Bad Love: An Alpha's Regret

Chapter 255

LEAH

I still don’t feel steady as the Enforcers march us out of the room and back to the main hall, that is now

empty of an audience.

At least we won’t have to do this part in front of all the regional Alphas and their Lunas.

Probably the only reason is because the Council keeps the method to breaking a mating bond tightly

under wraps, only allowing it under strict circumstances that don’t crop up very often.

I feel like I’m walking in a nightmare.

All I can think over and over is that this can’t be happening.

Things can’t have spiraled this far out of control.

There has to be some way to stop this before our mating bond

is broken and Aaron is executed under the next full moon.

But no last–minute stay of execution–literal or figurative- comes about.

Aaron and I are left standing on the stage hand–in–hand, while Samsen sets an old, leatherbound

book on the table

next to a silver ceremonial knife.

There’s only a few Councilmembers present–including Petyr,

but not Karolina–and I wonder if these are the ones who voted on Aaron’s guilt, while the ones who

thought he was innocent have made themselves scarce, maybe not wanting to witness this travesty.

“Are you ready to proceed with the ceremony?” Samsen asks indifferently.

It’s clear he wants this over and done with.

He doesn’t care that he’s destroying lives based on false

evidence.

“No,” Aaron growls. “But we don’t have a choice, do we? So let’s get it over with.”

Samsen’s eyes narrow, obviously not like Aaron’s tone or his arrogance, however, he turns to pick up

the knife and book.

“Alpha Rathborn, as the claimant, it is also your duty to break

the bond. You will draw blood with this silver knife, read the Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.

passage from this book, and then mark Luna Leah with your

blood over the claiming bite to sever the bond.”

Aaron nods stiffly, and my heart starts hammering in my chest.

I want to protest.

I want to run away.

I want to get down on my knees and beg for them to have mercy, to hold the trial again, fairly this time,

but I know all those words will fall on deaf ears.

Aaron needs me to be strong.

Ethan needs me to be strong and survive this so I can go home to him, even if it means living without

my mate and true love.

I lock every muscle in my body and force myself to breathe slowly and not hyperventilate or pass out

again like I did earlier.

Aaron takes the knife and scores it across the meaty part of his palm, then looks down at the book,

expression stony.

“I, Alpha Aaron Rathborn, of the Rathborn bloodline, deny you, Leah Roberts Rathborn, of the Roberts

bloodline. No longer shall our bond exclude us from all others. No longer do I recognize you as my

mate. No longer do I claim you as my

own.”

I feel a wrench inside me, like something starting to rend, and from the subtle flinch Aaron gives, I think

he must feel it too.

“So it is done in blood, so it will be undone in blood,” Aaron finishes.

He steps forward and presses his palm over the spot on my neck where he bit me to claim me–a

memory I don’t even have because I was technically gone from this world when it happened.

A split second later, it’s like my ribs are breaking. I cry out and fall to my knees, clutching my chest.

Aaron is half bent over, breathing hard.

Samsen takes the knife from him, glancing between us in confusion.

“The mating bond isn’t entirely broken,” Samsen says in bewilderment.

Not broken?

Then what the hell is all this pain?

“Leah,” Aaron says between pants. “She’s an Alpha in her own

right. She claimed me.”

Samsen’s eyebrows shoot up into his hairline and

there’s a shocked murmur of disgust between the other

Councilmembers watching on.

“You allowed your Luna to claim you?” Samsen asks in revulsion. “What kind of Alpha are you?”