After His Betrayal, I Rejected the Bond

As soon as I slid into the passenger seat of Lincoln’s car, the scent of Sienna hit me like a slap. Her belongings were scattered across the seat—a tube of lipstick, a compact mirror, and a fur scarf that reeked of her floral perfume. I gathered them up with a calm I didn’t know I had and tucked them into the glove compartment.

Lincoln’s jaw tightened, his Alpha aura flickering with unease. “Don’t get the wrong idea, Alice,” he said, his voice firm but laced with defensiveness. “Sienna must’ve left those by accident.”

I shrugged, my tone indifferent. “It’s fine. I’ve put them away. Just remind her to be more careful next time.”

The car fell silent, the tension thickening like fog. Lincoln kept glancing at me, his piercing blue eyes searching for a reaction that wasn’t there. Finally, he broke the silence. “You’re not going to toss them out?”

I blinked, focusing on my phone. “They’re her things. Why would I throw them away?”

The old me would’ve been furious, seeing Sienna’s belongings as a blatant attempt to mark her territory, to assert her claim over Lincoln. But now? I didn’t care. Lincoln was no longer my mate, and Sienna’s antics were irrelevant to me.

“Come on,” I said, cutting through the silence. “Let’s head to the hospital. It’s getting late.”

Lincoln nodded, his Alpha instincts kicking in as he accelerated smoothly, the car gliding through the darkened streets. Just as we approached the hospital entrance, a soft chime echoed through the car—Sienna’s custom ringtone.

Her voice spilled through the speakers, trembling with fear. “Lincoln, I think I heard something outside my den. Could you come and check?”

Without hesitation, Lincoln pulled the car over, his Alpha tone shifting to a soothing, protective cadence. “Don’t worry, Sienna. Lock your door. I’ll be there soon.”

He turned to me, urgency etched into his features. “Sienna’s in trouble. I need to check it out. The hospital is right ahead. You can go on your own.”

“Wait—” I started to protest, but he was already opening my door, his movements swift and decisive.

“Go, Alice. I’ll catch up with you later,” he said, his Alpha tone leaving no room for argument. Before I could respond, he shut the door, revved the engine, and sped off into the night.

Left standing under the dim glow of a streetlamp, I clenched my phone tightly and made my way toward the hospital, the cool night air biting at my skin. The streets were eerily quiet, the occasional howl of a distant wolf the only sound breaking the silence.

The next morning, Lincoln finally strolled into the packhouse, his presence as commanding as ever. He found me in the kitchen, sipping a steaming cup of coffee and enjoying a slice of spiced honey cake.

“Alice,” he said, his voice tinged with annoyance, “why didn’t you wait to have breakfast with me?”

I looked up, meeting his gaze with a calm indifference. “I didn’t see the point,” I replied simply, taking another sip of my coffee. “You had more important things to attend to.”

His jaw tightened, but he said nothing, the weight of his choices hanging heavy in the air between us.