Page 34 of Fated (The Bonded Legacy #1)

The sharp noise was followed by a blur of movement that made his vision swim.

Elias was there in an instant. Crossing the room in quick, long strides to Ava’s side.

His arms wrapped around her tightly, holding her back with a strength that was more protective than restraining.

He didn’t speak, but his gaze cut through the room like steel, locking onto Kai.

His stormy blue eyes burned with disappointment—and something deeper. Anguish?

For a moment, the air felt electrified. As if unspoken words and emotions had seeped into the silence between the two males. Elias’s stare said enough: Fix this. Do better. The intensity of his gaze made Kai sway on his feet.

Ava’s voice yanked his attention away from his future gamma. “Minimize everyone getting hurt?” she spat. Her wolf, Eris’s, presence was palpable in the air as Ava roared. “You fucking destroyed me, Kai!”

She thrashed in Elias’s arms, fighting to break free. He tightened his grip, one hand sliding into her hair in a calming gesture. His lips brushed her temple in silent comfort, even as he glared at Kai, making tears burn behind his lids.

Kai’s jaw worked silently, torn between guilt and the suffocating pressure of the bond he was trying to protect.

He felt a pang of jealousy—jealousy for Elias’s ability to offer Ava the comfort she needed.

Comfort Kai couldn’t give her without risking the fragile threads of his bond with Lena.

His ribcage constricted as he straightened, legs trembling as he grabbed his bag.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, each word like sandpaper against his throat.

“I’m sorry for hurting you. For breaking promises that were not mine to make.

” His lungs fought to expand, every breath shallow and inadequate.

“I wish I could fix this without hurting anyone, but I don’t know how.

It’s killing me too, Ava, but all I can do is try. I have to try to find a way through.”

He hesitated at the door, grip fumbling on the handle. His voice dropped to a near whisper. “I hope this isn’t the last time we talk. That you’ll give me the chance to figure everything out. That somehow, we’ll still be in each other’s lives—no matter what happens.”

Ava didn’t respond. She was still in Elias’s arms, breathing harsh and ragged as her tear-filled gaze burned into him.

Her fury, her pain, hung in the air like an invisible undertow, threatening to drag him beneath the surface and drown him in its depths.

Elias lowered his head, resting his cheek against Ava’s as he whispered something too soft for Kai to hear.

The sight of Ava finding solace in Elias’s arms made nausea coil in his stomach.

Kai turned the handle and stepped out into the hallway. Ava’s muffled sobs penetrated the closed door, haunting each step as he fled.

His head spun as he made his way to the lobby. His steps were slow, almost reluctant, feet dragging against the carpet, each step landing on what felt like broken glass.

Darius waited near the lobby’s tall windows, phone in hand. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. His features hardened to stone, all warmth from the previous evening gone, when he spotted Kai.

“Is it done?” Darius’s clipped tone was devoid of any sympathy. Each word felt like ice in Kai’s veins.

Kai nodded, barely able to speak around the knot in his throat. “Yes.”

Darius straightened, his towering presence as intimidating as ever, disapproval radiating off him in waves that made Kai’s legs unsteady. “Good,” he said curtly, studying Kai for a beat before turning back to his phone. “I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

Dismissed. That was it. No acknowledgment of the turmoil raging inside him, no reassurance that this was the right thing. Just the icy formality of a leader who had no time for anything less than absolute obedience. The rejection made Kai heave.

He swallowed hard and left the lobby, Darius’s indifference slicing between his ribs and finding the soft vulnerable places beneath. He deserved the repudiation, yet the knowledge did nothing to stop his insides from hemorrhaging.

Outside, the crisp morning air did nothing to clear the fog in his head. The murmur of activity from the departing summit attendees reached his ears —wolves saying their goodbyes, loading luggage, the mundane sounds of life moving forward while his world crumbled.

His breath caught when his gaze landed on the Moonshadow pack.

They were gathered near their Jeep, their easy camaraderie contrasting the chaos of Kai’s own emotions.

Ryker was talking animatedly, hands gesturing wildly, and Lena’s laugh rang out in response.

The sound soothed Kai’s frayed nerves, and he allowed himself to hope—just for a moment—that things might be okay.

But then Lena noticed him. Her laughter faltered, and a flicker of sadness crossed her face before she masked it with a bright, practiced smile.

The spark of hope Kai had felt was replaced by a pang of guilt so sharp it twisted his gut and made his head spin.

He hesitated as he approached—feet dragging as he worked up the courage to face her.

She deserved so much better than this, better than him, but he had to try.

“Mate!” she called as he neared, her tone overly light, overly cheerful. The false brightness in her voice made him flinch. “Ready to see Moonshadow?”

Kai nodded, nearly dropping his bag as he placed it on the ground. He reached for Lena, fingers shaking as he wrapped his pinky around hers—a gesture she’d used so many times over the past few days to draw him closer. One that now felt like his only lifeline.

Leaning in, he kissed the corner of her mouth, trying to hide his anxious state. Her now familiar scent wrapped around him, grounding him for the briefest moment before the guilt threatened to drown him again. His voice dropped to a whisper meant only for her, cracking on each word.

“I’m so sorry. I hope we can talk.”

Lena’s golden-brown eyes searched his, walls firmly in place. He thought saw the crack in her armor—the vulnerability she was fighting so hard to hide. She nodded imperceptibly, a silent acknowledgment of his words, though he couldn’t tell if it was forgiveness or resignation.

“I’ll grab my stuff and meet you at the car,” she whispered back, her voice neutral. She turned to the group, her voice bright. “I’m riding with Kai. See you losers in a few hours!”

Her words earned a chorus of good-natured teasing from Ryker and the others.

Kai watched her walk around the Jeep, hope and dread warring in his chest. He made his way to his Range Rover on unsteady legs, tossing his bag in the backseat before leaning against the passenger door as he waited for her.

The cold metal pressed into his back as he exhaled shakily, mind racing.

Everything felt like it was teetering on the edge of collapse—his relationships, his future, his very sense of self.

He sent a silent prayer to Selene. He didn’t ask for forgiveness or even for Lena to understand, but for strength. Strength to face what was coming. Strength to hold onto the bond he’d nearly destroyed. Strength to be the alpha, and mate, he needed to be.

He straightened as Lena neared, her figure a beacon against the backdrop of bustling wolves.

Her head was high, strides confident, but Kai could see the tension in her shoulders.

Sweat prickled his hairline, ice-cold droplets sliding down his temples as he opened the door for her.

She murmured a quiet thank you, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her controlled expression.

As he settled into the driver’s seat, silence swelled, pressing against his eardrums. He swiped his palms down his thighs trying to settle his nerves as he braced himself for the conversation they needed to have.

“Are you ready?” His voice barely carried over the engine starting.

Lena answered with a nod.

The distance between them in the car felt both too vast and not nearly vast enough. His grip tightened on the wheel. Tension locked his jaw as he mustered the strength to tear down every barrier and show her his truth

The engine roared, and they pulled away from the lodge. He watched her stare out the window from the corner of his eye, knuckles white as she interlaced her fingers in her lap, pinning them in place as if to prevent them from reaching for him.

The road stretched ahead, winding through territory that felt as uncertain as their future.

Neither spoke, but Kai knew this silence wouldn’t last. Soon, he’d have to find words for the unforgivable.

Soon, she’d ask questions he wasn’t sure he could answer.

And depending on what he said—and how she heard it—they’d either find a way forward, or this car ride would be the last time he’d ever see her.