Chapter 6 The Bond Was Broken

• Madison's POV
• I sat in the car, waiting for what seemed like an eternity, until Chad finally showed up.
• As soon as he entered, I instructed the driver to head to the address and then closed my eyes, pretending to rest.
• Chad's voice broke the silence. "The photo was a misunderstanding. Penelope and I—"
• "Your relationship with Penelope is irrelevant to me." I cut him off, my impatience evident. "Just end the bond so we can part ways peacefully."
• "Madison, do you think I'm going to tolerate this forever?" Chad's frustration was palpable.
• "Then stop tolerating me." I felt drained and feverish.
• With my temperature still elevated, I had no desire for fruitless arguments—I just wanted to get home and rest.
• Chad examined me with a scrutinising gaze, as if trying to pierce through my facade. Despite his intense stare, I remained unmoved.
• Twenty minutes later, we stood in front of the Moon Goddess statue.
• Chad's expression was grim, his handsome features set in a resolute line.
• "Let's proceed," I urged.
• "I, Chad, Alpha of Dark Shadow pack, reject you, Madison, as my mate and as the Luna of the Dark Shadow pack." Chad spoke with his teeth clenched, as if he was bearing some intolerable pain.
• My own face paled, sweat forming on my brow.
• It felt as though a tremendous force was tearing at my chest and mind. I fought to keep my composure; the breaking of the bond was only halfway through.
• "I, Madison, Luna of Dark Shadow pack, accept the rejection from Alpha Chad, my mate."
• As these words left my lips, the final link between Chad and me snapped away.
• The spot once marked by him—my neck—felt as though it was consumed by a blazing inferno.
• Yura's anguished cries echoed in my thoughts, filling me with a pang of guilt, but I had no time to linger on it.
• The rejected one would suffer intense pain, and with my fever, it was magnified even more.
• As the agony grew, my strength dwindled, and I fell to the ground.
• "It's ... over." I managed to lift my head and glance at Chad standing over me.
• From this moment on, I had no ties to him. I wouldn't have to lower myself for him!
• My body hurt, but my spirit felt lighter than ever.
• I stumbled out the door and collapsed beneath a tree.
• Tears streamed down my face as I mustered the energy to pull out my phone and make a call.
• "Wren ... " My voice trembled with emotion, laden with grievance.
• Wren Weaver's voice on the other end of the line carried a tone of concern tinged with exasperation. "Where are you? I'll come and pick you up."
• Moments later, a group of shadowy figures dressed in black appeared before me. At their head was Wren, his imposing and dignified presence unmistakable.
• He effortlessly lifted me into his arms and carried me to the waiting car. Weary and disoriented, I curled into his embrace and soon fell into a deep, restful sleep.
• Chad's POV
• A vague sense of unease plagued me about Madison, though I couldn't quite identify the source. It felt as if she was eluding my grasp.
• Her refusal to listen to my explanations and her insistence on ending our bond threw me off balance.
• The abruptness of her demand troubled me, though I struggled to articulate why.
• Perhaps the suddenness of her request annoyed me.
• After three years of marriage, I thought I understood her. She was relentless before we got married and obedient afterward.
• Despite our issues, I had believed Madison to be a reasonably competent mate, which was why I had been willing to give her another chance.
• Yet, she had the audacity to oppose me. No one ever dared to defy me!
• If she wished to end the bond, then so be it.
• I could manage without a mate!
• Zuen's voice thundered in my mind. "You can't just end the bond! You idiot, how can you so easily abandon your mate?"
• "Be quiet. Didn't you hear that she's the one demanding this?" I was so infuriated by Zuen's outburst that I tried to disregard it.
• I had hoped she would return when she found herself unable to cope.
• That was my assumption, but as I officially rejected her at the Moon Goddess temple, she appeared in pain yet forced a cheerful smile at me.
• That smile left a lingering bitterness. Was being married to me so unbearable?
• I stood there, dumbfounded, and by the time I gathered my senses, Madison had disappeared.
• I hurried outside, searching in vain.
• Attempts to reach her by phone were futile. Frowning, I called upon the werewolf guards accompanying me.
• A short while later, the guards arrived, visibly shaken.
• "Alpha, we couldn't detect Luna's scent anywhere. Luna is missing ... "
• My lips pressed into a tight line. Her firm acceptance of my rejection stirred a turbulent mix of emotions in my chest.
• Madison was an orphan, and now, weakened and vulnerable after the bond was broken, where could she possibly have gone?
• My agitation grew, and my heart clenched with discomfort.
• "Send out a search party. Inform me immediately if you locate her."
• "Alright."
• Though I was reluctant to admit it, the realisation that she was no longer my mate unsettled me more than I cared to acknowledge.