---- "It is done," the Elder said softly. ''The bond is broken. But the final step... you must make your final farewell." I nodded and struggled to my feet. Exhausted, but Thad to see this through. Leaving the den, I dragged myself towards the pack's sacred grounds - where the bonding stones of every mated pair were kept. The sacred grounds were deserted, only moonlight illuminating the neat rows of stone markers. I easily found the one belonging to Kaelen and me - the newest, the shiniest. I took out the broken rune and buried it in the soil beneath our stone. "Vows once made, end tonight. Love once shared, gone with the wind." As I said those words, I felt the very last thread of the bond disappear. The place in my heart that ---- had once been filled with Kaelen was now just an empty void. Free, but also alone. I turned to leave, but froze at the entrance to the sacred grounds. Kaelen stood there, his face ashen. "What did you do?" His voice was hoarse, almost unrecognizable. He stumbled forward, one hand pressed to his chest - clearly, he too had felt the agony of the bond breaking. "You felt it?" I asked calmly. "Interesting. I thought you'd forgotten all about our bond." "Sera... why?" He looked genuinely shocked, pain etched all over his face. "Why?" I scoffed. "When you chose Lyra's lies over my truth; when you let her invade our den; ---- when you belittled me in front of everyone; when you accused me of endangering my own unborn. cub... you should have seen this coming." He took a step forward, reaching for me, but I quickly backed away. "Don't touch me! As of tonight, you've lost that right." "We can fix this," he said desperately. "I know I've made mistakes lately, but we're fated mates, Sera. This bond is supposed to be forever!" "It was," I corrected him coldly. "Now, I'm leaving. Leaving your territory, leaving this place full of lies." Fear flashed in his eyes. "Leave? But you're carrying our child! You can't..." "I can, and I will." I pulled a letter from my robes. "This is an official document from my birth pack, declaring an end to all alliances with the Night-