Chapter 68
I sighed, closing the textbook I hadn’t actually been reading. “It’s complicated.”
Amy raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. Since I had confided in her about the Soul Bond, she had become my confidante for all things Derek–related, always ready with advice or simply a
willing ear.
“So he said he would never reject you?” she asked after I’d related my conversation with Derek.
“Those were his exact words?”
I nodded, plucking at the grass beside my leg. “He said according to Pack Law, formally rejecting me
would bring eternal suffering to us both, so he would never do that.”
“Why won’t he reject you?”
“Because he doesn’t want to lose his position,” I answered bitterly. “That’s all he cares about–being Pack Alpha.”
Amy tilted her head thoughtfully. “I think he’s lying to you.”
My head snapped up. “What?”
“If I had to guess,” she continued, her eyes sparkling with speculation, “he doesn’t want to reject you
for his own sake.”
“What are you talking about?”
Amy leaned closer, lowering her voice although there was no one nearby to hear. “Can you resist the
Soul Bond? No, right? Well, neither can he. He must feel it too. I think he doesn’t want to break it
either.”
I shook my head firmly. “You’re wrong. He barely tolerates me.”
“Then why not just reject you and be done with it?” Amy challenged. “There must be ways around this ‘eternal suffering‘ thing, especially for a Pack Alpha. If he really wanted to, he could find a
loophole.”
I wanted to argue further, but doubt had begun to creep in. Derek’s behavior was inconsistent–cold and dismissive one moment, intensely possessive the next. Pressing me against his office door, his body flush against mine, his scent surrounding me… that hadn’t felt like mere tolerance.
“It doesn’t matter,” I finally said, hugging my knees to my chest. “I don’t like him, and he doesn’t like me. I’ve been assuming that since neither of us wants this bond, there must be a solution. But when he said there was no hope, I felt… devastated. I mean, what happens now? Am I going to be alone
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Chapter 68
forever?”
Amy patted my arm sympathetically. “Don’t worry, baby. He’ll be your boyfriend soon enough.”
“What? No way.”
“Then get a boyfriend,” Amy suggested with a mischievous smile. “Show that arrogant Soul Bond of yours that you have a boy who wants you.”
I couldn’t help laughing, finding her suggestion ridiculous. “Right, because that would definitely end
well.”
Our conversation was interrupted by a commotion from the basketball courts nearby. A crowd began to gather, voices rising with excitement. Amy and I exchanged curious glances, then stood to
investigate.
As we approached, the crowd parted just enough for me to see what–or rather who–was causing the
disturbance. Bradley stood at the edge of the court looking uncomfortable, with Lily dramatically approaching him.
“Bradley, please!” Lily called out loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Listen to me. Why are you doing this to me?”
Bradley stopped walking and slowly turned to face her. Lily seemed to realize she had created a
scene, her expression shifting from desperation to contrition as she moved closer to him.
“Bradley, I’m sorry,” she said, her voice lower but still audible to those around them. “I didn’t mean
to do this. I just wanted to say, why are you treating me like this? Why are you still angry with me?
Didn’t you say I understood your desires so well? So why aren’t you coming to me?”
Bradley’s gaze swept over the crowd until it landed on me. Our eyes met briefly before I looked away,
unable to hide the disgust on my face. They were both contemptible–Bradley for his betrayal, Lily
for her deception. I had once trusted them both completely, and they had each broken that trust in
their own way.
Suddenly, Bradley pushed Lily away, his expression hardening with anger. “How dare you approach me?” he growled, loud enough for everyone to hear.
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