Mute

Aria POV

As Caspian rolled away from me, I quickly pulled the sheets up to cover my body, cocooning myself in their warmth. It wasn’t repulsion that prompted the action, but rather a surreal sense of disbelief.

How could someone like Caspian, the most sought-after male in the LightShadow pack, have just shared himself with me? Despite my satisfaction, a nagging voice whispered that this was too good to be true.

As he dressed, I couldn’t help but admire the sculpted perfection of his back and the broad expanse of his shoulders. His presence filled the room, commanding attention even as he went about the simple task of getting dressed.

Then, his voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding. “Hurry up and get dressed, there’s something important we need to discuss,” he said, his back still turned to me. His tone left no room for argument, no space for questions.

Confusion raced within me at his sudden shift in demeanor, but I knew better than to defy him. He was my mate, my master, and his word was law.

Quickly, I obeyed, slipping into my clothes with trembling hands.

As I finished getting dressed, I mustered the courage to stand before Caspian, my heart pounding in anticipation.

But as our eyes met, a shudder ran down my spine, for the warmth that had once filled his gaze was replaced by a chilling look of disgust and contempt.

It was as if he was no longer the man who had been inside me a few minutes ago.

‘What do you want to discuss?’ I signed, with my hands trembling with fear.

For a moment Caspian raised his hand up to my face and then he roughly ran his finger through my lips, before immediately snatching his hand away as if touching me burnt him.

“You’re good under the sheets but aside from that, nothing more,” he began, his words laced with disdain. “Just an omega fit for the trenches, a mute one at that. And for that, I cannot keep you.”

My heart lurched dangerously in my chest, and I blinked repeatedly, unable to comprehend his words. It felt as though I had misheard him, that this couldn’t possibly

be happenin

3

“What do you mean?’ With my breath catching in my throat, I signed at Caspian, my movements shaky with disbelief.

But instead of offering reassurance or explanation, he chuckled darkly, his eyes still holding a look of disdain.

“Don’t tell me you’re not only mute but also dumb!” he sneered. “I want to sever our mate bond.”

His words hit me like a physical blow, and I s**d backward, the weight of his words crushing me. How could he want to discard our bond so callously, as if it meant nothing? Tears p**ed at the corners of my eyes.

‘You can’t do this. We were made mates for a reason. We are meant to be together,’ I signed desperately, my hands trembling with emotion as I pleaded with Caspian.

But instead of softening, Caspian laughed bitterly, the sound cutting through me like a blade. “Do you even understand yourself?” he mocked, his words dripping with scorn. “Mates for a reason when we live in two different worlds?”

His words shattered my heart completely, and I took a hard, hurtful gulp, the sting of tears blurring my vision. How could he dismiss our bond because of my status?

Caspian continued, his voice cold and unyielding. “Tomorrow, I would be crowned as the Alpha King of the LightShadow pack, and I cannot take a mute as my Luna, talk more of an omega,” he declared, his tone final. “It would be an insult to the entire pack. A woman that cannot speak, someone who doesn’t know the ways of royalty but has spent her whole life scrubbing off floors and feeding from the crumbs of my men. Someone with a fragile wolf?”

His words cut deep, each one a painful reminder of my condition, status and how he saw me. My heart ached, and I struggled to hold back the flood of tears threatening to

consume me.

Two weeks ago, I was serving at the Alpha’s castle for the first time. Even though I’d been in the Light Shadow pack for nineteen years, this was my first time there. Caspian, the Alpha’s son, was in the large dining hall too with some men. As I cleared his table and served the second course meal, something went wrong.

I accidentally stared at Caspian’s face for too long and knocked over his wine glass. It spilled all over the table, making a big mess. My wolf kept saying ‘Mate’ in my head, and Caspian’s stunned expression made it clear he figured it out too, right at that moment.

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That was how it all began. The instant connection I felt with Caspian was shocking, overwhelming even. I never imagined that I, a mere se**t in the pack, could be his mate. But as the days passed, it became undeniable….he was my mate, and I was his.

Soon after, he started summoning me into his chambers, and I couldn’t refuse.

When he took my virginity, I couldn’t resist. Each time, he had his way with me, and I couldn’t interject. I had fallen helplessly and hopelessly in love with him, with his power, and his dominance.

And so it continued, day after day. I became entangled in his web, unable to break free from his hold over me. Despite the pain and confusion, I couldn’t deny the intense passion between us. I was his mate, and he was mine, until this moment.

Right now, as I stared into Caspian’s hateful gaze, my heart heavy with confusion and pain. With trembling hands, I signed, ‘I thought you loved me.’

Caspian snickered cruelly, closing the distance between us with a mocking smirk. “You are s**d enough to think sex is love?” he scoffed, his words like a dagger to my already wounded heart. “I only touched you because I wanted to know what it felt like getting intimate with a mate. I never loved you,” he spat, his voice dripping with contempt.

The truth hit me hard, shattering the fragile illusion I had built around our non- existent relationship. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision as they spilled freely down my cheeks. I couldn’t hold them back any longer.

With a small, fisted hand pressed against my chest, I struggled to comprehend the depth of his betrayal. How could I have been so blind? How could I have believed that he loved me when all he wanted was the physical intimacy of our bond?

The realization tore at my soul, leaving me raw and vulnerable. To him, our status as mates meant nothing. I was nothing more than a means to an end, a body to satisfy his desires.

‘You used me,’ I signed, accusing him as more tears streamed down my cheeks.

Suddenly, he grabbed me by the throat and pinned me against the wall with a force that stole my breath.

“Are you out of your mind?” Caspian growled, his grip tightening around my throat as he pinned me against the wall. His words sliced through the air like a knife, cold and menacing. “Don’t you dare gossip about me with your sign language, or you’ll face the consequences.”

Terrified, I nodded in agreement, knowing that he held the power to end my life with a

E

single snap of my neck.

Then, with a coldness that sent shivers down my spine, Caspian uttered the words I had feared most: “I, Caspian Ivanov, reject you, Aria, as my mate.” His grip tightened around my throat, causing discomfort as he wordlessly demanded that I accept his rejection.

With my emotions overwhelming me, I mouthed the words, ‘I accept your rejection,’ knowing that as a mute, he wouldn’t hear my voice. But he saw the sincerity in my eyes and watched my lips form the words.

As soon as the words left my mouth, Caspian released me, and in that instant, our matebond was broken.

The pain of rejection hit me like a physical blow, sending me crashing to the floor in agony. All I could do was curl into myself, clutching my chest as if trying to hold the shattered pieces of my heart together.