?” Briggs said. “So, what happened today? Why are you still on the edge of ripping half the pack’s throats out?”<br /> <br /> Images of that morning flashed through my head. The fear that something had happened to her when she hadn’t been home. The jealousy and rage at finding her at another male’s house. The way it felt when I kissed her. And sheer pain and anguish of everything that followed. <br /> <br /> “Theo?” Briggs pressed.<br /> <br /> “She cut her ties to the pack,” I said solemnly. “She turned herself rogue.”<br /> <br /> “Theo,” Briggs bellowed, “how could you let that happen? Why didn’t you stop her?”<br /> <br /> “She cut herself from Dad. She used his name. There was nothing I could do. I had no way of fighting it.” I was done with this conversation. “So none of this matters. It’s done. She’s gone. She’s never coming back. Doing so would be a death sentence, and she knew that.”<br /> <br /> “What have you done, Theo?”<br /> <br /> “It doesn’t matter,” I yelled. “Whatever I did or didn’t do, she never wanted me anyway. She’s not my problem anymore. So right now, I’m going to worry about cleaning up the mess she made and figure out how to tell Kylee and Marie that they’ll never see her again. And don’t you dare breathe a word about any of this to them, do you understand me?”<br /> <br /> “Okay. Okay,” Briggs said, raising his hands in the air, trying to calm me down. “You’re right. There’s nothing we can do about her now. If it’s done and over with, then it’s done and over with. We’ll move on.”<br /> <br /> I wasn’t sure he believed it, but I didn’t care. Like I said, she wasn’t my problem anymore. <br /> <br /> I went back to my room. There was a knock on my room door, and Kylee poked her head in before I had a chance to answer.<br /> “There you are, mate,” she cooed, sitting in my lap.<br /> She ran a hand up my chest, leaning in to kiss me. Kieran’s growl started immediately.<br /> I still needed to let off some steam. Anything to get some relief.<br /> I was about to respond to her when blinding pain erupted through my body. 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Yes 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 933024661642082 🔥🔥🔥Download and search book ID: 9792 My sister&#039;s boyfriend turned out to be my mate! As he rejected me, I retaliated by cutting off all contact with the pack…<br /> Chapter 1: Ayla <br /> “Ayla, is dinner ready? No more delay. Kylee and Theo will be soon here!”<br /> “Yes, mom.” I sighed hearing my mother&#039;s impatient urging.<br /> Kylee is my little sister, and Theo is her mate as well as our future Alpha. It is said that they had been together for over a year, and today is the first Kylee has brought her mate home. I was so happy for her.<br /> Our current Alpha, Alpha Torin, was a good leader, a fair leader, and a good man. I knew he had a son, but I had never met him before.<br /> But I had heard that his son, Theo, was promising to be just as good an Alpha as his father. So I really couldn’t have been more relieved that he was my sister’s mate. She would be properly looked after and taken care of, and she would be happy.<br /> I was pulling the chicken out of the oven when I saw my mother rushing past me, excitedly shouting towards the door, “They&#039;re here.”<br /> After my father passed away, my mother had become an alcoholic. But she always managed to look presentable in front of Kylee. For example, today, she was not only dressed neatly, but even used mouthwash.<br /> <br /> I was still transferring the food when I heard the front door open and the squeals of my mother and sister as they embraced. I finished my task and moved the dishes to the dining room table that was already set neatly. I smiled at my presentation and excitedly hurried to the living room. <br /> <br /> I froze at the threshold. A scent overwhelmed my senses, causing my stomach to knot and my heart to race. <br /> <br /> The tall, broad man standing next to my sister turned toward me and we locked eyes. <br /> <br /> Mate.<br /> <br /> I practically gagged trying to stifle the word from slipping from my mouth. <br /> <br /> What was happening?<br /> <br /> This was my sister’s mate. <br /> <br /> Not mine. <br /> <br /> This man was fated to Kylee. <br /> <br /> So why was I having this reaction?<br /> <br /> Better question…<br /> <br /> Why did HE seem to be having the same reaction?<br /> <br /> His eyes were wide, pupils dilated, and they held my gaze with a vice-like grip as he, too, seemed frozen to where he stood. <br /> <br /> Dasha, my wolf, bounced excitedly in my head, recognizing him and his wolf just as I was. It took a minute for her to understand the situation, but once she did, she started whimpering in the back of my mind.<br /> <br /> This couldn’t be happening. <br /> <br /> What was happening?<br /> <br /> I forced myself to address the situation as a whole. Fine, this was happening. Now, what is the best way to handle the situation? I wasn’t going to break my sister’s heart. Absolutely not. I wouldn’t let him either. Not right now. We’ll just get through dinner, and I’ll find a way to speak with him in private later. <br /> <br /> I cleared my throat and plastered a smile on my face.<br /> <br /> “Kylee, I’m so excited you’re home,” I said, opening my arms so she could jump into them like she had since she was little.<br /> <br /> “I’ve missed you, sis,” she said. <br /> <br /> “I’ve missed you, too,” I said quietly. <br /> <br /> We separated, and she turned to the male behind her. “Theo, this is my sister, Ayla. Ayla, this is my mate, Theo.”<br /> <br /> Theo’s hands were clenched into fists, and he forced a tight-jawed smile toward me. At least I was better at faking it them him. Geesh. <br /> <br /> I nodded to him with a broad smile. I knew it didn’t reach my eyes, but at least Ma and Kylee wouldn’t notice. <br /> <br /> “It’s lovely to meet you, Theo,” I said. “Dinner is ready in the dining room. Why don’t you guys go take a seat, and I’ll be right there. I need to tend to dessert first.”<br /> <br /> “Don’t take too long,” Kylee said brightly. “We have some big news, and I don’t think I can wait much longer.”<br /> <br /> “I promise I’ll be right there,” I assured her as I rubbed her shoulder. <br /> <br /> Kylee grabbed Ma by the arm and led her to the dining room. Theo followed a few steps behind. He had to pass me to get through. Right as he approached, I turned my body to ensure we didn’t touch. He paused in front of me for a moment. I looked up to meet his eyes.<br /> <br /> There was anger, confusion, desire, and possibly even hurt reflecting in his eyes that I couldn’t help but notice were the color of honey. He had questions. I subtly shook my head at him. Hoping and silently begging that he knew we couldn’t do this here. <br /> <br /> The sound of Kylee’s laugh from the other room made me jump and then quickly retreat to the kitchen. I grabbed the homemade cheesecake from the fridge and set it on the counter for later. <br /> <br /> I listened to the others conversing in the next room and took several deep breaths. I felt a lump start to form in my throat and quickly pushed it down. This wasn’t the time to cry. <br /> <br /> I was almost to the dining room when I heard the last part of what Kylee was saying, and again, I was left frozen at the threshold.<br /> <br /> “… our mating ceremony is in three months.” Kylee looked up at me. “Oh, Ayla, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t hold back any longer. Aren’t you happy for us?”<br /> <br /> I put the same fake smile back on. “Of course I’m happy for you,” I said. “You deserve the best.”<br /> <br /> I took my seat at the table, ignoring the fact that I was left sitting directly across from Theo. His eyes were boring into me, and my face felt like it was on fire. I started dishing out food and passing plates. I didn’t say much over dinner. Instead, I just listened to Kylee and Ma talk about all the ideas they had for the mating ceremony. Theo didn’t say much either but slowly started to do a better job hiding his discomfort with the situation. <br /> <br /> It took everything to ignore the touches they shared, pushing down the jealousy that kept surging through me. <br /> After dinner, while they were still talking, I made an excuse to slip out through the back door.<br /> <br /> I stood on the porch and took several deep breaths. I released a string of curses.<br /> “What is happening? Why is this happening? This ISN’T happening,” I whispered with the force of a yell. <br /> <br /> ‘Our mate.’ Dasha insisted.<br /> <br /> “No, he’s not,” I said back to her. “He’s Kylee’s. There must be some kind of mistake.”<br /> <br /> All of a sudden, I stiffened as a mouthwatering scent hit my nose. I knew who was standing behind me. <br /> <br /> Chapter 2: Theo<br /> I fought against the urges her scent was influencing as I stalked up to her. But more importantly, the urge to grab her and take her against the nearest tree. My wolf was going crazy about the idea, but he would learn fast that that was never going to happen. <br /> <br /> I wouldn’t accept her. <br /> <br /> Knowing what I knew about her, that would never happen. <br /> <br /> She turned to face me. <br /> <br /> “This won’t happen,” I spat out before she had a chance to speak. <br /> Her jaw clenched, and her silvery-gray eyes stared into mine for a few short moments. But I couldn’t read a thing behind them. <br /> <br /> “I absolutely agree,” she stated evenly. <br /> <br /> My wolf growled and snarled inside me, demanding to know what I was doing. I pushed down the hurt that hit me when she didn’t fight me. Her reaction just proved why this needed to be done. I could never be with someone so cold and self-absorbed as her. There was no way someone like her could ever be my Luna. <br /> <br /> ‘Don’t know her.’ Kieran yelled in my head. <br /> <br /> I knew enough. <br /> <br /> “Kylee is my mate. Not you. I, Theo Arden, future Alpha of the Greytooth Pack, reject you, Ayla Garner, as my mate and Luna.” Kieran was snapping his teeth, pushing to take control to stop this.<br /> <br /> “I, Ayla Garner, accept your rejection and relinquish my claim as your mate and Luna.”<br /> <br /> My wolf howled in pain. A pain that was mirrored within me as it felt like my heart was being ripped apart. It was the bond breaking. Releasing me from the tie that bound us together.<br /> She stood there like nothing happened. <br /> <br /> How could she stand there like nothing had happened?<br /> <br /> She really didn’t feel anything, did she? It was so easy for her to let us go.<br /> <br /> ‘Mate wants me.’<br /> <br /> I grimaced. He meant her wolf. Her wolf wanted mine. He could sense her. She was even denying her wolf. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I needed to get away from her. <br /> <br /> I stormed back into the house, returning to the woman the goddess should have made my mate. I returned to the dining room to find her mother and her still deep in conversation. I was grateful she hadn’t seemed to notice my absence or the change in my mood. It wasn’t surprising. She was excited about seeing her family and sharing the news with them. <br /> <br /> I had been, too, until her sister walked into the room. The scent had engulfed me, driving me to seek out the source like a lifeline. When I saw her, her beauty took my breath away. She was petit but strong, with long legs and perfect curves. She had a mass of caramel-blonde hair that cascaded over her shoulders, framing a face with plump lips and intense gray eyes that shined green in the light. I couldn’t help but want her. I recognized who she was to me immediately. <br /> <br /> But then I noticed her narrow nose and soft jawline were familiar. Her fair skin had a sun-kissed glow that I had always found attractive. Once I realized she had similar features to Kylee, I knew this was her sister, Ayla. <br /> <br /> Kylee had told me on many occasions how her sister had changed after the death of their father. She was there for Kylee at first, but in less than a year, she started spending all her time away from home. She ended up dropping out of the private school her parents had worked so hard to send her to. Eventually, Kylee lost track of what she was doing with her life. <br /> <br /> Kylee was there for her when she was around, trying to be supportive. But she wasn’t the sister she used to love. What bothered her most was Ayla’s treatment of their mother. Ayla still lived in the house with her, but Kylee always got the impression that helping their mother was just a burden. She worried their mother would be left with no one to take care of her, and she wasn’t in the best of health anymore. <br /> <br /> “I have an idea,” I interrupted. They both looked up at me expectantly. “Why doesn’t your mother come to stay with us for a while? At least until the ceremony? We have the room in the packhouse, and I’m sure you and my mother would appreciate the extra input.”<br /> <br /> Both their faces lit up.<br /> <br /> “Really? We can do that?” Kylee said happily. <br /> <br /> “Of course,” I said with a smile. <br /> <br /> “Thank you.”<br /> <br /> Kylee jumped up from the table and threw her arms around me, kissing me sweetly. I ignored the growls coming from Kieran. Seeing their reaction told me I had made the exact right decision. Despite what the burning in my chest told me. <br /> <br /> This was who I was supposed to be with. Not Ayla.<br /> <br /> ‘Keep saying. Maybe believe.’<br /> <br /> I told him to shut up, and he retreated into the back of my mind, cutting himself off from me. <br /> <br /> He would get over it. Once the bond was completely severed, he would understand this was the right thing for us and the pack.<br /> <br /> Chapter 3: Ayla<br /> I had managed to get myself together enough to rejoin my family. The pain that seared through me from Theo’s rejection and my subsequent acceptance almost brought me to my knees. It took all of my strength to keep my body from shaking, praying he didn’t notice the blood coming from my palms. I had clenched my fists so hard trying to stay on my feet that I broke the skin.<br /> <br /> When he finally left, I released the sob that was the only thing capable of coming out of my mouth. But I didn’t let the tears fall. Not yet. They couldn’t know. <br /> <br /> So, I steadied my breathing and went back into my house. I was surprised to find that Kylee and Ma weren’t in the dining room anymore. They weren’t in the living room either. But Theo was. <br /> <br /> “They’re in your mother’s room packing,” he said coldly.<br /> <br /> “Packing?” What was he talking about?<br /> <br /> He stepped closer to me, lowering his voice. “I think it’s best that you keep your distance from Kylee for a while. We don’t want her finding out about this. But I know she’ll want her mother to be a part of the ceremony planning. So she’s coming back with us.”<br /> <br /> I felt like he just slapped me in the face. As if I would ever tell her. That’s why I was doing this. So that I wouldn’t break my baby sister’s heart. I gave him what he wanted, and now he was going to keep me from my family?<br /> <br /> Dasha was confused and in pain, whimpering in my head because she didn’t understand how he could be so cruel to us. <br /> <br /> “If that’s what you think is best,” I said to Theo through gritted teeth. <br /> <br /> “Kylee,” he called out, not breaking eye contact. “Let’s get going.”<br /> <br /> My sister came prancing into the room. “Already?”<br /> <br /> “It’s getting late. Let’s head to the hotel for the night. We’ll swing by in the morning to pick up your mother.”<br /> <br /> “Okay,” she said brightly before turning to me. “What about you, Ayla? You’re coming with, too, right?”<br /> <br /> I opened my mouth to speak, but Theo decided to answer for me. <br /> <br /> “We were just talking about that. Ayla has some things going on with work and can’t get away.”<br /> <br /> I gave her a tight smile. “Yes, I’m sorry. But I will try to come out there as soon as I can.”<br /> <br /> “Oh, okay, I understand. But I’ll make sure we have a room ready for you whenever you can come.”<br /> <br /> “Of course. I can’t wait,” I said, my heart breaking again, knowing Theo wouldn’t allow me to be there with her. <br /> <br /> We all said our goodbyes, and they left. Ma was still standing at the window watching them drive off when I went to clean up the dishes in the kitchen. She finally came in behind me and started opening another bottle of wine. We had gone through four during dinner already. And I barely touched my glass. <br /> <br /> “Ma, you’ve had enough for the night,” I said calmly.<br /> <br /> “Oh, come on. It’s a celebration,” Ma said. “It’s not every day you find out your baby is going to be a Luna.”<br /> <br /> “Ma, you can celebrate more tomorrow. You need to finish packing,” I said, gently taking the bottle from her hand. “I’m sure Kylee and Theo will be here first thing in the morning.”<br /> <br /> “We can celebrate together while you help me pack,” she said, grabbing the bottle back from me. “Then I’ll help you pack.”<br /> <br /> I winced. This wasn’t going to end well. “I’m not coming, Ma.”<br /> <br /> She stopped with the glass halfway to her lips. “What do you mean you’re not coming?” she asked with a pout. “You have to be there. Kylee is going to be mated. I told her we would help pay for the ceremony.”<br /> <br /> I winced again. She meant me. I would be helping pay for the ceremony. Ma didn’t have a penny to her name.<br /> <br /> “This is a big deal. Don’t be so selfish, Ayla.”<br /> <br /> Her words stung, but they weren’t unexpected. This was kind of the norm when she got like this. I know she didn’t really mean it. At least, she wouldn’t mean it when she was sober. I got her into her bedroom and set her on the bed. I changed her into her nightgown and tucked her in. <br /> <br /> She was asleep in seconds. I hurried through the rest of her packing. Stuffing two large suitcases as full as I could before carrying them out to the living room. Then I locked the front door, finished the last of the dishes, and slipped out into the backyard.<br /> <br /> I stripped off my clothes as I headed for the forest, desperate to get under its protective shadows. As soon as I passed the treeline, I shifted, taking off at full speed. I let Dasha feel all the pain. I didn’t try to hold her back anymore. <br /> <br /> We would mourn the loss of our fated mate. The loss of the one person who was supposed to see us for who we were. The one person who was supposed to always put us first, without demands or expectations. We would mourn the loss of never getting to experience that.<br /> But we wouldn’t mourn him.<br /> <br /> We ran until we could barely breathe. Until Dasha stopped at the edge of our pond — our place of solace — and let out a heartwrenching howl into the night air. Shifting at the end as she retreated back into my mind, out of reach to heal her broken heart, while I let the torrent of tears finally fall.<br /> <br /> I walked into the water, curling into myself as the sobs wracked my body, intensifying the burn that was still there from our bond being ripped from my heart.<br /> <br /> I submerged myself completely, washing my body clean of Theo, the mate bond, and every dream of finding my soulmate. <br /> <br /> In the midst of this pain I drifted off to sleep.<br /> The next morning.<br /> When I made it back to the house, there was no one there. My mother had been taken away by them.<br /> I was standing in an empty room in an empty house. The silence was deafening. And it all came crashing down. I sank to my knees, begging the goddess to just let it all go away, just for a little while. I just wanted to feel numb.<br /> <br /> I lost track of how long I sat in that spot, staring without seeing. I didn’t even know Zeff was there until I felt him grip my arms.<br /> <br /> “Ayls, what happened? What’s wrong?” he asked, brushing hair out of my face, forcing me to look at him. “Ayla, what is going on?”<br /> <br /> “I found my mate,” I said, the corner of my mouth tipping up mockingly. “He’s scheduled to be mated to my sister.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Zeff exclaimed, anger and concern twisting his handsome features. <br /> <br /> Zeff was a good man. He had been there for me when no one else was. He was the only person who knew everything I went through. And here he was, listening to me tell him about meeting Theo, the mating ceremony, and my rejection. Why couldn’t he have been my mate? He should have been. <br /> <br /> “Come on,” he said, lifting me up. “You’re coming to stay with me.”<br /> <br /> I didn’t protest. The goddess had given me this one little blessing. I was numb. Zeff held me up by my waist and led me out to his car. He tucked me into the passenger seat and disappeared into the house again, only to emerge a few minutes later with a duffel bag in hand. <br /> <br /> He pulled out and drove us the twenty minutes to his house. Just like before, he helped me inside, this time sitting me on the big, comfy leather couch in his living room.<br /> <br /> He came and sat next to me, putting an arm over my shoulder and pulling me into him. I let myself relax some. This was the first thing since Theo walked into my life that felt normal, felt comfortable. He leaned his head on mine, rubbing his fingers along my arm. <br /> <br /> “Ayla. You’re going to deal with this — we’re going to deal with this together. Screw him, okay. He’s a dirtbag. You deserve so much better than some fool who doesn’t see how incredible you are.”<br /> <br /> I wanted to roll my eyes, but it wasn’t just about him. <br /> <br /> “He took my family, Zeff. I would have gotten over him just rejecting me because of Kylee. At least she would be safe and happy.”<br /> <br /> “No. They either treat you like a servant or a bank. They don’t care what their actions do to you as long as they keep getting what they want.&quot;<br /> <br /> “Zeff...But they were my family” I wanted to contradict him, but I knew he was right.<br /> <br /> “Get over him.” He took a step toward me, reaching up to hold my chin. “He’s not the only one who can take care of you, Ayla. He may be foolish enough not to want you, but I’m not.”<br /> <br /> My breath caught in my throat. He had told me about his feelings before, but we both avoided going down that road with each other. We knew we could find our fated mates at any time, and we didn’t want to deny each other that. <br /> <br /> “Move in here with me, Ayls,” Zeff said. “There’s nothing stopping us now.”<br /> <br /> “Zeff, you still have a mate out there somewhere.”<br /> <br /> “Ayla, stop. I’m thirty-four and well-traveled. If I was going to find her, I would have long before now. We both know that.” <br /> <br /> Suddenly his lips were on mine. I was shocked, but mostly because it felt good. I felt wanted. I kissed him back, not wanting to give that feeling up. I leaned into him — until Dasha came charging to the forefront, growling and snarling that someone who wasn’t our mate was touching us. <br /> <br /> I ripped myself from Zeff’s embrace. Breathing heavily, the pain of the severed bond renewed. I clutched my chest. <br /> <br /> “Ayla.” <br /> <br /> “I can’t. The bond. It’s still there. It hasn’t faded yet.”<br /> <br /> Zeff pulled me into his arms. “Okay. It’s okay. We can wait. We’ll take it slow.”<br /> <br /> I rested my head on his chest. “Okay.”<br /> <br /> He squeezed me tighter. I still didn’t know if we could make this work, but I wanted to try. <br /> <br /> I stayed with the Zeff, and it was quiet. Until a week later, when Theo burst in.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4: Theo<br /> It had been a week since I had gone home with Kylee. Seven days and a hundred miles away, and the bond was still there. The burning in my chest wouldn’t go away. I didn’t understand and it was annoying. <br /> <br /> More important is Kieran. He had spent the whole week giving me the silent treatment, except when Kylee was around. Then all he did was growl and snarl. It was getting exhausting. <br /> <br /> I had taken to holing up in my office most of the time. I didn’t want to snap at Kylee, or her mother, which had become hard to avoid by the third day. I was glad I had a good reason for me being so busy all of a sudden. <br /> <br /> Alpha was sick. He was diagnosed with a progressive disease almost a year ago. So, he decided it was time to hand the title down to me. It wasn’t official yet. We were planning on making the change at the same time as Kylee’s and my mating ceremony. Actually, that’s why I decided to make Kylee my official mate. Alpha’s were always stronger with a strong Luna by their side. With the circumstances of my father’s abdication, our pack needed to be as strong as possible. <br /> <br /> But there was still a lot to take care of and a lot I had to learn about being an Alpha before that time. So it wasn’t hard to convince her that it was the stress that was causing me to be distant. <br /> <br /> But this morning, I&#039;m driving myself to Kylee&#039;s house. I promised to help her retrieve her mother&#039;s necklace, which she wanted to wear during our mating ceremony.<br /> <br /> In addition, if I couldn’t completely sever the bond between me and Ayla, Kieran could end up taking control and stop me from marking Kylee.<br /> So, once I got the necklace, I’d reject Ayla again, making sure it stuck this time, and I’d go back home.<br /> <br /> When I pulled up to the house, something twisted in my gut. When I step into the house, her invigorating scent of oranges and cloves invaded my nostrils, but it wasn’t nearly as strong as it should have been.<br /> I realize Ayla wasn&#039;t home.<br /> Instead, there was another smell in Ayla&#039;s room.<br /> The scent was male. It was faint, he wasn’t here long, but mixed in with the distinctive scent of my mate, I could pick it out anywhere. From the trail, it seemed as if he was the one who packed up her things.<br /> <br /> I stormed out of the house. Tossing the jewelry box in the passenger seat, I took my phone out and searched for the number for the publishing house Kylee said Ayla worked for.<br /> I got another address that Ayla had added to her personal profile from the receptionist.<br /> <br /> I followed the GPS to the address, pulling into the drive of a large, two-story house in a nice neighborhood. Parking half on the lawn, I didn’t even close the car door before taking the front steps two at a time. <br /> <br /> I banged on the door until I heard movement inside. A man opened it. It was the male I smelled in Ayla’s room. Before he could say anything, I lunged at him, my hands grabbing the front of his shirt and practically lifting him off the ground.<br /> <br /> “What have you done with her? I smell her all over you. Where is she?”<br /> <br /> He pushed me off him, his eyes glaring at me with recognition and disdain.<br /> <br /> “You must be Theo.”<br /> <br /> “What is going on?” Ayla’s voice floated down to me as she ran down the stairs. She froze halfway down the moment she laid eyes on me. “What are you doing here?”<br /> <br /> A silk robe hung open, revealing the shorts and cut-off tank top she wore underneath, her caramel-colored hair flowing loosely around her shoulders. She was gorgeous. And clearly not in distress. I took a step toward her as my rage grew.<br /> <br /> “What are you doing here?” I spat back. <br /> <br /> “That’s none of your concern,” the male interjected.<br /> <br /> I turned on him again, a rumbling growl emanating from my chest, my claws extending. I was ready to rip his throat out. <br /> <br /> “Stop,” Ayla yelled, coming the rest of the way down the stairs and stepping between the two of us. “Zeff, go to work.”<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. I’m not leaving you here with him. Not in the state he’s in.”<br /> <br /> “I would never hurt her.” Kieran was ready to burst from my skin. How dare this dirtbag think we would ever lay a hand on her.<br /> <br /> “We both know that’s crap.”<br /> <br /> “Zeff, I said go.” Her expression softened a little. “I’ll call you later.”<br /> <br /> She would. <br /> <br /> The Zeff guy shot me another hate-filled look before exiting out the open front door. We stood in silence until the sound of his engine faded. <br /> <br /> “Are you dating him?” <br /> <br /> Her eyes went wide, then narrowed as she took a step forward. “What I do with a male — or anyone for that matter — is none of your business.”<br /> <br /> “It isn’t.” Electricity passed through the air between us. “He has no right to put his hands on you.”<br /> <br /> “He does if I want him to,” she yelled, not only holding her ground against the alpha energy I was exuding but taking another step toward me. “I don’t belong to anyone, remember? I have no mate.”<br /> <br /> I lost it. My hand was around her neck and my mouth was on hers before I even knew what I had done. But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. Sparks of intense electricity shot through me, invigorating all my senses. I pushed her to open for me, my tongue seeking hers. Goddess, she tasted so good. She returned the kiss, her arousal mingling in the air. <br /> <br /> “MINE.” <br /> <br /> She pushed me off her with force.<br /> <br /> I took a step toward her again but she backed away. <br /> <br /> “Don’t you hurt Kylee like this.”<br /> <br /> “Like you care about your sister getting hurt,” I spat, but for some reason, I instantly regretted it. But I couldn’t take it back. I wouldn’t take it back.<br /> <br /> “Excuse me?” Pure rage radiated off of her, her eyes turning an icy blue. <br /> <br /> “You abandoned Kylee a long time ago. You disappeared all the time, leaving her alone with a mother who was struggling to keep everything together.”<br /> <br /> Ayla’s face paled. Every ounce of anger seemed to drain from her instantly, that blue fire fading from her eyes. <br /> <br /> She almost went completely limp in front of me, stumbling until her back hit the wall. Her façade cracked. <br /> <br /> “That’s what she told you? She said that?” her voice was almost a whisper. <br /> <br /> Kieran was going insane in my head, telling me to shut up, to just stop talking. Urging me to stop hurting her. Because I was hurting her. I had struck a nerve, a very deep one, and I wouldn’t stop. She had to break the bond. Once and for all. If it meant I had to break her to do it, I would.<br /> <br /> “She told me everything. She told me how you would keep things from her and your mother. That you would be out at all hours of the night when you were a teenager. How you dropped out of high school, waisting the tuition your parents worked so hard for.”<br /> <br /> “What?” <br /> <br /> “I could never be with someone as cold and heartless as you.”<br /> <br /> Ayla’s head snapped up. Her eyes a steely gray as she resolved herself to something I couldn’t figure out but would soon find out. <br /> <br /> “I, Ayla Garner, reject you, Theo Arden, as my mate. I relinquish my claim as your mate and Luna.”<br /> <br /> I gritted my teeth as Kieran howled in my head, screaming for me not to accept it. <br /> <br /> “I, Theo Arden, accept your rejection.” The pain in my chest amplified, but I could still feel the bond. “We’ve done this before. It’s not working.”<br /> <br /> “Tell your wolf to accept it,” Ayla said with a crack in her voice. <br /> <br /> The muscles in my jaw tightened to a point I thought my teeth would shatter. The noise in my head from Kieran becoming almost unbearable.<br /> <br /> “He won’t.”<br /> <br /> “Make him,” she forced out.<br /> <br /> “I can’t.”<br /> <br /> “He doesn’t have a choice. I’ll never be with him, and neither will she,” Ayla said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. <br /> <br /> I could feel the pain he felt. It was excruciating. I told him it would end if he just accepted, but he wouldn’t give in. He was an Alpha. He was as strong as me. I’d never overpower him on this. Ayla must have sensed my stalemate. Or her wolf did and told her because she pulled herself from against the wall, standing up straight again.<br /> <br /> “I, Ayla Garner, cut my ties to Alpha Torin…”<br /> <br /> “What are you doing?” There was desperation in my voice. She couldn’t do this. I moved to stop her. <br /> <br /> “And the Greytooth Pack.”<br /> <br /> “No.” I fell to a knee, feeling the invisible tether that united pack members with their Alpha splinter. Kieran was pounding against the barriers of my control, putting all his might into taking over the shift. I knew I was on the verge.<br /> <br /> “From this day forth, I am a rogue.” She took an unsteady step toward me, silent tears rolling freely down her face. “Now get out.”<br /> <br /> She had used my father’s name. Either of our names would have worked in the limbo state we were currently in. But she used my father’s. There was nothing I could do to stop her. Nothing I could do to fight the separation. She knew exactly what she was doing. <br /> <br /> If my wolf wouldn’t sever the mate bond, she would remove herself from any control I had over her. <br /> <br /> With one final, agonizing look, she walked away, disappearing upstairs. <br /> <br /> I took in a ragged breath of air. Ayla now had until midnight to be out of our territory. If I caught her on our land after that, I would have to murder her. Mate bond or not. She was a rogue now. It was our laws. <br /> <br /> Kieran had finally gone still in my mind. <br /> <br /> ‘Mate’s gone.’<br /> <br /> Did he mean Ayla or her wolf?<br /> <br /> ‘Dasha. Mate’s name is Dasha. Dasha’s gone.’<br /> <br /> Realization hit me and panic set in. Her wolf was gone. The pain was too much. She had retreated deep into the recesses of Ayla’s subconscious. Ayla wouldn’t be able to call on her. She wouldn’t be able to shift. She wouldn’t be able to heal.<br /> <br /> She was a rogue without a wolf. She couldn’t protect herself. <br /> <br /> I had to get as far away from her as possible. <br /> <br /> I dragged myself back to my feet, forcing them to walk out the door. <br /> <br /> Chapter 5: Ayla<br /> The moment the door was closed, I sank to the floor. It was no longer sobs that escaped my body but soul-shattering screams. <br /> <br /> She said I abandoned her. <br /> <br /> Theo made it sound like I spent my teen years partying and getting into trouble. She said I dropped out of high school. <br /> <br /> She said I wasn’t a sister to her. <br /> <br /> The betrayal was soul-crushing. <br /> <br /> I had given up everything for them. <br /> <br /> I screamed and let the tears flow freely until my body ached. As soon as it felt like I could breathe without being stabbed by a red-hot dagger, I pulled myself up and started moving. I only had a few hours to get my things and get out of Greytooth territory. <br /> <br /> I had made myself a rogue. I didn’t have a pack anymore. And I had no idea where I was going to go. All the borders on this side of the territory sat right against other pack lands. To get out of one, I’d have to enter another. But it was my only option. Trying to get to unclaimed territory was too risky. I would have better luck on foreign pack land than on the land I just severed ties to. <br /> <br /> After leaving a note for Zeff, I packed up and drove away.<br /> <br /> The Greytooth Pack may not be the largest in population, but they had one of the biggest territories. The closest border crossing was nearly two hours away. And I needed to be far away before Zeff got home. I couldn’t have him tracking me down.<br /> <br /> Especially since I didn’t give him much of an explanation. <br /> <br /> But it was better this way. I wasn’t going to risk him cutting ties and going rogue as well. Because he would. He would hold Theo responsible, and he would never stay in a pack with an alpha he didn’t respect, let alone hate. This way, the note I left would have just made it seem like I got cold feet about us being together. <br /> <br /> I drove to the outskirts of town and got on the highway. From there, it was practically a straight shot to the border. I was grateful at first, but after about an hour, I realized the monotonous ride only left my mind wondering and worrying and thinking about things I didn’t need to think about. <br /> <br /> When Theo found me in the yard that first day, I had no idea what he would say. His initial reaction to our meeting had me thinking he would pursue the pairing. But then his increasingly icy demeanor throughout the evening made it seem like he was thinking along the same lines I was. He wasn’t going to hurt Kylee for someone he didn’t know. <br /> <br /> He loved her. She loved him. I had no idea who he was, nor he I. We could reject each other and just go on our way. Neither one of us would have to break Kylee’s heart. I thought he was keeping me from my family to be cruel. Or maybe to make things easier for both of us. <br /> <br /> But today, his words revealed a different motive. He didn’t reject me for Kylee. He rejected me because of her. Because he believed what she said and painted me as some coldhearted delinquent. But why? I just couldn’t figure that out. <br /> <br /> Dad died in a gas explosion along with my aunt and uncle ten years ago. I was fourteen, and Kylee was nine. Our thirteen-year-old cousin, Mina, came to live with us for a while after their deaths. Ma was hit pretty hard by the loss, so the three of us quickly started taking care of each other. We spent every spare minute with each other. Then our financial situation changed. Kylee was entirely too young, and Mina had been through enough losing both her parents for me to put that on her. So, it was up to me to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. <br /> <br /> But I was still fourteen. Finding jobs that paid enough to support a family of four at the age of fourteen was non-existent. I would need to work multiple jobs, and there just wasn’t enough time in the day. So, I approached the headmaster at my private high school and confided my situation with him. I was desperate not to drop out or risk my grades dropping and losing my scholarship. My parents didn’t pay a dime of my tuition. <br /> <br /> Headmaster Fordham was a miracle worker. He helped me test out of over eighty percent of my academic requirements by the end of my freshman year. I only had to take four summer classes to graduate a week after my fifteenth birthday. I was even able to broker a deal with him that would set the remaining three years of my scholarship fund aside for Kylee when it came time for her to attend high school. <br /> <br /> I still ended up working multiple jobs for several years. But no matter what, I always tried to be there for Kylee as much as possible. <br /> <br /> Everything I did was for her. <br /> <br /> I completely lost touch with all of my school friends. I never partied. I barely socialized. The jobs I held were really the only place that happened. But I was home to take her to school every morning, and I ensured I had at least an hour to help her with her homework almost every day. <br /> <br /> I didn’t discuss the lengths I went to with Kylee. I didn’t want her to feel bad or that it was her fault. And I didn’t want her to see what Ma was going through. She was struggling to keep any job. She was drinking daily. There were even a couple of times she racked up gambling debts that put us in some scary situations. <br /> <br /> But I never let Kylee see any of that. It was my job to protect them. <br /> <br /> There was so much more that didn’t add up with what Theo had said. But I didn’t get to think about it further. <br /> <br /> A searing pain shot through my chest, making my vision go white at the edges, blinding me to a point I almost missed the figure standing in the road before me. <br /> <br /> My heart jumped into my chest. I turned the wheel as sharp as I could, slamming on the brakes to avoid hitting them head-on. The moment I did it, I felt foolish. Within seconds, I was spinning through the air and sliding down an embankment.<br /> <br /> When the vehicle came to a stop, I was upside down. I registered the smell of blood, but everything was blurry. I didn’t feel significant pain, so I didn’t think the blood was coming from me. <br /> <br /> The person on the road!<br /> <br /> I scrambled out of the car and up the incline. Without Dasha, I couldn’t see well in the dark, but I could see a blurry figure moving toward me.<br /> <br /> “Are you okay?” I called. <br /> <br /> I didn’t catch what they were saying because I suddenly felt the world falling out from beneath my feet, and everything went dark. <br /> <br /> Chapter 6: Theo<br /> I said I would break her if that was what it took.<br /> <br /> And I certainly followed through with that.<br /> <br /> Ayla’s hard exterior had cracked and shattered before me. <br /> <br /> I had driven over an hour, and my stomach was still in knots. So much so that I had to stop to throw up at one point. Guilt tore at me. <br /> <br /> I really had been cruel to her. <br /> <br /> Especially since it turned out it wasn’t even her fault the bond hadn’t broken. She and Dasha had accepted my rejection. They had done what I needed them to do. Ayla had stayed away from Kylee and me. She hadn’t tried to be around them. From what I could tell, she hadn’t even called Kylee like she used to. And how did I repay her? By ripping her apart with every intention of doing as much damage as possible. <br /> <br /> It was my wolf that was still hanging on. It was Kieran who kept us in a constant state of heartache. Kept Ayla in a constant state of pain. <br /> <br /> And then she had to go and do something foolish and cut herself out of the pack. She was completely lost to us now. The only thing I could do was tell myself it was what I wanted. It was the only way to get rid of the temptation and put enough distance between us until Kylee and I were marked and mated and leading our pack. <br /> <br /> Every time I said it, Kieran was there to argue. <br /> <br /> By the time I pulled up to the packhouse, I was so pissed that anyone around instantly took a wide birth. My aura was probably so intense that I was making everyone physically uncomfortable, but I really didn’t care.<br /> <br /> I was going to head to my office but decided against it. Too many people had access to me there, and I really didn’t need anyone coming around. <br /> <br /> What I needed was to work off some of this rage and pent-up energy. <br /> <br /> I made a beeline for the private training room in the wing of the packhouse reserved for ranking members of the pack. I was relieved to find it empty, tugging my shirt over my head and immediately heading to the punching bag in the corner. <br /> <br /> I had worked up a sweat when Briggs entered the room. Walking over to me with his usual swagger, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall close by. He knew something was up. He had been hounding me about it since we got back from Kylee’s house. So had my mother, but I sure wasn’t going down that road.<br /> <br /> Briggs was my Beta. We had been friends since we were eight and had been through everything together since then. I didn’t think there was anything we could hide from each other. But I surely wanted to hide this from him. So I just ignored his presence.<br /> <br /> “You ready to tell me what is going on with you? Or at least, where you were today?” he said loud enough to be heard over the sound of my fists hitting the bag. <br /> <br /> “No.”<br /> <br /> “If you don’t, we’ll sedate you. Your aura is out of control right now, bro. This isn’t about you just being in a pissy mood anymore,” Briggs said with an edge to his voice that meant he was serious.<br /> I yelled as I hit the bag hard one more time. I winced as I forced my fingers through my hair. I hadn’t realized I had been breaking the skin on my knuckles. I fell back against the wall, sliding down to the floor. <br /> <br /> “You know I’m here for you, bro,” my Beta said calmly. “Whatever it is, you can talk to me.”<br /> I nodded. <br /> <br /> ‘Tell him.’<br /> <br /> I winced at Keiran’s demand. But I couldn’t really disagree anymore. <br /> <br /> “I found my mate,” I admitted. I could feel Briggs’ eyes go wide in his head. <br /> <br /> “What do you mean you found your mate?” he took a step closer. “Please tell me you’re talking about Kylee.”<br /> <br /> I shook my head. “No. I found my fated mate.”<br /> <br /> “What. The. Fu-” He had warned me about this when I first got involved with Kylee and again when we announced our mating ceremony. “Where is she? Who is she?”<br /> <br /> “I rejected her. She’s gone.”<br /> <br /> “Theo, man, you’re really scaring me now. Why would you do that? What were you thinking?” Briggs demanded.<br /> <br /> “She’s Kylee’s sister,” I snapped. Briggs tensed up.<br /> <br /> “Ayla? As in the sister that allegedly abandoned Kylee?” <br /> <br /> His use of the word “allegedly” pissed me off and confused me a little. He really liked Kylee. They’ve always gotten along. Even when he was cautioning me about finding my mate, he told me he was happy for me. <br /> <br /> “Are you trying to say Kylee is lying?” I snapped.<br /> <br /> He made a face. “No, but I do think it’s foolish to reject your mate without all the information.”<br /> <br /> “I have all the information I need.”<br /> <br /> “No, you have Kylee’s side of the story,” Briggs said with a worried look.<br /> <br /> “And their mother’s,” I added.<br /> <br /> Briggs scoffed. “Look, Marie Garner is a nice enough lady, but I wouldn’t exactly trust her judgment.”<br /> <br /> “What are you talking about?” I asked, my own concern growing.<br /> <br /> “Bro, she’s a lush,” Briggs said with a shrug. “Not that you’ve been around enough to notice since she’s been here. I can’t tell how bad, and she seems pretty harmless. But these things often have a dark side that no one sees.”<br /> <br /> I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation. The last thing I needed was any kind of doubt in my decision. <br /> <br /> “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. And Ayla’s reactions to all of this told me all I needed to know from her.” I pushed myself to my feet. <br /> <br /> “What were her reactions?” Briggs asked cautiously, and I realized my choice of words may have given away more than I intended. I knew he wouldn’t let it go unless he was sure I told him everything. <br /> <br /> “Which time?” I said quietly.<br /> <br /> “Excuse me?” He heard exactly what I said. “What happened, Theo?”<br /> <br /> “She never argued or fought the rejection. She agreed and accepted it the first day we met like it was nothing. She had no response, no rebuttal, no explanation,” I told him. “You have to be coldhearted to feel nothing after breaking a mate bond.”<br /> <br /> “Or extremely strong,” Briggs stated. “You said she didn’t argue or fight. Did you even give her a chance to speak or even get to know anything about her before you threw her to the curb? Or did you just walk up to her and say tough words?”<br /> <br /> I grimaced. That’s exactly what happened. “There wasn’t exactly an opportunity for that. Neither one of us wanted Kylee to find out.”<br /> <br /> The muscles in his neck flexed as he tensed. “You said ‘which time.’ When did you see her again?”<br /> <br /> “This morning.” <br /> <br /> “Why?” <br /> <br /> I could tell he was choosing his words carefully. <br /> <br /> “Kylee wanted a necklace of her mother’s that was left at their house for some appointment this week. I went back to get it.”<br /> <br /> “Okay, someone else could have done that. Why did you go?” Briggs pushed, but the words stuck in my throat. “Theo, you’re hurting. There’s no way this is as cut and dry as you’re trying to say it is.”<br /> <br /> “The bond didn’t break. Not completely.”<br /> <br /> “Goddess, Theo. So you both have been walking around with your hearts ripped open for the past week?” Briggs said. “So, what happened today? Why are you still on the edge of ripping half the pack’s throats out?”<br /> <br /> Images of that morning flashed through my head. The fear that something had happened to her when she hadn’t been home. The jealousy and rage at finding her at another male’s house. The way it felt when I kissed her. And sheer pain and anguish of everything that followed. <br /> <br /> “Theo?” Briggs pressed.<br /> <br /> “She cut her ties to the pack,” I said solemnly. “She turned herself rogue.”<br /> <br /> “Theo,” Briggs bellowed, “how could you let that happen? Why didn’t you stop her?”<br /> <br /> “She cut herself from Dad. She used his name. There was nothing I could do. I had no way of fighting it.” I was done with this conversation. “So none of this matters. It’s done. She’s gone. She’s never coming back. Doing so would be a death sentence, and she knew that.”<br /> <br /> “What have you done, Theo?”<br /> <br /> “It doesn’t matter,” I yelled. “Whatever I did or didn’t do, she never wanted me anyway. She’s not my problem anymore. So right now, I’m going to worry about cleaning up the mess she made and figure out how to tell Kylee and Marie that they’ll never see her again. And don’t you dare breathe a word about any of this to them, do you understand me?”<br /> <br /> “Okay. Okay,” Briggs said, raising his hands in the air, trying to calm me down. “You’re right. There’s nothing we can do about her now. If it’s done and over with, then it’s done and over with. We’ll move on.”<br /> <br /> I wasn’t sure he believed it, but I didn’t care. Like I said, she wasn’t my problem anymore. <br /> <br /> I went back to my room. There was a knock on my room door, and Kylee poked her head in before I had a chance to answer.<br /> “There you are, mate,” she cooed, sitting in my lap.<br /> She ran a hand up my chest, leaning in to kiss me. Kieran’s growl started immediately.<br /> I still needed to let off some steam. Anything to get some relief.<br /> I was about to respond to her when blinding pain erupted through my body. 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Yes 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 2303599766698130 🔥🔥🔥Download and search book ID: 9792 My sister&#039;s boyfriend turned out to be my mate! As he rejected me, I retaliated by cutting off all contact with the pack…<br /> Chapter 1: Ayla <br /> “Ayla, is dinner ready? No more delay. Kylee and Theo will be soon here!”<br /> “Yes, mom.” I sighed hearing my mother&#039;s impatient urging.<br /> Kylee is my little sister, and Theo is her mate as well as our future Alpha. It is said that they had been together for over a year, and today is the first Kylee has brought her mate home. I was so happy for her.<br /> Our current Alpha, Alpha Torin, was a good leader, a fair leader, and a good man. I knew he had a son, but I had never met him before.<br /> But I had heard that his son, Theo, was promising to be just as good an Alpha as his father. So I really couldn’t have been more relieved that he was my sister’s mate. She would be properly looked after and taken care of, and she would be happy.<br /> I was pulling the chicken out of the oven when I saw my mother rushing past me, excitedly shouting towards the door, “They&#039;re here.”<br /> After my father passed away, my mother had become an alcoholic. But she always managed to look presentable in front of Kylee. For example, today, she was not only dressed neatly, but even used mouthwash.<br /> <br /> I was still transferring the food when I heard the front door open and the squeals of my mother and sister as they embraced. I finished my task and moved the dishes to the dining room table that was already set neatly. I smiled at my presentation and excitedly hurried to the living room. <br /> <br /> I froze at the threshold. A scent overwhelmed my senses, causing my stomach to knot and my heart to race. <br /> <br /> The tall, broad man standing next to my sister turned toward me and we locked eyes. <br /> <br /> Mate.<br /> <br /> I practically gagged trying to stifle the word from slipping from my mouth. <br /> <br /> What was happening?<br /> <br /> This was my sister’s mate. <br /> <br /> Not mine. <br /> <br /> This man was fated to Kylee. <br /> <br /> So why was I having this reaction?<br /> <br /> Better question…<br /> <br /> Why did HE seem to be having the same reaction?<br /> <br /> His eyes were wide, pupils dilated, and they held my gaze with a vice-like grip as he, too, seemed frozen to where he stood. <br /> <br /> Dasha, my wolf, bounced excitedly in my head, recognizing him and his wolf just as I was. It took a minute for her to understand the situation, but once she did, she started whimpering in the back of my mind.<br /> <br /> This couldn’t be happening. <br /> <br /> What was happening?<br /> <br /> I forced myself to address the situation as a whole. Fine, this was happening. Now, what is the best way to handle the situation? I wasn’t going to break my sister’s heart. Absolutely not. I wouldn’t let him either. Not right now. We’ll just get through dinner, and I’ll find a way to speak with him in private later. <br /> <br /> I cleared my throat and plastered a smile on my face.<br /> <br /> “Kylee, I’m so excited you’re home,” I said, opening my arms so she could jump into them like she had since she was little.<br /> <br /> “I’ve missed you, sis,” she said. <br /> <br /> “I’ve missed you, too,” I said quietly. <br /> <br /> We separated, and she turned to the male behind her. “Theo, this is my sister, Ayla. Ayla, this is my mate, Theo.”<br /> <br /> Theo’s hands were clenched into fists, and he forced a tight-jawed smile toward me. At least I was better at faking it them him. Geesh. <br /> <br /> I nodded to him with a broad smile. I knew it didn’t reach my eyes, but at least Ma and Kylee wouldn’t notice. <br /> <br /> “It’s lovely to meet you, Theo,” I said. “Dinner is ready in the dining room. Why don’t you guys go take a seat, and I’ll be right there. I need to tend to dessert first.”<br /> <br /> “Don’t take too long,” Kylee said brightly. “We have some big news, and I don’t think I can wait much longer.”<br /> <br /> “I promise I’ll be right there,” I assured her as I rubbed her shoulder. <br /> <br /> Kylee grabbed Ma by the arm and led her to the dining room. Theo followed a few steps behind. He had to pass me to get through. Right as he approached, I turned my body to ensure we didn’t touch. He paused in front of me for a moment. I looked up to meet his eyes.<br /> <br /> There was anger, confusion, desire, and possibly even hurt reflecting in his eyes that I couldn’t help but notice were the color of honey. He had questions. I subtly shook my head at him. Hoping and silently begging that he knew we couldn’t do this here. <br /> <br /> The sound of Kylee’s laugh from the other room made me jump and then quickly retreat to the kitchen. I grabbed the homemade cheesecake from the fridge and set it on the counter for later. <br /> <br /> I listened to the others conversing in the next room and took several deep breaths. I felt a lump start to form in my throat and quickly pushed it down. This wasn’t the time to cry. <br /> <br /> I was almost to the dining room when I heard the last part of what Kylee was saying, and again, I was left frozen at the threshold.<br /> <br /> “… our mating ceremony is in three months.” Kylee looked up at me. “Oh, Ayla, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t hold back any longer. Aren’t you happy for us?”<br /> <br /> I put the same fake smile back on. “Of course I’m happy for you,” I said. “You deserve the best.”<br /> <br /> I took my seat at the table, ignoring the fact that I was left sitting directly across from Theo. His eyes were boring into me, and my face felt like it was on fire. I started dishing out food and passing plates. I didn’t say much over dinner. Instead, I just listened to Kylee and Ma talk about all the ideas they had for the mating ceremony. Theo didn’t say much either but slowly started to do a better job hiding his discomfort with the situation. <br /> <br /> It took everything to ignore the touches they shared, pushing down the jealousy that kept surging through me. <br /> After dinner, while they were still talking, I made an excuse to slip out through the back door.<br /> <br /> I stood on the porch and took several deep breaths. I released a string of curses.<br /> “What is happening? Why is this happening? This ISN’T happening,” I whispered with the force of a yell. <br /> <br /> ‘Our mate.’ Dasha insisted.<br /> <br /> “No, he’s not,” I said back to her. “He’s Kylee’s. There must be some kind of mistake.”<br /> <br /> All of a sudden, I stiffened as a mouthwatering scent hit my nose. I knew who was standing behind me. <br /> <br /> Chapter 2: Theo<br /> I fought against the urges her scent was influencing as I stalked up to her. But more importantly, the urge to grab her and take her against the nearest tree. My wolf was going crazy about the idea, but he would learn fast that that was never going to happen. <br /> <br /> I wouldn’t accept her. <br /> <br /> Knowing what I knew about her, that would never happen. <br /> <br /> She turned to face me. <br /> <br /> “This won’t happen,” I spat out before she had a chance to speak. <br /> Her jaw clenched, and her silvery-gray eyes stared into mine for a few short moments. But I couldn’t read a thing behind them. <br /> <br /> “I absolutely agree,” she stated evenly. <br /> <br /> My wolf growled and snarled inside me, demanding to know what I was doing. I pushed down the hurt that hit me when she didn’t fight me. Her reaction just proved why this needed to be done. I could never be with someone so cold and self-absorbed as her. There was no way someone like her could ever be my Luna. <br /> <br /> ‘Don’t know her.’ Kieran yelled in my head. <br /> <br /> I knew enough. <br /> <br /> “Kylee is my mate. Not you. I, Theo Arden, future Alpha of the Greytooth Pack, reject you, Ayla Garner, as my mate and Luna.” Kieran was snapping his teeth, pushing to take control to stop this.<br /> <br /> “I, Ayla Garner, accept your rejection and relinquish my claim as your mate and Luna.”<br /> <br /> My wolf howled in pain. A pain that was mirrored within me as it felt like my heart was being ripped apart. It was the bond breaking. Releasing me from the tie that bound us together.<br /> She stood there like nothing happened. <br /> <br /> How could she stand there like nothing had happened?<br /> <br /> She really didn’t feel anything, did she? It was so easy for her to let us go.<br /> <br /> ‘Mate wants me.’<br /> <br /> I grimaced. He meant her wolf. Her wolf wanted mine. He could sense her. She was even denying her wolf. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I needed to get away from her. <br /> <br /> I stormed back into the house, returning to the woman the goddess should have made my mate. I returned to the dining room to find her mother and her still deep in conversation. I was grateful she hadn’t seemed to notice my absence or the change in my mood. It wasn’t surprising. She was excited about seeing her family and sharing the news with them. <br /> <br /> I had been, too, until her sister walked into the room. The scent had engulfed me, driving me to seek out the source like a lifeline. When I saw her, her beauty took my breath away. She was petit but strong, with long legs and perfect curves. She had a mass of caramel-blonde hair that cascaded over her shoulders, framing a face with plump lips and intense gray eyes that shined green in the light. I couldn’t help but want her. I recognized who she was to me immediately. <br /> <br /> But then I noticed her narrow nose and soft jawline were familiar. Her fair skin had a sun-kissed glow that I had always found attractive. Once I realized she had similar features to Kylee, I knew this was her sister, Ayla. <br /> <br /> Kylee had told me on many occasions how her sister had changed after the death of their father. She was there for Kylee at first, but in less than a year, she started spending all her time away from home. She ended up dropping out of the private school her parents had worked so hard to send her to. Eventually, Kylee lost track of what she was doing with her life. <br /> <br /> Kylee was there for her when she was around, trying to be supportive. But she wasn’t the sister she used to love. What bothered her most was Ayla’s treatment of their mother. Ayla still lived in the house with her, but Kylee always got the impression that helping their mother was just a burden. She worried their mother would be left with no one to take care of her, and she wasn’t in the best of health anymore. <br /> <br /> “I have an idea,” I interrupted. They both looked up at me expectantly. “Why doesn’t your mother come to stay with us for a while? At least until the ceremony? We have the room in the packhouse, and I’m sure you and my mother would appreciate the extra input.”<br /> <br /> Both their faces lit up.<br /> <br /> “Really? We can do that?” Kylee said happily. <br /> <br /> “Of course,” I said with a smile. <br /> <br /> “Thank you.”<br /> <br /> Kylee jumped up from the table and threw her arms around me, kissing me sweetly. I ignored the growls coming from Kieran. Seeing their reaction told me I had made the exact right decision. Despite what the burning in my chest told me. <br /> <br /> This was who I was supposed to be with. Not Ayla.<br /> <br /> ‘Keep saying. Maybe believe.’<br /> <br /> I told him to shut up, and he retreated into the back of my mind, cutting himself off from me. <br /> <br /> He would get over it. Once the bond was completely severed, he would understand this was the right thing for us and the pack.<br /> <br /> Chapter 3: Ayla<br /> I had managed to get myself together enough to rejoin my family. The pain that seared through me from Theo’s rejection and my subsequent acceptance almost brought me to my knees. It took all of my strength to keep my body from shaking, praying he didn’t notice the blood coming from my palms. I had clenched my fists so hard trying to stay on my feet that I broke the skin.<br /> <br /> When he finally left, I released the sob that was the only thing capable of coming out of my mouth. But I didn’t let the tears fall. Not yet. They couldn’t know. <br /> <br /> So, I steadied my breathing and went back into my house. I was surprised to find that Kylee and Ma weren’t in the dining room anymore. They weren’t in the living room either. But Theo was. <br /> <br /> “They’re in your mother’s room packing,” he said coldly.<br /> <br /> “Packing?” What was he talking about?<br /> <br /> He stepped closer to me, lowering his voice. “I think it’s best that you keep your distance from Kylee for a while. We don’t want her finding out about this. But I know she’ll want her mother to be a part of the ceremony planning. So she’s coming back with us.”<br /> <br /> I felt like he just slapped me in the face. As if I would ever tell her. That’s why I was doing this. So that I wouldn’t break my baby sister’s heart. I gave him what he wanted, and now he was going to keep me from my family?<br /> <br /> Dasha was confused and in pain, whimpering in my head because she didn’t understand how he could be so cruel to us. <br /> <br /> “If that’s what you think is best,” I said to Theo through gritted teeth. <br /> <br /> “Kylee,” he called out, not breaking eye contact. “Let’s get going.”<br /> <br /> My sister came prancing into the room. “Already?”<br /> <br /> “It’s getting late. Let’s head to the hotel for the night. We’ll swing by in the morning to pick up your mother.”<br /> <br /> “Okay,” she said brightly before turning to me. “What about you, Ayla? You’re coming with, too, right?”<br /> <br /> I opened my mouth to speak, but Theo decided to answer for me. <br /> <br /> “We were just talking about that. Ayla has some things going on with work and can’t get away.”<br /> <br /> I gave her a tight smile. “Yes, I’m sorry. But I will try to come out there as soon as I can.”<br /> <br /> “Oh, okay, I understand. But I’ll make sure we have a room ready for you whenever you can come.”<br /> <br /> “Of course. I can’t wait,” I said, my heart breaking again, knowing Theo wouldn’t allow me to be there with her. <br /> <br /> We all said our goodbyes, and they left. Ma was still standing at the window watching them drive off when I went to clean up the dishes in the kitchen. She finally came in behind me and started opening another bottle of wine. We had gone through four during dinner already. And I barely touched my glass. <br /> <br /> “Ma, you’ve had enough for the night,” I said calmly.<br /> <br /> “Oh, come on. It’s a celebration,” Ma said. “It’s not every day you find out your baby is going to be a Luna.”<br /> <br /> “Ma, you can celebrate more tomorrow. You need to finish packing,” I said, gently taking the bottle from her hand. “I’m sure Kylee and Theo will be here first thing in the morning.”<br /> <br /> “We can celebrate together while you help me pack,” she said, grabbing the bottle back from me. “Then I’ll help you pack.”<br /> <br /> I winced. This wasn’t going to end well. “I’m not coming, Ma.”<br /> <br /> She stopped with the glass halfway to her lips. “What do you mean you’re not coming?” she asked with a pout. “You have to be there. Kylee is going to be mated. I told her we would help pay for the ceremony.”<br /> <br /> I winced again. She meant me. I would be helping pay for the ceremony. Ma didn’t have a penny to her name.<br /> <br /> “This is a big deal. Don’t be so selfish, Ayla.”<br /> <br /> Her words stung, but they weren’t unexpected. This was kind of the norm when she got like this. I know she didn’t really mean it. At least, she wouldn’t mean it when she was sober. I got her into her bedroom and set her on the bed. I changed her into her nightgown and tucked her in. <br /> <br /> She was asleep in seconds. I hurried through the rest of her packing. Stuffing two large suitcases as full as I could before carrying them out to the living room. Then I locked the front door, finished the last of the dishes, and slipped out into the backyard.<br /> <br /> I stripped off my clothes as I headed for the forest, desperate to get under its protective shadows. As soon as I passed the treeline, I shifted, taking off at full speed. I let Dasha feel all the pain. I didn’t try to hold her back anymore. <br /> <br /> We would mourn the loss of our fated mate. The loss of the one person who was supposed to see us for who we were. The one person who was supposed to always put us first, without demands or expectations. We would mourn the loss of never getting to experience that.<br /> But we wouldn’t mourn him.<br /> <br /> We ran until we could barely breathe. Until Dasha stopped at the edge of our pond — our place of solace — and let out a heartwrenching howl into the night air. Shifting at the end as she retreated back into my mind, out of reach to heal her broken heart, while I let the torrent of tears finally fall.<br /> <br /> I walked into the water, curling into myself as the sobs wracked my body, intensifying the burn that was still there from our bond being ripped from my heart.<br /> <br /> I submerged myself completely, washing my body clean of Theo, the mate bond, and every dream of finding my soulmate. <br /> <br /> In the midst of this pain I drifted off to sleep.<br /> The next morning.<br /> When I made it back to the house, there was no one there. My mother had been taken away by them.<br /> I was standing in an empty room in an empty house. The silence was deafening. And it all came crashing down. I sank to my knees, begging the goddess to just let it all go away, just for a little while. I just wanted to feel numb.<br /> <br /> I lost track of how long I sat in that spot, staring without seeing. I didn’t even know Zeff was there until I felt him grip my arms.<br /> <br /> “Ayls, what happened? What’s wrong?” he asked, brushing hair out of my face, forcing me to look at him. “Ayla, what is going on?”<br /> <br /> “I found my mate,” I said, the corner of my mouth tipping up mockingly. “He’s scheduled to be mated to my sister.”<br /> <br /> “What?” Zeff exclaimed, anger and concern twisting his handsome features. <br /> <br /> Zeff was a good man. He had been there for me when no one else was. He was the only person who knew everything I went through. And here he was, listening to me tell him about meeting Theo, the mating ceremony, and my rejection. Why couldn’t he have been my mate? He should have been. <br /> <br /> “Come on,” he said, lifting me up. “You’re coming to stay with me.”<br /> <br /> I didn’t protest. The goddess had given me this one little blessing. I was numb. Zeff held me up by my waist and led me out to his car. He tucked me into the passenger seat and disappeared into the house again, only to emerge a few minutes later with a duffel bag in hand. <br /> <br /> He pulled out and drove us the twenty minutes to his house. Just like before, he helped me inside, this time sitting me on the big, comfy leather couch in his living room.<br /> <br /> He came and sat next to me, putting an arm over my shoulder and pulling me into him. I let myself relax some. This was the first thing since Theo walked into my life that felt normal, felt comfortable. He leaned his head on mine, rubbing his fingers along my arm. <br /> <br /> “Ayla. You’re going to deal with this — we’re going to deal with this together. Screw him, okay. He’s a dirtbag. You deserve so much better than some fool who doesn’t see how incredible you are.”<br /> <br /> I wanted to roll my eyes, but it wasn’t just about him. <br /> <br /> “He took my family, Zeff. I would have gotten over him just rejecting me because of Kylee. At least she would be safe and happy.”<br /> <br /> “No. They either treat you like a servant or a bank. They don’t care what their actions do to you as long as they keep getting what they want.&quot;<br /> <br /> “Zeff...But they were my family” I wanted to contradict him, but I knew he was right.<br /> <br /> “Get over him.” He took a step toward me, reaching up to hold my chin. “He’s not the only one who can take care of you, Ayla. He may be foolish enough not to want you, but I’m not.”<br /> <br /> My breath caught in my throat. He had told me about his feelings before, but we both avoided going down that road with each other. We knew we could find our fated mates at any time, and we didn’t want to deny each other that. <br /> <br /> “Move in here with me, Ayls,” Zeff said. “There’s nothing stopping us now.”<br /> <br /> “Zeff, you still have a mate out there somewhere.”<br /> <br /> “Ayla, stop. I’m thirty-four and well-traveled. If I was going to find her, I would have long before now. We both know that.” <br /> <br /> Suddenly his lips were on mine. I was shocked, but mostly because it felt good. I felt wanted. I kissed him back, not wanting to give that feeling up. I leaned into him — until Dasha came charging to the forefront, growling and snarling that someone who wasn’t our mate was touching us. <br /> <br /> I ripped myself from Zeff’s embrace. Breathing heavily, the pain of the severed bond renewed. I clutched my chest. <br /> <br /> “Ayla.” <br /> <br /> “I can’t. The bond. It’s still there. It hasn’t faded yet.”<br /> <br /> Zeff pulled me into his arms. “Okay. It’s okay. We can wait. We’ll take it slow.”<br /> <br /> I rested my head on his chest. “Okay.”<br /> <br /> He squeezed me tighter. I still didn’t know if we could make this work, but I wanted to try. <br /> <br /> I stayed with the Zeff, and it was quiet. Until a week later, when Theo burst in.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4: Theo<br /> It had been a week since I had gone home with Kylee. Seven days and a hundred miles away, and the bond was still there. The burning in my chest wouldn’t go away. I didn’t understand and it was annoying. <br /> <br /> More important is Kieran. He had spent the whole week giving me the silent treatment, except when Kylee was around. Then all he did was growl and snarl. It was getting exhausting. <br /> <br /> I had taken to holing up in my office most of the time. I didn’t want to snap at Kylee, or her mother, which had become hard to avoid by the third day. I was glad I had a good reason for me being so busy all of a sudden. <br /> <br /> Alpha was sick. He was diagnosed with a progressive disease almost a year ago. So, he decided it was time to hand the title down to me. It wasn’t official yet. We were planning on making the change at the same time as Kylee’s and my mating ceremony. Actually, that’s why I decided to make Kylee my official mate. Alpha’s were always stronger with a strong Luna by their side. With the circumstances of my father’s abdication, our pack needed to be as strong as possible. <br /> <br /> But there was still a lot to take care of and a lot I had to learn about being an Alpha before that time. So it wasn’t hard to convince her that it was the stress that was causing me to be distant. <br /> <br /> But this morning, I&#039;m driving myself to Kylee&#039;s house. I promised to help her retrieve her mother&#039;s necklace, which she wanted to wear during our mating ceremony.<br /> <br /> In addition, if I couldn’t completely sever the bond between me and Ayla, Kieran could end up taking control and stop me from marking Kylee.<br /> So, once I got the necklace, I’d reject Ayla again, making sure it stuck this time, and I’d go back home.<br /> <br /> When I pulled up to the house, something twisted in my gut. When I step into the house, her invigorating scent of oranges and cloves invaded my nostrils, but it wasn’t nearly as strong as it should have been.<br /> I realize Ayla wasn&#039;t home.<br /> Instead, there was another smell in Ayla&#039;s room.<br /> The scent was male. It was faint, he wasn’t here long, but mixed in with the distinctive scent of my mate, I could pick it out anywhere. From the trail, it seemed as if he was the one who packed up her things.<br /> <br /> I stormed out of the house. Tossing the jewelry box in the passenger seat, I took my phone out and searched for the number for the publishing house Kylee said Ayla worked for.<br /> I got another address that Ayla had added to her personal profile from the receptionist.<br /> <br /> I followed the GPS to the address, pulling into the drive of a large, two-story house in a nice neighborhood. Parking half on the lawn, I didn’t even close the car door before taking the front steps two at a time. <br /> <br /> I banged on the door until I heard movement inside. A man opened it. It was the male I smelled in Ayla’s room. Before he could say anything, I lunged at him, my hands grabbing the front of his shirt and practically lifting him off the ground.<br /> <br /> “What have you done with her? I smell her all over you. Where is she?”<br /> <br /> He pushed me off him, his eyes glaring at me with recognition and disdain.<br /> <br /> “You must be Theo.”<br /> <br /> “What is going on?” Ayla’s voice floated down to me as she ran down the stairs. She froze halfway down the moment she laid eyes on me. “What are you doing here?”<br /> <br /> A silk robe hung open, revealing the shorts and cut-off tank top she wore underneath, her caramel-colored hair flowing loosely around her shoulders. She was gorgeous. And clearly not in distress. I took a step toward her as my rage grew.<br /> <br /> “What are you doing here?” I spat back. <br /> <br /> “That’s none of your concern,” the male interjected.<br /> <br /> I turned on him again, a rumbling growl emanating from my chest, my claws extending. I was ready to rip his throat out. <br /> <br /> “Stop,” Ayla yelled, coming the rest of the way down the stairs and stepping between the two of us. “Zeff, go to work.”<br /> <br /> “Absolutely not. I’m not leaving you here with him. Not in the state he’s in.”<br /> <br /> “I would never hurt her.” Kieran was ready to burst from my skin. How dare this dirtbag think we would ever lay a hand on her.<br /> <br /> “We both know that’s crap.”<br /> <br /> “Zeff, I said go.” Her expression softened a little. “I’ll call you later.”<br /> <br /> She would. <br /> <br /> The Zeff guy shot me another hate-filled look before exiting out the open front door. We stood in silence until the sound of his engine faded. <br /> <br /> “Are you dating him?” <br /> <br /> Her eyes went wide, then narrowed as she took a step forward. “What I do with a male — or anyone for that matter — is none of your business.”<br /> <br /> “It isn’t.” Electricity passed through the air between us. “He has no right to put his hands on you.”<br /> <br /> “He does if I want him to,” she yelled, not only holding her ground against the alpha energy I was exuding but taking another step toward me. “I don’t belong to anyone, remember? I have no mate.”<br /> <br /> I lost it. My hand was around her neck and my mouth was on hers before I even knew what I had done. But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. Sparks of intense electricity shot through me, invigorating all my senses. I pushed her to open for me, my tongue seeking hers. Goddess, she tasted so good. She returned the kiss, her arousal mingling in the air. <br /> <br /> “MINE.” <br /> <br /> She pushed me off her with force.<br /> <br /> I took a step toward her again but she backed away. <br /> <br /> “Don’t you hurt Kylee like this.”<br /> <br /> “Like you care about your sister getting hurt,” I spat, but for some reason, I instantly regretted it. But I couldn’t take it back. I wouldn’t take it back.<br /> <br /> “Excuse me?” Pure rage radiated off of her, her eyes turning an icy blue. <br /> <br /> “You abandoned Kylee a long time ago. You disappeared all the time, leaving her alone with a mother who was struggling to keep everything together.”<br /> <br /> Ayla’s face paled. Every ounce of anger seemed to drain from her instantly, that blue fire fading from her eyes. <br /> <br /> She almost went completely limp in front of me, stumbling until her back hit the wall. Her façade cracked. <br /> <br /> “That’s what she told you? She said that?” her voice was almost a whisper. <br /> <br /> Kieran was going insane in my head, telling me to shut up, to just stop talking. Urging me to stop hurting her. Because I was hurting her. I had struck a nerve, a very deep one, and I wouldn’t stop. She had to break the bond. Once and for all. If it meant I had to break her to do it, I would.<br /> <br /> “She told me everything. She told me how you would keep things from her and your mother. That you would be out at all hours of the night when you were a teenager. How you dropped out of high school, waisting the tuition your parents worked so hard for.”<br /> <br /> “What?” <br /> <br /> “I could never be with someone as cold and heartless as you.”<br /> <br /> Ayla’s head snapped up. Her eyes a steely gray as she resolved herself to something I couldn’t figure out but would soon find out. <br /> <br /> “I, Ayla Garner, reject you, Theo Arden, as my mate. I relinquish my claim as your mate and Luna.”<br /> <br /> I gritted my teeth as Kieran howled in my head, screaming for me not to accept it. <br /> <br /> “I, Theo Arden, accept your rejection.” The pain in my chest amplified, but I could still feel the bond. “We’ve done this before. It’s not working.”<br /> <br /> “Tell your wolf to accept it,” Ayla said with a crack in her voice. <br /> <br /> The muscles in my jaw tightened to a point I thought my teeth would shatter. The noise in my head from Kieran becoming almost unbearable.<br /> <br /> “He won’t.”<br /> <br /> “Make him,” she forced out.<br /> <br /> “I can’t.”<br /> <br /> “He doesn’t have a choice. I’ll never be with him, and neither will she,” Ayla said, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. <br /> <br /> I could feel the pain he felt. It was excruciating. I told him it would end if he just accepted, but he wouldn’t give in. He was an Alpha. He was as strong as me. I’d never overpower him on this. Ayla must have sensed my stalemate. Or her wolf did and told her because she pulled herself from against the wall, standing up straight again.<br /> <br /> “I, Ayla Garner, cut my ties to Alpha Torin…”<br /> <br /> “What are you doing?” There was desperation in my voice. She couldn’t do this. I moved to stop her. <br /> <br /> “And the Greytooth Pack.”<br /> <br /> “No.” I fell to a knee, feeling the invisible tether that united pack members with their Alpha splinter. Kieran was pounding against the barriers of my control, putting all his might into taking over the shift. I knew I was on the verge.<br /> <br /> “From this day forth, I am a rogue.” She took an unsteady step toward me, silent tears rolling freely down her face. “Now get out.”<br /> <br /> She had used my father’s name. Either of our names would have worked in the limbo state we were currently in. But she used my father’s. There was nothing I could do to stop her. Nothing I could do to fight the separation. She knew exactly what she was doing. <br /> <br /> If my wolf wouldn’t sever the mate bond, she would remove herself from any control I had over her. <br /> <br /> With one final, agonizing look, she walked away, disappearing upstairs. <br /> <br /> I took in a ragged breath of air. Ayla now had until midnight to be out of our territory. If I caught her on our land after that, I would have to murder her. Mate bond or not. She was a rogue now. It was our laws. <br /> <br /> Kieran had finally gone still in my mind. <br /> <br /> ‘Mate’s gone.’<br /> <br /> Did he mean Ayla or her wolf?<br /> <br /> ‘Dasha. Mate’s name is Dasha. Dasha’s gone.’<br /> <br /> Realization hit me and panic set in. Her wolf was gone. The pain was too much. She had retreated deep into the recesses of Ayla’s subconscious. Ayla wouldn’t be able to call on her. She wouldn’t be able to shift. She wouldn’t be able to heal.<br /> <br /> She was a rogue without a wolf. She couldn’t protect herself. <br /> <br /> I had to get as far away from her as possible. <br /> <br /> I dragged myself back to my feet, forcing them to walk out the door. <br /> <br /> Chapter 5: Ayla<br /> The moment the door was closed, I sank to the floor. It was no longer sobs that escaped my body but soul-shattering screams. <br /> <br /> She said I abandoned her. <br /> <br /> Theo made it sound like I spent my teen years partying and getting into trouble. She said I dropped out of high school. <br /> <br /> She said I wasn’t a sister to her. <br /> <br /> The betrayal was soul-crushing. <br /> <br /> I had given up everything for them. <br /> <br /> I screamed and let the tears flow freely until my body ached. As soon as it felt like I could breathe without being stabbed by a red-hot dagger, I pulled myself up and started moving. I only had a few hours to get my things and get out of Greytooth territory. <br /> <br /> I had made myself a rogue. I didn’t have a pack anymore. And I had no idea where I was going to go. All the borders on this side of the territory sat right against other pack lands. To get out of one, I’d have to enter another. But it was my only option. Trying to get to unclaimed territory was too risky. I would have better luck on foreign pack land than on the land I just severed ties to. <br /> <br /> After leaving a note for Zeff, I packed up and drove away.<br /> <br /> The Greytooth Pack may not be the largest in population, but they had one of the biggest territories. The closest border crossing was nearly two hours away. And I needed to be far away before Zeff got home. I couldn’t have him tracking me down.<br /> <br /> Especially since I didn’t give him much of an explanation. <br /> <br /> But it was better this way. I wasn’t going to risk him cutting ties and going rogue as well. Because he would. He would hold Theo responsible, and he would never stay in a pack with an alpha he didn’t respect, let alone hate. This way, the note I left would have just made it seem like I got cold feet about us being together. <br /> <br /> I drove to the outskirts of town and got on the highway. From there, it was practically a straight shot to the border. I was grateful at first, but after about an hour, I realized the monotonous ride only left my mind wondering and worrying and thinking about things I didn’t need to think about. <br /> <br /> When Theo found me in the yard that first day, I had no idea what he would say. His initial reaction to our meeting had me thinking he would pursue the pairing. But then his increasingly icy demeanor throughout the evening made it seem like he was thinking along the same lines I was. He wasn’t going to hurt Kylee for someone he didn’t know. <br /> <br /> He loved her. She loved him. I had no idea who he was, nor he I. We could reject each other and just go on our way. Neither one of us would have to break Kylee’s heart. I thought he was keeping me from my family to be cruel. Or maybe to make things easier for both of us. <br /> <br /> But today, his words revealed a different motive. He didn’t reject me for Kylee. He rejected me because of her. Because he believed what she said and painted me as some coldhearted delinquent. But why? I just couldn’t figure that out. <br /> <br /> Dad died in a gas explosion along with my aunt and uncle ten years ago. I was fourteen, and Kylee was nine. Our thirteen-year-old cousin, Mina, came to live with us for a while after their deaths. Ma was hit pretty hard by the loss, so the three of us quickly started taking care of each other. We spent every spare minute with each other. Then our financial situation changed. Kylee was entirely too young, and Mina had been through enough losing both her parents for me to put that on her. So, it was up to me to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. <br /> <br /> But I was still fourteen. Finding jobs that paid enough to support a family of four at the age of fourteen was non-existent. I would need to work multiple jobs, and there just wasn’t enough time in the day. So, I approached the headmaster at my private high school and confided my situation with him. I was desperate not to drop out or risk my grades dropping and losing my scholarship. My parents didn’t pay a dime of my tuition. <br /> <br /> Headmaster Fordham was a miracle worker. He helped me test out of over eighty percent of my academic requirements by the end of my freshman year. I only had to take four summer classes to graduate a week after my fifteenth birthday. I was even able to broker a deal with him that would set the remaining three years of my scholarship fund aside for Kylee when it came time for her to attend high school. <br /> <br /> I still ended up working multiple jobs for several years. But no matter what, I always tried to be there for Kylee as much as possible. <br /> <br /> Everything I did was for her. <br /> <br /> I completely lost touch with all of my school friends. I never partied. I barely socialized. The jobs I held were really the only place that happened. But I was home to take her to school every morning, and I ensured I had at least an hour to help her with her homework almost every day. <br /> <br /> I didn’t discuss the lengths I went to with Kylee. I didn’t want her to feel bad or that it was her fault. And I didn’t want her to see what Ma was going through. She was struggling to keep any job. She was drinking daily. There were even a couple of times she racked up gambling debts that put us in some scary situations. <br /> <br /> But I never let Kylee see any of that. It was my job to protect them. <br /> <br /> There was so much more that didn’t add up with what Theo had said. But I didn’t get to think about it further. <br /> <br /> A searing pain shot through my chest, making my vision go white at the edges, blinding me to a point I almost missed the figure standing in the road before me. <br /> <br /> My heart jumped into my chest. I turned the wheel as sharp as I could, slamming on the brakes to avoid hitting them head-on. The moment I did it, I felt foolish. Within seconds, I was spinning through the air and sliding down an embankment.<br /> <br /> When the vehicle came to a stop, I was upside down. I registered the smell of blood, but everything was blurry. I didn’t feel significant pain, so I didn’t think the blood was coming from me. <br /> <br /> The person on the road!<br /> <br /> I scrambled out of the car and up the incline. Without Dasha, I couldn’t see well in the dark, but I could see a blurry figure moving toward me.<br /> <br /> “Are you okay?” I called. <br /> <br /> I didn’t catch what they were saying because I suddenly felt the world falling out from beneath my feet, and everything went dark. <br /> <br /> Chapter 6: Theo<br /> I said I would break her if that was what it took.<br /> <br /> And I certainly followed through with that.<br /> <br /> Ayla’s hard exterior had cracked and shattered before me. <br /> <br /> I had driven over an hour, and my stomach was still in knots. So much so that I had to stop to throw up at one point. Guilt tore at me. <br /> <br /> I really had been cruel to her. <br /> <br /> Especially since it turned out it wasn’t even her fault the bond hadn’t broken. She and Dasha had accepted my rejection. They had done what I needed them to do. Ayla had stayed away from Kylee and me. She hadn’t tried to be around them. From what I could tell, she hadn’t even called Kylee like she used to. And how did I repay her? By ripping her apart with every intention of doing as much damage as possible. <br /> <br /> It was my wolf that was still hanging on. It was Kieran who kept us in a constant state of heartache. Kept Ayla in a constant state of pain. <br /> <br /> And then she had to go and do something foolish and cut herself out of the pack. She was completely lost to us now. The only thing I could do was tell myself it was what I wanted. It was the only way to get rid of the temptation and put enough distance between us until Kylee and I were marked and mated and leading our pack. <br /> <br /> Every time I said it, Kieran was there to argue. <br /> <br /> By the time I pulled up to the packhouse, I was so pissed that anyone around instantly took a wide birth. My aura was probably so intense that I was making everyone physically uncomfortable, but I really didn’t care.<br /> <br /> I was going to head to my office but decided against it. Too many people had access to me there, and I really didn’t need anyone coming around. <br /> <br /> What I needed was to work off some of this rage and pent-up energy. <br /> <br /> I made a beeline for the private training room in the wing of the packhouse reserved for ranking members of the pack. I was relieved to find it empty, tugging my shirt over my head and immediately heading to the punching bag in the corner. <br /> <br /> I had worked up a sweat when Briggs entered the room. Walking over to me with his usual swagger, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall close by. He knew something was up. He had been hounding me about it since we got back from Kylee’s house. So had my mother, but I sure wasn’t going down that road.<br /> <br /> Briggs was my Beta. We had been friends since we were eight and had been through everything together since then. I didn’t think there was anything we could hide from each other. But I surely wanted to hide this from him. So I just ignored his presence.<br /> <br /> “You ready to tell me what is going on with you? Or at least, where you were today?” he said loud enough to be heard over the sound of my fists hitting the bag. <br /> <br /> “No.”<br /> <br /> “If you don’t, we’ll sedate you. Your aura is out of control right now, bro. This isn’t about you just being in a pissy mood anymore,” Briggs said with an edge to his voice that meant he was serious.<br /> I yelled as I hit the bag hard one more time. I winced as I forced my fingers through my hair. I hadn’t realized I had been breaking the skin on my knuckles. I fell back against the wall, sliding down to the floor. <br /> <br /> “You know I’m here for you, bro,” my Beta said calmly. “Whatever it is, you can talk to me.”<br /> I nodded. <br /> <br /> ‘Tell him.’<br /> <br /> I winced at Keiran’s demand. But I couldn’t really disagree anymore. <br /> <br /> “I found my mate,” I admitted. I could feel Briggs’ eyes go wide in his head. <br /> <br /> “What do you mean you found your mate?” he took a step closer. “Please tell me you’re talking about Kylee.”<br /> <br /> I shook my head. “No. I found my fated mate.”<br /> <br /> “What. The. Fu-” He had warned me about this when I first got involved with Kylee and again when we announced our mating ceremony. “Where is she? Who is she?”<br /> <br /> “I rejected her. She’s gone.”<br /> <br /> “Theo, man, you’re really scaring me now. Why would you do that? What were you thinking?” Briggs demanded.<br /> <br /> “She’s Kylee’s sister,” I snapped. Briggs tensed up.<br /> <br /> “Ayla? As in the sister that allegedly abandoned Kylee?” <br /> <br /> His use of the word “allegedly” pissed me off and confused me a little. He really liked Kylee. They’ve always gotten along. Even when he was cautioning me about finding my mate, he told me he was happy for me. <br /> <br /> “Are you trying to say Kylee is lying?” I snapped.<br /> <br /> He made a face. “No, but I do think it’s foolish to reject your mate without all the information.”<br /> <br /> “I have all the information I need.”<br /> <br /> “No, you have Kylee’s side of the story,” Briggs said with a worried look.<br /> <br /> “And their mother’s,” I added.<br /> <br /> Briggs scoffed. “Look, Marie Garner is a nice enough lady, but I wouldn’t exactly trust her judgment.”<br /> <br /> “What are you talking about?” I asked, my own concern growing.<br /> <br /> “Bro, she’s a lush,” Briggs said with a shrug. “Not that you’ve been around enough to notice since she’s been here. I can’t tell how bad, and she seems pretty harmless. But these things often have a dark side that no one sees.”<br /> <br /> I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation. The last thing I needed was any kind of doubt in my decision. <br /> <br /> “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done. And Ayla’s reactions to all of this told me all I needed to know from her.” I pushed myself to my feet. <br /> <br /> “What were her reactions?” Briggs asked cautiously, and I realized my choice of words may have given away more than I intended. I knew he wouldn’t let it go unless he was sure I told him everything. <br /> <br /> “Which time?” I said quietly.<br /> <br /> “Excuse me?” He heard exactly what I said. “What happened, Theo?”<br /> <br /> “She never argued or fought the rejection. She agreed and accepted it the first day we met like it was nothing. She had no response, no rebuttal, no explanation,” I told him. “You have to be coldhearted to feel nothing after breaking a mate bond.”<br /> <br /> “Or extremely strong,” Briggs stated. “You said she didn’t argue or fight. Did you even give her a chance to speak or even get to know anything about her before you threw her to the curb? Or did you just walk up to her and say tough words?”<br /> <br /> I grimaced. That’s exactly what happened. “There wasn’t exactly an opportunity for that. Neither one of us wanted Kylee to find out.”<br /> <br /> The muscles in his neck flexed as he tensed. “You said ‘which time.’ When did you see her again?”<br /> <br /> “This morning.” <br /> <br /> “Why?” <br /> <br /> I could tell he was choosing his words carefully. <br /> <br /> “Kylee wanted a necklace of her mother’s that was left at their house for some appointment this week. I went back to get it.”<br /> <br /> “Okay, someone else could have done that. Why did you go?” Briggs pushed, but the words stuck in my throat. “Theo, you’re hurting. There’s no way this is as cut and dry as you’re trying to say it is.”<br /> <br /> “The bond didn’t break. Not completely.”<br /> <br /> “Goddess, Theo. So you both have been walking around with your hearts ripped open for the past week?” Briggs said. “So, what happened today? Why are you still on the edge of ripping half the pack’s throats out?”<br /> <br /> Images of that morning flashed through my head. The fear that something had happened to her when she hadn’t been home. The jealousy and rage at finding her at another male’s house. The way it felt when I kissed her. And sheer pain and anguish of everything that followed. <br /> <br /> “Theo?” Briggs pressed.<br /> <br /> “She cut her ties to the pack,” I said solemnly. “She turned herself rogue.”<br /> <br /> “Theo,” Briggs bellowed, “how could you let that happen? Why didn’t you stop her?”<br /> <br /> “She cut herself from Dad. She used his name. There was nothing I could do. I had no way of fighting it.” I was done with this conversation. “So none of this matters. It’s done. She’s gone. She’s never coming back. Doing so would be a death sentence, and she knew that.”<br /> <br /> “What have you done, Theo?”<br /> <br /> “It doesn’t matter,” I yelled. “Whatever I did or didn’t do, she never wanted me anyway. She’s not my problem anymore. So right now, I’m going to worry about cleaning up the mess she made and figure out how to tell Kylee and Marie that they’ll never see her again. And don’t you dare breathe a word about any of this to them, do you understand me?”<br /> <br /> “Okay. Okay,” Briggs said, raising his hands in the air, trying to calm me down. “You’re right. There’s nothing we can do about her now. If it’s done and over with, then it’s done and over with. We’ll move on.”<br /> <br /> I wasn’t sure he believed it, but I didn’t care. Like I said, she wasn’t my problem anymore. <br /> <br /> I went back to my room. There was a knock on my room door, and Kylee poked her head in before I had a chance to answer.<br /> “There you are, mate,” she cooed, sitting in my lap.<br /> She ran a hand up my chest, leaning in to kiss me. Kieran’s growl started immediately.<br /> I still needed to let off some steam. Anything to get some relief.<br /> I was about to respond to her when blinding pain erupted through my body. 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Yes 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 449601590837218 Magdalena’s Bones “Your bones, they are the bones of my bones, your flesh is the flesh of my flesh. I am Eve, this is my world, this world belongs to me…”<br /> <br /> Gabriel commanded Adam to take Eve’s world, for Eve to become subservient to Adam. Man’s subjugation of woman spread like a great plague of black serpent snakes. Eve’s descendant kin vowed revenge, to retake Eve’s world… Read Magdalena’s Bones, the acclaimed new novel by D.D. Did.<br /> __________<br /> <br /> “LOVED IT - A balanced act of magic and realism with a narrative that keeps you flipping to the next page…”<br /> <br /> “This novel might not be for everyone but, boy, if you have the nerve to read it, does it turn your mind…”<br /> <br /> “Every free-thinking woman should read this book…”<br /> __________<br /> <br /> OUT NOW! Available in Kindle, Kindle Unlimited &amp; paperback from your favorite bookstore!<br /> <br /> Offer price for limited period only… SHOP_NOW https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHBB2PFY 109753832209739 Author D.D. Did https://facebook.com/DidAuthor 61 1 2,149,772,778,713,931 2024-04-14 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Shop now 0 Author D.D. Did 6595811333521 amazon.com NONE image Magdalena’s Bones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHBB2PFY 2024-04-13 20:01 https://scontent-mia3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437562668_978425196961113_7533927776088662469_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=psScCFOcN8YAb4GhXAb&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBzD31H2y_TBng-6x1QKT95nRTeE0rZx9XwG7Ndnykq2Q&oe=6621FAFB person_profile 0 Author D.D. Did https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436392947_812977764027345_6992256378831241849_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XTs-1o01ZMIAb6qtsRa&_nc_ht=scontent-mia3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBXCccLAKNKx3F0yQt3Y3WJaTk01o3wgwCHoUZkN6Sivg&oe=6622089D 0 3 Author D.D. Did 0 0 2024-04-13 02:00 View Edit
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Yes 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 1475310433191557 🔥Experience Freedom from Hip Arthritis. Top physical therapists have developed a breakthrough treatment for hip arthritis. Providing fast pain relief and management of the root cause.🔥<br /> Tap &quot;&quot;Shop Now&quot;&quot; for this new hip arthritis solution today and unlock the doors to a pain-free tomorrow.&quot;<br /> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ficase-premium.store%2Fwrap-hip-brace&amp;h=AT25XedQdhd6dgLMV649R-tHXJmFHNoicXUxHm7hHljvLxtYsGT914ZXtoU2tY3XskmxD5Wuh0Te8AfvCbmmqSYs16rc8NPauls2ZhxOebUcMpfKJVJYZ11jKH_uWfEtRis_irs7CxvdT5RlLLDPjLTClShhG46xF4I" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="async">https://icase-premium.store/wrap-hip-brace</a> SHOP_NOW https://icase-premium.store/wrap-hip-brace 101129786185956 Wedding Hair & Make-up Maastricht https://facebook.com/100088366966111 132 0 938,017,938,124,361 2024-04-14 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Shop now 0 Wedding Hair & Make-up Maastricht 120206962898460240 icase-premium.store NONE video https://icase-premium.store/wrap-hip-brace 2024-04-05 04:00 https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435781302_440557305090104_2080673878968050388_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-x3jRp9fJrUAb4ps--J&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDR7kYs2MqYboDn2we8HvKs7vf_mjMGc6rYb1GQMZqxmg&oe=6621FF6F person_profile 0 Wedding Hair & Make-up Maastri https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435593597_771445968445315_8434241019741059844_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=SPMTiD3U5y8Ab5xhFGw&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfAdg_gDkO5t32_jsVId5bzMNLiljIWoOczoGk6jtHyxiw&oe=66220166 0 3 Wedding Hair & Make-up Maastricht 0 0 2024-04-13 02:00 View Edit
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Yes 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 929969415495756 🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻 &quot;She is a client&#039;s assistant. We met a little over two months and it was an accidental hook-up. I swear I didn&#039;t plan or thought of it at first. It just happened.&quot; He looked away.<br /> &quot;Two months? You&#039;ve been making a fool out of me for two months, David?!&quot; Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.<br /> &quot;Please forgive me, please Babe.&quot;<br /> &quot;I want you to tell her that everything is over between you two... in front of me.&quot;<br /> ————————<br /> &quot;The moment I saw you, I knew in my heart that I love everything about you. As I spent more time with you, I realized that I have deeply fallen for you. I promised God and myself that I will never hurt you. Every day of my life I will only spend with you. Your happiness will always be my priority. Loving you forever is my greatest promise. My life will be incomplete without you. Avery Jackson, will you marry me?&quot;<br /> &quot;YES! Yes, David, I will marry you!&quot;<br /> For some, whatever they have may seem too good to be true, but for both of them, finding each other is a dream come true. Everything seemed perfect until the unexpected happened.<br /> Avery couldn&#039;t find the word to describe the mixed emotions she felt when she read the message that popped on David&#039;s phone. She didn&#039;t know if her eyes were fast enough to have read it before the notification faded away or it was the heavens that wanted her to read it. Her body froze, her heart stopped, heavy and painful pounding on her chest dominated. She gasped for air. Her whole body stiffened. It was like any second her head will explode. Every inch of her body trembled. Nauseated, her stomach flipped. She begged her mouth not to vomit. When she heard the bathroom door unlocked, she immediately put back the phone where David originally left before he took a shower.<br /> &quot;Are you okay Babe? What&#039;s wrong? You are trembling,&quot; David asked, his eyes widened.<br /> &quot;Ah... Um... I need to go to the bathroom. I think I&#039;m having diarrhea.&quot; Her steps bolted for the bathroom.<br /> She locked the bathroom door and sat on the tiled floor as her trembling body touched the wall. Her eyes welled with tears.<br /> What should I do? Should I confront him? Since when? Who is she? How? Where? Why?<br /> Strong, piercing and poking burned on her head. Her brain asked all the different questions but failed to find answers to any of them. She pressed her chest slowly and hard, hoping her hand can lessen the pain when she heard David from the outside of the door.<br /> &quot;Babe, are you okay? Do you need medicine? How are you feeling?&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m okay,&quot; she answered in a soft voice, hiding her silent cries.<br /> &quot;Do you want me to buy you an energy drink or something?&quot;<br /> &quot;Please... Thank you,&quot; her voice crackled.<br /> She burst into tears with her hands placed in between her knees and face when she heard the main door shut. Her whole body convulsed like no end. Is this for real? She denied David is cheating on her. My David will never do that. Maybe the message was wrongly sent? The message wasn&#039;t for him?<br /> She went out of the bathroom in a swift motion. It crushed her hope not finding David&#039;s phone where she placed it back a while ago. Stupid Ave! No cheating prick will leave his phone behind. She had to think of something. Confronting him can be good or bad. How will I do it? Reality hit her. Her woman&#039;s instinct activated. Were there signs? Either she had been so dumb, so trusting, or so in love?<br /> How would I have known the signs?<br /> It&#039;s not like there&#039;s a manual or a guide for her to know if he is cheating on her.<br /> Maybe David was so good at hiding. She started going back to the past days, weeks, and months. Tears fell again, like on cue the same heaviness and poking in her chest got stronger. But she has to brave all the pains to find the answers. Someone other than David might know. Who else knows?<br /> Self-pity struck her. Do people in the firm know? Am I the last one to know? These are just a few of the questions that popped into her mind. This pain sucks! She wanted very much to confront him, but she&#039;s also afraid that she might be wrong. She got the urge to ask people, especially those around him, but she doubted if they will tell her. If people who knew about it want her to know, at least someone should have mentioned it to her already.<br /> &quot;Oh, God! I&#039;m so naïve and stupid! David is their boss. Their loyalty is with him of course.&quot;<br /> She felt so alone and pitiful. She knew she can get comfort from her family in times like this, but she can&#039;t because she still wanted to protect David. What a stupid idea that despite the hurts and pains she still wants him to get on her family&#039;s good side.<br /> Am I acting normal right now? She suddenly remembered Shelly, her best friend, when they caught her fiance doing a &quot;mouth-to-mouth&quot; resuscitation with his secretary inside his office. Back then she wanted badly to smack Shelly when instead of telling her parents the truth, she covered the truth to keep the guy&#039;s respectable image. Am I being Shelly right now?<br /> What to do, Avery? What to do?<br /> &quot;Babe, are you okay now?&quot; David asked.<br /> &quot;Better I guess.&quot;<br /> She didn&#039;t realize that he already came back. She watched him as he opened the bottle of energy drink. Her eyes focused on the cellphone that he placed on top of the bedside table. Even without her going near it, she can see that it was on silent mode judging by the number of times the notifications have been lighting on the screen.<br /> &quot;Here Babe drink it. Make sure you don&#039;t get dehydrated. Do you need anything else?&quot;<br /> I need you to be honest with me. &quot;Nothing, thanks.&quot;<br /> She gulped the drink without taking her sight off David. He looked excited as he grabbed his cellphone from the side table. She watched him as he sat in bed. He was so engrossed in what he was reading; he didn&#039;t realize that she glued her eyes to him all along. She felt a lump in her stomach. How his face changed to the same face he had the morning he asked her to be his girlfriend. She saw the same excitement and sweet smile he had for her then. Except that this time she is sure it wasn&#039;t for her. Her body trembled again. She placed her hand over her heart. She can&#039;t seem to breathe.<br /> NO.<br /> I think my breathing is becoming loud.<br /> Too loud that she unconsciously covered her ears with her hands.<br /> Now I can&#039;t seem to hear my heartbeat.<br /> She feels like her heart stopped. She started pressing into her chest. Everything around her blurs. Then there was total darkness and silence.<br /> &quot;Babe! Avery! Wake up!&quot;<br /> David&#039;s voice awakened her. Her restless body was in David&#039;s arms when she opened her eyes. He was staring at her, worried. She can&#039;t find the strength to say anything. She looked into his eyes and silently asked the questions to herself. The questions she can&#039;t dare to ask him.<br /> Why David? Why?<br /> &quot;What happened to you? Do you want me to bring you to the hospital?&quot;<br /> I&#039;m fine. I need to be.<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll get you water. Stay in bed for now.&quot;<br /> Saying nothing, she stood up and trudged to the bed. She saw his cellphone on top of his pillow. It is in silent mode. She sees the call notifications as the phone screen keeps on lighting. The same contact who sent him the message is the same contact calling him right now. She grabbed the phone. 15 missed calls. All from the same contact. She heard footsteps coming near the bedroom door. It&#039;s too late. David already saw her holding his phone. He looked at her. She looked at him. They stared at each other.<br /> &quot;Your phone. Someone has been calling you 15 times now.&quot;<br /> She looked into his eyes. His eyes avoided hers. He immediately took the phone from her hand. He seemed anxious but didn&#039;t look at her.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s Jonathan. He&#039;s been calling me regarding the recent case. Take a rest, for now, babe. I&#039;ll just call Jonathan. Stay here. I&#039;ll be back.&quot;<br /> She just nodded and watched him as he rushed to get out of their room. The adrenalin and jealousy gave her body the strength to move and run for the door. Quietly, she watched him from the small opening.<br /> His gestures are familiar, bright smile, sparkling eyes.<br /> But one thing is for sure... those sweet gestures, his bright smile, and the sparks in his eyes... this time they&#039;re not hers.<br /> Avery was always confident. On top of her class, from elementary to her master&#039;s class days. Always gets praised for being young and smart. She knew how to hold an audience of professionals. She was a quick thinker. But this time, this exact moment, she felt like nothing. Worthless. Hopeless. Dumb. Numb.<br /> Her mind overflowed with silent questions. What did I do wrong? Did I lack on something? So many whats and whys. All thoughts that made her doubt herself, her worth.<br /> Sound of footsteps coming awakened her from her thoughts. She immediately went to bed and rested her back on the headboard.<br /> &quot;Babe, will you be alright if I meet up with Jonathan for an hour or two? We badly need to discuss our plan for tomorrow&#039;s court hearing.&quot;<br /> She looked him in the eye as she wanted very much to ask him.<br /> Why do you have to lie, David?&quot; Do you really have to meet Jonathan at this hour? Where are you really going? Can&#039;t you guys just meet early tomorrow instead?&quot;<br /> &quot;You know how is Jonathan, babe. He wouldn&#039;t stop calling and texting me unless I meet up with him. That idiot is quite a workaholic and a nerve-wreck!&quot;<br /> Who are you meeting? &quot;Okay,&quot; was the only word that came out of her.<br /> She still can&#039;t believe that this is happening. That the David who is lying to her face right now is the same David who promised to love her forever. The David for an angel she thought of has turned into a lying monster in front of her. But she can&#039;t understand why she&#039;s so weak and afraid. Weak to confront him and afraid to get an answer she might not want to hear.<br /> &quot;I have to go, Babe! I&#039;ll try to be back as soon as I can.&quot;<br /> Like in a dream, everything was floating and blurred. She just realized he already left after hearing his car revving out loud and fast from the garage.<br /> I am not expecting this. It&#039;s just six months after we got engaged. We just confirmed a schedule to meet with the wedding planner yesterday.<br /> She stood fast and looked for her phone, and dialed. &quot;Hello! Jonathan speaking.&quot;<br /> &quot;Hey, Jonathan! This is Avery. I just wanted to know what you and David have scheduled for tomorrow? I wanted to surprise him for his birthday and secretly work on his schedule with his assistant tomorrow.&quot;<br /> &quot;Avery, hey! Oh, we don&#039;t have any case right now. The last time we worked together was before your engagement. I wished we have a case together. It&#039;s so easy to work on a case with your man Ave!&quot;<br /> &quot;Uh... Oh... I know... How&#039;s Izzy? the kids?&quot;<br /> &quot;Well, Izzy is in the province with her mom right now. I&#039;m on leave for three days because I&#039;m stuck here at home babysitting the kids! Daddy duties!&quot;<br /> &quot;So sorry to have bothered you, Jonathan! peck the kids for me and tell Izzy I said hi.&quot;<br /> &quot;I will Ave! Send my regards to your man! Goodnight!&quot;<br /> &quot;Goodnight Jonathan!&quot;<br /> In silence, her tears started flowing like waterfalls. Everything in her body ached. Her heart pierced and broke into million pieces. Her imaginations worked. David driving fast, excited to meet his &quot;Jonathan.&quot; She suddenly saw their engagement picture. As she holds the heart-shaped frame, she can&#039;t help but remember that day. Her heart was full of happiness and love. She and David looked so in love. Their eyes were sparkling, and he was holding her hand, showing the engagement ring, which was an heirloom passed down from his grandmother to his mom and now to David for her.<br /> When Avery felt him slowly getting on his side of the bed, she prayed for him not to notice that she was awake. He went to bed under the impression that she was in a deep sleep. He was unaware that she was just observing him all along. In a matter of fifteen minutes, he cleaned the broken glass, sneaked in a shower, and placed his clothes in the washer.<br /> Avery wanted very much not to cry, knowing that David is just in the other room, but her eyes have a mind of their own. She looked around and saw their engagement picture in a replaced frame the sobbing was a powerful force she can&#039;t fight anymore. She wished that one can easily replace broken relationships, like when broken frames were replaced with new ones.<br /> &quot;What is wrong, babe? Why are you crying?&quot;<br /> Avery froze knowing that David is now standing behind her. If he sees her face and she sees his, her tears will betray her. She hoped David will leave her and not insist to get an answer. But maybe, just maybe, or she was hoping against hope that everything is just a misunderstanding and that David is still the same David. The same who promised to love her forever and the same who she still loves despite.<br /> The crying she was trying so hard to keep to herself turned into loud and continuous sobbing. Avery can&#039;t control her emotions anymore. When David put his arms around her and then made her slowly face him, she lost it all.<br /> &quot;What is happening Ave? Why are you crying? Did something happen?&quot;<br /> Seeing David&#039;s concerned expression made her forget he is looking at the person who has been hurting him for weeks now. She placed her arms around him and cried harder. &quot;I&#039;m so in pain right now David.&quot;<br /> &quot;Tell me, Babe, what&#039;s going on? Which is hurting? Why?&quot;<br /> &quot;My heart is hurting... in so much pain for weeks now.&quot; She told in between sobs and tears.<br /> As he wipes her tears with his fingers, he kept asking her questions, unaware of what she is about to say. &quot;Is there something wrong with your heart? Did the doctor find something?&quot;<br /> &quot;No. But I discovered something. It has been causing me pain, it&#039;s been killing me every day.&quot;<br /> &quot;You&#039;re making me worried now, babe. Tell me, please.&quot; He motioned her towards the bedroom bench. As they sat together, he clasped his hand with hers.<br /> Avery, feeling hopeful, felt that this might be her chance to confront him. She decided it&#039;s now or never. &quot;We need to talk.&quot;<br /> &quot;Okay Babe, talk to me. Tell me everything.&quot;<br /> &quot;Who is she?&quot;<br /> &quot;Who? What do you mean she?&quot;<br /> &quot;Please be honest with me, David. At least as a friend. Who is the woman you are cheating on me with?&quot;<br /> David&#039;s face fell. His breathing turned heavier and louder. The warmth that his hand was giving hers turned ice cold. And as he removed his hand from hers, he immediately brushed both of his hands through his hair and looked down. Dead silence enveloped the room. Avery knows this is their chance to lay everything down. As painful as it may be, the only way to know the truth is to get answers from him.<br /> &quot;I knew it from the night I blacked out. She didn&#039;t ask him a question this time. I unintentionally read the message she sent you. I knew you didn&#039;t meet with Jonathan. You didn&#039;t have any reason to meet him at all.&quot;<br /> &quot;Ave you know I can&#039;t lie to you.&quot;He looked her in the eye, guilt reflected.<br /> &quot;But you did.&quot; If there is one thing that Avery learned as a paralegal that is interrogating without asking. &quot;I called Jonathan right after you left that night. He doesn&#039;t have any clue. Izzy was in her province that night, no way for her to tell you to say hi to me.&quot;<br /> &quot;Babe, I&#039;m sorry.&quot; He cupped her face, looked directly into her eyes. She didn&#039;t stop him. The tears and the sobbing stopped. She felt braver, empowered seeing his sorry and admitting face.<br /> &quot;Who is she? Tell me, what did I do wrong? What did I not do?&quot; She removed his hands from her face.<br /> &quot;There is nothing wrong with you, babe. It wasn&#039;t you, it was me. I was stupid! I&#039;m sorry Ave.&quot;<br /> David lowered his head.&quot;I&#039;m sorry Ave.&quot; He said the three words she regretted hearing. For the past weeks, she had been agonizing over herself to know the truth. She didn&#039;t realize that hearing the truth from him will be a thousand times more painful than how she has been feeling all along.<br /> Truth sucks. Truth hurts. Truth is real. These were the only things that echoed on Avery&#039;s mind. She values honesty all her life, but she wished that David should have just lied to her face again. The confirmation she had been longing to get from him didn&#039;t just hurt her wounded heart more. It pained, it cut, and it stabbed her already bleeding heart.<br /> &quot;Ave, I&#039;m really sorry. I know there is no excuse for what I did.&quot;<br /> She took in a deep breath. &quot;Who is she? Since when?&quot;<br /> &quot;You don&#039;t know her. She is a client&#039;s assistant. We met a little over two months and it was an accidental hook-up. I swear I didn&#039;t plan or thought of it at first. It just happened.&quot; He looked away.<br /> &quot;Two months? You&#039;ve been making a fool out of me for two months, David?!&quot; Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.<br /> &quot;No Babe! Believe me. The night I told you I was to meet Jonathan, I went to meet her. I ended everything with her. Please believe me Ave!&quot;<br /> The memory of that night flashed back to Avery. David&#039;s sweet gestures, his bright smile, and the sparks in his eyes... she wouldn&#039;t forget that picture of him reading messages on his phone. David may lie to her, but not to her heart. His face then didn&#039;t show an inch of a man about to end everything with the woman whose message he was reading.<br /> Her mind told her not to believe and not to forgive David is the most reasonable decision. But her heart reminded her he&#039;s asking for forgiveness should put her at ease, that he is deserving him a second chance. &quot;After you confirmed David is really cheating, what do you plan to do?&quot; She heard Shelly&#039;s voice as if she was just beside her.<br /> &quot;Ave please say something. Please forgive me, please Babe.&quot;<br /> What should I do with you, David? Avery felt weak to even say a word. She just stared at David. If only her eyes have sharp arrows flying out of them, she would have surely hit his body bulls-eye slowly but fiercely. And she remembered what she told herself. She wouldn&#039;t be in his game without a fight.<br /> &quot;Ave, tell me what I need to do for you to forgive me, please.&quot;<br /> &quot;I want you to tell her that everything is over between you two... in front of me.&quot; LEARN_MORE https://a.read4funs.com/ad/ZmFuY3lOb3ZlbC8xNDg5MjU 123823310705302 ForFun-100 https://facebook.com/100094441775812 89 1 947,933,746,636,927 2024-04-14 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Learn more 0 ForFun-100 120209661541940361 a.read4funs.com NONE video https://a.read4funs.com/ad/ZmFuY3lOb3ZlbC8xNDg5MjUvMjAyNDA0MTEyMTI3MjkvcGFnZQ==?adid={{ad.id}} 2024-04-11 08:38 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436944758_718534826852765_7492362849544119884_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cAojbEgfAv8Ab7fq5xY&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBHhmvI9SrThGK8QW9DCOUCQAkUuN2-wP50Opvdt666RQ&oe=6621E07F person_profile 0 ForFun-100 https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436510444_1144041123273939_6604605893887853972_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FP_yCOmMCGAAb4qGJQd&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfANAyZ5hfdmkOiuuDuN6Xkty8ShJkl_9rQ8992oen16Mg&oe=6621FE3C 0 3 ForFun-100 0 0 2024-04-13 02:00 View Edit
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Yes 2024-04-14 13:48 active 515 0 1476132626273030 🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻 &quot;She is a client&#039;s assistant. We met a little over two months and it was an accidental hook-up. I swear I didn&#039;t plan or thought of it at first. It just happened.&quot; He looked away.<br /> &quot;Two months? You&#039;ve been making a fool out of me for two months, David?!&quot; Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.<br /> &quot;Please forgive me, please Babe.&quot;<br /> &quot;I want you to tell her that everything is over between you two... in front of me.&quot;<br /> ————————<br /> &quot;The moment I saw you, I knew in my heart that I love everything about you. As I spent more time with you, I realized that I have deeply fallen for you. I promised God and myself that I will never hurt you. Every day of my life I will only spend with you. Your happiness will always be my priority. Loving you forever is my greatest promise. My life will be incomplete without you. Avery Jackson, will you marry me?&quot;<br /> &quot;YES! Yes, David, I will marry you!&quot;<br /> For some, whatever they have may seem too good to be true, but for both of them, finding each other is a dream come true. Everything seemed perfect until the unexpected happened.<br /> Avery couldn&#039;t find the word to describe the mixed emotions she felt when she read the message that popped on David&#039;s phone. She didn&#039;t know if her eyes were fast enough to have read it before the notification faded away or it was the heavens that wanted her to read it. Her body froze, her heart stopped, heavy and painful pounding on her chest dominated. She gasped for air. Her whole body stiffened. It was like any second her head will explode. Every inch of her body trembled. Nauseated, her stomach flipped. She begged her mouth not to vomit. When she heard the bathroom door unlocked, she immediately put back the phone where David originally left before he took a shower.<br /> &quot;Are you okay Babe? What&#039;s wrong? You are trembling,&quot; David asked, his eyes widened.<br /> &quot;Ah... Um... I need to go to the bathroom. I think I&#039;m having diarrhea.&quot; Her steps bolted for the bathroom.<br /> She locked the bathroom door and sat on the tiled floor as her trembling body touched the wall. Her eyes welled with tears.<br /> What should I do? Should I confront him? Since when? Who is she? How? Where? Why?<br /> Strong, piercing and poking burned on her head. Her brain asked all the different questions but failed to find answers to any of them. She pressed her chest slowly and hard, hoping her hand can lessen the pain when she heard David from the outside of the door.<br /> &quot;Babe, are you okay? Do you need medicine? How are you feeling?&quot;<br /> &quot;I&#039;m okay,&quot; she answered in a soft voice, hiding her silent cries.<br /> &quot;Do you want me to buy you an energy drink or something?&quot;<br /> &quot;Please... Thank you,&quot; her voice crackled.<br /> She burst into tears with her hands placed in between her knees and face when she heard the main door shut. Her whole body convulsed like no end. Is this for real? She denied David is cheating on her. My David will never do that. Maybe the message was wrongly sent? The message wasn&#039;t for him?<br /> She went out of the bathroom in a swift motion. It crushed her hope not finding David&#039;s phone where she placed it back a while ago. Stupid Ave! No cheating prick will leave his phone behind. She had to think of something. Confronting him can be good or bad. How will I do it? Reality hit her. Her woman&#039;s instinct activated. Were there signs? Either she had been so dumb, so trusting, or so in love?<br /> How would I have known the signs?<br /> It&#039;s not like there&#039;s a manual or a guide for her to know if he is cheating on her.<br /> Maybe David was so good at hiding. She started going back to the past days, weeks, and months. Tears fell again, like on cue the same heaviness and poking in her chest got stronger. But she has to brave all the pains to find the answers. Someone other than David might know. Who else knows?<br /> Self-pity struck her. Do people in the firm know? Am I the last one to know? These are just a few of the questions that popped into her mind. This pain sucks! She wanted very much to confront him, but she&#039;s also afraid that she might be wrong. She got the urge to ask people, especially those around him, but she doubted if they will tell her. If people who knew about it want her to know, at least someone should have mentioned it to her already.<br /> &quot;Oh, God! I&#039;m so naïve and stupid! David is their boss. Their loyalty is with him of course.&quot;<br /> She felt so alone and pitiful. She knew she can get comfort from her family in times like this, but she can&#039;t because she still wanted to protect David. What a stupid idea that despite the hurts and pains she still wants him to get on her family&#039;s good side.<br /> Am I acting normal right now? She suddenly remembered Shelly, her best friend, when they caught her fiance doing a &quot;mouth-to-mouth&quot; resuscitation with his secretary inside his office. Back then she wanted badly to smack Shelly when instead of telling her parents the truth, she covered the truth to keep the guy&#039;s respectable image. Am I being Shelly right now?<br /> What to do, Avery? What to do?<br /> &quot;Babe, are you okay now?&quot; David asked.<br /> &quot;Better I guess.&quot;<br /> She didn&#039;t realize that he already came back. She watched him as he opened the bottle of energy drink. Her eyes focused on the cellphone that he placed on top of the bedside table. Even without her going near it, she can see that it was on silent mode judging by the number of times the notifications have been lighting on the screen.<br /> &quot;Here Babe drink it. Make sure you don&#039;t get dehydrated. Do you need anything else?&quot;<br /> I need you to be honest with me. &quot;Nothing, thanks.&quot;<br /> She gulped the drink without taking her sight off David. He looked excited as he grabbed his cellphone from the side table. She watched him as he sat in bed. He was so engrossed in what he was reading; he didn&#039;t realize that she glued her eyes to him all along. She felt a lump in her stomach. How his face changed to the same face he had the morning he asked her to be his girlfriend. She saw the same excitement and sweet smile he had for her then. Except that this time she is sure it wasn&#039;t for her. Her body trembled again. She placed her hand over her heart. She can&#039;t seem to breathe.<br /> NO.<br /> I think my breathing is becoming loud.<br /> Too loud that she unconsciously covered her ears with her hands.<br /> Now I can&#039;t seem to hear my heartbeat.<br /> She feels like her heart stopped. She started pressing into her chest. Everything around her blurs. Then there was total darkness and silence.<br /> &quot;Babe! Avery! Wake up!&quot;<br /> David&#039;s voice awakened her. Her restless body was in David&#039;s arms when she opened her eyes. He was staring at her, worried. She can&#039;t find the strength to say anything. She looked into his eyes and silently asked the questions to herself. The questions she can&#039;t dare to ask him.<br /> Why David? Why?<br /> &quot;What happened to you? Do you want me to bring you to the hospital?&quot;<br /> I&#039;m fine. I need to be.<br /> &quot;I&#039;ll get you water. Stay in bed for now.&quot;<br /> Saying nothing, she stood up and trudged to the bed. She saw his cellphone on top of his pillow. It is in silent mode. She sees the call notifications as the phone screen keeps on lighting. The same contact who sent him the message is the same contact calling him right now. She grabbed the phone. 15 missed calls. All from the same contact. She heard footsteps coming near the bedroom door. It&#039;s too late. David already saw her holding his phone. He looked at her. She looked at him. They stared at each other.<br /> &quot;Your phone. Someone has been calling you 15 times now.&quot;<br /> She looked into his eyes. His eyes avoided hers. He immediately took the phone from her hand. He seemed anxious but didn&#039;t look at her.<br /> &quot;It&#039;s Jonathan. He&#039;s been calling me regarding the recent case. Take a rest, for now, babe. I&#039;ll just call Jonathan. Stay here. I&#039;ll be back.&quot;<br /> She just nodded and watched him as he rushed to get out of their room. The adrenalin and jealousy gave her body the strength to move and run for the door. Quietly, she watched him from the small opening.<br /> His gestures are familiar, bright smile, sparkling eyes.<br /> But one thing is for sure... those sweet gestures, his bright smile, and the sparks in his eyes... this time they&#039;re not hers.<br /> Avery was always confident. On top of her class, from elementary to her master&#039;s class days. Always gets praised for being young and smart. She knew how to hold an audience of professionals. She was a quick thinker. But this time, this exact moment, she felt like nothing. Worthless. Hopeless. Dumb. Numb.<br /> Her mind overflowed with silent questions. What did I do wrong? Did I lack on something? So many whats and whys. All thoughts that made her doubt herself, her worth.<br /> Sound of footsteps coming awakened her from her thoughts. She immediately went to bed and rested her back on the headboard.<br /> &quot;Babe, will you be alright if I meet up with Jonathan for an hour or two? We badly need to discuss our plan for tomorrow&#039;s court hearing.&quot;<br /> She looked him in the eye as she wanted very much to ask him.<br /> Why do you have to lie, David?&quot; Do you really have to meet Jonathan at this hour? Where are you really going? Can&#039;t you guys just meet early tomorrow instead?&quot;<br /> &quot;You know how is Jonathan, babe. He wouldn&#039;t stop calling and texting me unless I meet up with him. That idiot is quite a workaholic and a nerve-wreck!&quot;<br /> Who are you meeting? &quot;Okay,&quot; was the only word that came out of her.<br /> She still can&#039;t believe that this is happening. That the David who is lying to her face right now is the same David who promised to love her forever. The David for an angel she thought of has turned into a lying monster in front of her. But she can&#039;t understand why she&#039;s so weak and afraid. Weak to confront him and afraid to get an answer she might not want to hear.<br /> &quot;I have to go, Babe! I&#039;ll try to be back as soon as I can.&quot;<br /> Like in a dream, everything was floating and blurred. She just realized he already left after hearing his car revving out loud and fast from the garage.<br /> I am not expecting this. It&#039;s just six months after we got engaged. We just confirmed a schedule to meet with the wedding planner yesterday.<br /> She stood fast and looked for her phone, and dialed. &quot;Hello! Jonathan speaking.&quot;<br /> &quot;Hey, Jonathan! This is Avery. I just wanted to know what you and David have scheduled for tomorrow? I wanted to surprise him for his birthday and secretly work on his schedule with his assistant tomorrow.&quot;<br /> &quot;Avery, hey! Oh, we don&#039;t have any case right now. The last time we worked together was before your engagement. I wished we have a case together. It&#039;s so easy to work on a case with your man Ave!&quot;<br /> &quot;Uh... Oh... I know... How&#039;s Izzy? the kids?&quot;<br /> &quot;Well, Izzy is in the province with her mom right now. I&#039;m on leave for three days because I&#039;m stuck here at home babysitting the kids! Daddy duties!&quot;<br /> &quot;So sorry to have bothered you, Jonathan! peck the kids for me and tell Izzy I said hi.&quot;<br /> &quot;I will Ave! Send my regards to your man! Goodnight!&quot;<br /> &quot;Goodnight Jonathan!&quot;<br /> In silence, her tears started flowing like waterfalls. Everything in her body ached. Her heart pierced and broke into million pieces. Her imaginations worked. David driving fast, excited to meet his &quot;Jonathan.&quot; She suddenly saw their engagement picture. As she holds the heart-shaped frame, she can&#039;t help but remember that day. Her heart was full of happiness and love. She and David looked so in love. Their eyes were sparkling, and he was holding her hand, showing the engagement ring, which was an heirloom passed down from his grandmother to his mom and now to David for her.<br /> When Avery felt him slowly getting on his side of the bed, she prayed for him not to notice that she was awake. He went to bed under the impression that she was in a deep sleep. He was unaware that she was just observing him all along. In a matter of fifteen minutes, he cleaned the broken glass, sneaked in a shower, and placed his clothes in the washer.<br /> Avery wanted very much not to cry, knowing that David is just in the other room, but her eyes have a mind of their own. She looked around and saw their engagement picture in a replaced frame the sobbing was a powerful force she can&#039;t fight anymore. She wished that one can easily replace broken relationships, like when broken frames were replaced with new ones.<br /> &quot;What is wrong, babe? Why are you crying?&quot;<br /> Avery froze knowing that David is now standing behind her. If he sees her face and she sees his, her tears will betray her. She hoped David will leave her and not insist to get an answer. But maybe, just maybe, or she was hoping against hope that everything is just a misunderstanding and that David is still the same David. The same who promised to love her forever and the same who she still loves despite.<br /> The crying she was trying so hard to keep to herself turned into loud and continuous sobbing. Avery can&#039;t control her emotions anymore. When David put his arms around her and then made her slowly face him, she lost it all.<br /> &quot;What is happening Ave? Why are you crying? Did something happen?&quot;<br /> Seeing David&#039;s concerned expression made her forget he is looking at the person who has been hurting him for weeks now. She placed her arms around him and cried harder. &quot;I&#039;m so in pain right now David.&quot;<br /> &quot;Tell me, Babe, what&#039;s going on? Which is hurting? Why?&quot;<br /> &quot;My heart is hurting... in so much pain for weeks now.&quot; She told in between sobs and tears.<br /> As he wipes her tears with his fingers, he kept asking her questions, unaware of what she is about to say. &quot;Is there something wrong with your heart? Did the doctor find something?&quot;<br /> &quot;No. But I discovered something. It has been causing me pain, it&#039;s been killing me every day.&quot;<br /> &quot;You&#039;re making me worried now, babe. Tell me, please.&quot; He motioned her towards the bedroom bench. As they sat together, he clasped his hand with hers.<br /> Avery, feeling hopeful, felt that this might be her chance to confront him. She decided it&#039;s now or never. &quot;We need to talk.&quot;<br /> &quot;Okay Babe, talk to me. Tell me everything.&quot;<br /> &quot;Who is she?&quot;<br /> &quot;Who? What do you mean she?&quot;<br /> &quot;Please be honest with me, David. At least as a friend. Who is the woman you are cheating on me with?&quot;<br /> David&#039;s face fell. His breathing turned heavier and louder. The warmth that his hand was giving hers turned ice cold. And as he removed his hand from hers, he immediately brushed both of his hands through his hair and looked down. Dead silence enveloped the room. Avery knows this is their chance to lay everything down. As painful as it may be, the only way to know the truth is to get answers from him.<br /> &quot;I knew it from the night I blacked out. She didn&#039;t ask him a question this time. I unintentionally read the message she sent you. I knew you didn&#039;t meet with Jonathan. You didn&#039;t have any reason to meet him at all.&quot;<br /> &quot;Ave you know I can&#039;t lie to you.&quot;He looked her in the eye, guilt reflected.<br /> &quot;But you did.&quot; If there is one thing that Avery learned as a paralegal that is interrogating without asking. &quot;I called Jonathan right after you left that night. He doesn&#039;t have any clue. Izzy was in her province that night, no way for her to tell you to say hi to me.&quot;<br /> &quot;Babe, I&#039;m sorry.&quot; He cupped her face, looked directly into her eyes. She didn&#039;t stop him. The tears and the sobbing stopped. She felt braver, empowered seeing his sorry and admitting face.<br /> &quot;Who is she? Tell me, what did I do wrong? What did I not do?&quot; She removed his hands from her face.<br /> &quot;There is nothing wrong with you, babe. It wasn&#039;t you, it was me. I was stupid! I&#039;m sorry Ave.&quot;<br /> David lowered his head.&quot;I&#039;m sorry Ave.&quot; He said the three words she regretted hearing. For the past weeks, she had been agonizing over herself to know the truth. She didn&#039;t realize that hearing the truth from him will be a thousand times more painful than how she has been feeling all along.<br /> Truth sucks. Truth hurts. Truth is real. These were the only things that echoed on Avery&#039;s mind. She values honesty all her life, but she wished that David should have just lied to her face again. The confirmation she had been longing to get from him didn&#039;t just hurt her wounded heart more. It pained, it cut, and it stabbed her already bleeding heart.<br /> &quot;Ave, I&#039;m really sorry. I know there is no excuse for what I did.&quot;<br /> She took in a deep breath. &quot;Who is she? Since when?&quot;<br /> &quot;You don&#039;t know her. She is a client&#039;s assistant. We met a little over two months and it was an accidental hook-up. I swear I didn&#039;t plan or thought of it at first. It just happened.&quot; He looked away.<br /> &quot;Two months? You&#039;ve been making a fool out of me for two months, David?!&quot; Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.<br /> &quot;No Babe! Believe me. The night I told you I was to meet Jonathan, I went to meet her. I ended everything with her. Please believe me Ave!&quot;<br /> The memory of that night flashed back to Avery. David&#039;s sweet gestures, his bright smile, and the sparks in his eyes... she wouldn&#039;t forget that picture of him reading messages on his phone. David may lie to her, but not to her heart. His face then didn&#039;t show an inch of a man about to end everything with the woman whose message he was reading.<br /> Her mind told her not to believe and not to forgive David is the most reasonable decision. But her heart reminded her he&#039;s asking for forgiveness should put her at ease, that he is deserving him a second chance. &quot;After you confirmed David is really cheating, what do you plan to do?&quot; She heard Shelly&#039;s voice as if she was just beside her.<br /> &quot;Ave please say something. Please forgive me, please Babe.&quot;<br /> What should I do with you, David? Avery felt weak to even say a word. She just stared at David. If only her eyes have sharp arrows flying out of them, she would have surely hit his body bulls-eye slowly but fiercely. And she remembered what she told herself. She wouldn&#039;t be in his game without a fight.<br /> &quot;Ave, tell me what I need to do for you to forgive me, please.&quot;<br /> &quot;I want you to tell her that everything is over between you two... in front of me.&quot; LEARN_MORE https://b.ficsworld.com/ad/Zmljd29ybGQvMTQ4OTg1LzI 140046759187543 World003 https://facebook.com/61551640813531 206 1 1,597,265,677,700,742 2024-04-14 02:00 person_profile eligible 0 0 NONE 0 0 1 0 Learn more 0 World003 120210252203580288 b.ficsworld.com NONE video https://b.ficsworld.com/ad/Zmljd29ybGQvMTQ4OTg1LzIwMjQwNDExMjEyODQ2L3BhZ2U=?adid={{ad.id}} 2024-04-11 09:17 https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435466613_7748322478532651_6339170101578950494_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gic_7_0VyLYAb5Q_zPy&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCbxOOxGQj_lhy7TMMnhlLNBpvv6y-L2pTiO9TvPGiVtQ&oe=6621E284 person_profile 0 World003 https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435602784_920227859785227_8489342570869197294_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=37LZmuhdsGkAb4Un2IB&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBZY7v1qAfBh9CKsNCNA-Zhp24iD8p2MDuneUsV1bo2Yw&oe=6621F1B2 0 3 World003 0 0 2024-04-13 02:00 View Edit
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