Brayden did not let her go.

If anything, now he clenched her towards himselftighter in a useless hope that he had misheard the Lycan king right now.But when Gideon stood up and moved in their direction, he knew that he hadlost.

He had just lost everything.“I don’t like to repeat myself,” the lycan looked at him with a challenge in hiseyes, “You need to step away from my mate.

Now.”The silence in the room was long and awkward but after a while Braydenunclenched his fingers and Riannon stepped away.

Gideon did not waste anytime and pulled her towards him.

Rubbing her arm where her ex-husband wasjust holding her.“Ria, did he hurt you?” he asked in a fake-sweet tone, and Riannon knew that ifthey did not want the bloodshed, she’d better shake her head and denyeverything.

He waited for them to be together for too long and his patience hadits limits too.“No, I am fine,” she said and her mate brushed his palm over her beautiful face,enjoying the tingles that the touch created.

He could stay this way forever, but asound of laughter distracted him.It was cold and unnatural laughter on the verge of madness.“Are you kidding me?!” Brayden rubbed his eyes and threw his head back, tryingto calm down.

Too many eyes were on him now and he needed to get thesituation back in control.It was bad.

He was losing his wife and at least half of his pack.

No one wouldever look at him in the same way again.

No one would let him ever forget whathappened here today.

So, he had to act and he had to act fast.“So, was this the plan all along?” he scoffed, “This is how the lycans now try toget our lands? You don’t want war, so you are just going to marry daughters of

Alphas and grab their packs in the process?”Neither Ria nor Gideon liked what he was implying now.

And some of the alphasin the room became visibly more anxious.

In the end, the territory was one thingthey were all ready to fight for.

Always.“Can’t you see what he’s doing right now?” Brayden continued, “He is using mywife to weaken me and to expand his Kingdom! I’m sure that he’s not even yourmate, Riannon! Are you sure that this is not some kind of witchery? You two metbefore and neither of you seemed to be shouting that you were mates.”“You’d better shut up about it now,” Gideon growled, “before you say somethingthatRia knew exactly what kind of game her now ex-husband was playing, so sheplaced her palm on the king’s chest.

The gesture immediately calmed him down.Their eyes met just for a“It may come as a surprise to you,” she started speaking softly, but it was onlypretence, “but some people know how to control their wolves and their urges.

Itrequires tremendous willpower that you clearly do not possess considering thesituation we are in now, but it can still be done.

We simply controlled ourselvesand behaved like people and not animals.

Out of respect for you and ourmarriage in the first place.

You should try that sometimes.

And as for my lands,they will always remain mine.

Gideon has enough of his own.

He doesn’t need totake anything from his woman other than love.”That was a low blow and she knew it.

After all, their packs were merged throughmarriage.

This was how Bray got to his current position that was now slippingaway.But she was cutting the cord today.

It had to be done.“And as for proof of us being mates, not that we owe you anything,” shecontinued, “I think the fact that the mark you gave me started disappearing when

we met should be proof enough.”She moved the part of the white blazer that she was wearing and demonstratedto him the now pale stains on her skin, where she used to have scars left by hiscanines.

It was there before, only that he did not notice.

He did not check.

He didnot pay attention.Brayden’s face lost colour as his mouth parted slightly.

His eyes were filled withpain now and for the first time, she felt sorry for doing this to him.

But then sheremembered how he sunk his canines into Roxy’s neck right in front of her.

Mereminutes after he denounced her as his Luna in front of the pack.

It wasunnecessary cruelness that she did not deserve afterAfter months and months of struggle, she was finally free from that feeling thatwas eating her up from the inside.

This was when she was going to leave quietly,knowing that there were places where she would be accepted.

But it wasn’tdestined to be this way and she never managed to leave her pack.

Maybebecause it was her destiny to get it back after all.

And fix everything thathappened.Brayden’s hand went to his neck instinctively where he tried to find the mark thatshe left on him.

Two small scars were still there, palpable.

He couldn’tcomprehend what was going on.“Yet here we are,” Riannon sighed, “I did not want to do it like this.

But it seemsthat you will cause trouble if I don’t.”“Ri,” he tried to stop her, stretching his hand in her direction but Gideon growledas a warning, “Don’t...”“I, Riannon Michaels, reject you, Brayden Thorn as my chosen mate, myhusband and my Alpha.

Starting from today, there is no bond between the two ofus.” The words left her mouth and she was afraid to feel the pain.

But nothinghappened.

The lycan king looked at her with concern on his face but relaxedwhen she gave him a little calm smile.

Brayden, however, did not look too good.

He was already pale prior to all that,but now he looked as if he was about to collapse.

Beads of sweat formed on hisforehead.

He kept standing, but it was obvious that he could feel their bond beingbroken.“How could you?” he stared at her now with pain in his eyes, “We...

after somany years“Go to your mate, Brayden,” was all that Riannon said to him, “And leave me andmy mate alone.”This wasn’t how she planned to do it.

But it was too late now since it was done.There was nothing between the two of them anymore.The room became silent.“You know what,” Alpha Zack Morgan stood up, “how about we take a little breakand cool ourselves down a bit?”“I don’t know,” the werecat leader smirked at him, playing with her hair, “I haven’tbeen to a Summit this entertaining for a while!”“We’ll meet you back here in half an hour,” Gideon said, taking Riannon’s handand bumping Brayden’s shoulder with his as they walked out.He pulled her behind him, not caring where they went and as soon as they madea turn, he immediately slammed her back over the wall and placed his hands onboth sides of her.

Thelycan crashed his lips into hers, tasting them as if he had never done this before.His fingers dug into her hair, and she moaned softly when he thrust his tongueinto her mouth.

She missed him.

Even more than she realised.“If I don’t take and mark you now, I will die,” he muttered as he peppered herneck with kisses, his canines grazing over her sensitive skin place.

And...”

“I don’t care,” he growled, pulling the belt of her blazer, and sliding his handsunderneath it to feel her exposed skin.

She was wearing a lace cropped topunderneath and he couldn’t appreciate it more.“Gideon,” she let out a little nervous laugh, “The place is packed with Alphas whocan hear everything.

My ex included.

Don’t prove him right and don’t give himcontrol over the narrative of our story.

Don’t make him a victim here.”He stopped, still breathing heavily into the column of her neck.“We just claimed that we can control ourselves,” she reminded him, “We can’t...”“I get it,” he groaned and pulled away from her.

However, a happy grin wasplastered all over his face.

Her lips curled into a smile too.“I am free,” she whispered, still afraid to say it out loud.

“No, you are not,” hegrunted, “You are mine.” “Yes,” Riannon nodded to that, “I won’t argue with that.

I...”A confession almost left her lips but she stopped herself because this wasn’t howshe wanted to do it.“Come on,” he told her, “Maya is waiting outside.

I bet you would love to breakthe news to her personally.”“Really?” she gasped, “You brought her here too?” “Of course,” he chuckled, “Notthat it was a choice.

Your friend is...

let’s call it stubborn.”“That she is,” Ria agreed as he led her back to the foyer, while holding hands.They passed a few Lunas who were waiting for their husbands and she saw thelooks of shock on their faces.A lot of people expected her divorce but no one expected this.

When they were outside, Gideon called his driver and asked to bring Maya to themain entrance.

But the car took too long to arrive and he decided to go checkwhat was going on.“Stay here,” he said, “I’ll be back quick.”Riannon smiled to herself as she stood there, waiting for him.

But soon sheheard a familiar voice.“How could you do this to me, Ri?”She turned to face her ex-husband and sighed.

had its limits, “You have yourmate and I have mine.

Let’s live our lives.”“You just destroyed my pack!” he said through clenched teeth.

“No,” she shookher head, “I saved what I could.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” he furrowedhis brows.She opened her mouth to respond to him when they both felt it.

The change inthe air as it got heated.

And the deafening sound of an explosion.The glass walls of the hotel shattered to myriads of pieces that were flying theirway.

This was when the blast wave reached them too.

At the last moment,Brayden jumped in her direction and they both fell to the ground as he coveredher with his body.

It took just a second or two, but it felt like forever.The whole world fell into silence...