(Raiden’s POV)
The ceremonial rings are still in my pocket, their weight unbearable.
I haven’t pulled them out since Siena’s declaration, but I can feel them pressing against my leg like a constant reminder of my failure.
I can still hear her voice, calm and steady as it cut through the chaos of the hall, severing the bond between us with a finality I didn’t know she possessed.
"I release you from our mating bond."
Every word had been a dagger, precise and fatal, and I’ve been bleeding ever since.
I denied Lila’s claims immediately, but it hadn’t mattered. Siena had already made up her mind, and I couldn’t blame her. The strength of her composure, the dignity in the way she walked away from me, left me paralyzed.
She didn’t cry. She didn’t falter. She did
