Page 13
Story: Mated to Ruin
Though pain clearly twists his features and silver burns eat into his flesh, he manages to smile through gritted teeth.
“She doesn’t deserve it…”
Even now, in this situation, he remains defiant.
“You ungrateful son!”
Richard’s boot connects with Talon’s chest in a vicious kick, knocking him to the ground.
Talon strikes the hardwood with a sickening thud, blood spurting from his mouth.
I take a step forward and stop Richard from moving any further.
“Dad, please. I’m going to dissolve our bond anyway. This won’t change anything.”
Talon looks at me from the floor, an unreadable flicker in his eyes.
Maria grabs both of my hands, her grip desperate.
“Seraphina, your parents entrusted you to us before they died, and they made us promise to protect you.” Tears stream down her cheek.
“Now that he’s made such a mess, if we let you leave like this, we’d be failing your parents’ spirits. We’d be failing you.”
I smile gently, even though my heart is breaking.
“Don’t worry, Dad, Mom. Even after we dissolve our bond, I’ll still consider you my parents. Talon’s mistakes have nothing to do with you. Please don’t feel guilty.”
I pull two protective amulets from my purse: ancient werewolf charms made by my grandmother.
I place them in their hands.
“I’m flying to North America tonight and won’t be back for a while. Let these charms keep you both safe.”
“Oh, Seraphina…”
They attempt to stop me by reaching out with pleading hands.
But I have already turned around. Without looking at Talon, who is still bleeding on the floor, I close the study door and exit the mansion.
Behind the closed door, I hear Richard angrily throwing his whip to the ground.
“Look what you’ve done! You drove away such a wonderful Luna! You don’t deserve this blessing!”
Talon’s bitter, cold laugh echoes through the door.
“Dad, Mom, only you two would be fooled by her. She’s always pretended to be pitiful to gain your sympathy.”
“Shut up!”
Maria’s voice erupts with rage. I hear the sharp crack of a slap.
“When she rescued you from those rogue wolves’ den, her entire body was severely burned by lava! She nearly lost her limbs!”
Her voice breaks with emotion.
“During three months of treatment, she never once cried out in pain. Never complained. Never asked for anything. And you say she’s pretending to be pitiful?!”
Talon freezes before letting out a scornful laugh that echoes throughout the study.
“You’re wrong. The person who saved me was Aelina, not her.”
His voice exudes absolute certainty, the kind of arrogance that makes Richard’s face flush with rage.
“You still have the nerve to mention her!”
Richard angrily throws a stack of photos at him. They spread across the floor like fallen leaves.
“Look! This is your so-called innocent, pure woman who’s never been with a man!”
Talon’s eyes widen as he looks down to the floor.
Images of Aelina intimately entwined with various prominent figures bombard his vision. Politicians, business executives, and even some of his own pack members.
The explicitness is so extreme that it’s more obscene than any of my hundreds of videos.
“This is…”
Talon’s voice cracks. He can’t complete the sentence.
His hands tremble as he picks up photo after photo. Each depicts Aelina in compromising positions with various men.
“Did Seraphina give these to you?” he raises his head, desperation creeping into his voice. “Don’t let her fool you! She could have faked these!”
“We can get this stuff with a simple investigation!” Richard exclaims. “Do we need her to provide it?”
Richard tosses a USB drive at Talon’s feet.
“She doesn’t deserve it…”
Even now, in this situation, he remains defiant.
“You ungrateful son!”
Richard’s boot connects with Talon’s chest in a vicious kick, knocking him to the ground.
Talon strikes the hardwood with a sickening thud, blood spurting from his mouth.
I take a step forward and stop Richard from moving any further.
“Dad, please. I’m going to dissolve our bond anyway. This won’t change anything.”
Talon looks at me from the floor, an unreadable flicker in his eyes.
Maria grabs both of my hands, her grip desperate.
“Seraphina, your parents entrusted you to us before they died, and they made us promise to protect you.” Tears stream down her cheek.
“Now that he’s made such a mess, if we let you leave like this, we’d be failing your parents’ spirits. We’d be failing you.”
I smile gently, even though my heart is breaking.
“Don’t worry, Dad, Mom. Even after we dissolve our bond, I’ll still consider you my parents. Talon’s mistakes have nothing to do with you. Please don’t feel guilty.”
I pull two protective amulets from my purse: ancient werewolf charms made by my grandmother.
I place them in their hands.
“I’m flying to North America tonight and won’t be back for a while. Let these charms keep you both safe.”
“Oh, Seraphina…”
They attempt to stop me by reaching out with pleading hands.
But I have already turned around. Without looking at Talon, who is still bleeding on the floor, I close the study door and exit the mansion.
Behind the closed door, I hear Richard angrily throwing his whip to the ground.
“Look what you’ve done! You drove away such a wonderful Luna! You don’t deserve this blessing!”
Talon’s bitter, cold laugh echoes through the door.
“Dad, Mom, only you two would be fooled by her. She’s always pretended to be pitiful to gain your sympathy.”
“Shut up!”
Maria’s voice erupts with rage. I hear the sharp crack of a slap.
“When she rescued you from those rogue wolves’ den, her entire body was severely burned by lava! She nearly lost her limbs!”
Her voice breaks with emotion.
“During three months of treatment, she never once cried out in pain. Never complained. Never asked for anything. And you say she’s pretending to be pitiful?!”
Talon freezes before letting out a scornful laugh that echoes throughout the study.
“You’re wrong. The person who saved me was Aelina, not her.”
His voice exudes absolute certainty, the kind of arrogance that makes Richard’s face flush with rage.
“You still have the nerve to mention her!”
Richard angrily throws a stack of photos at him. They spread across the floor like fallen leaves.
“Look! This is your so-called innocent, pure woman who’s never been with a man!”
Talon’s eyes widen as he looks down to the floor.
Images of Aelina intimately entwined with various prominent figures bombard his vision. Politicians, business executives, and even some of his own pack members.
The explicitness is so extreme that it’s more obscene than any of my hundreds of videos.
“This is…”
Talon’s voice cracks. He can’t complete the sentence.
His hands tremble as he picks up photo after photo. Each depicts Aelina in compromising positions with various men.
“Did Seraphina give these to you?” he raises his head, desperation creeping into his voice. “Don’t let her fool you! She could have faked these!”
“We can get this stuff with a simple investigation!” Richard exclaims. “Do we need her to provide it?”
Richard tosses a USB drive at Talon’s feet.