Silence followed.
Heavy. Suffocating. Unnatural.
Three bonds.
Three claims.
And yet
I was still standing.
My chest rose and fell rapidly, each breath sharp, uneven, like my body didn't know how to exist anymore.
The Alpha stood at a distance, watching.
The Beta was still recovering, his eyes dark with anger.
And him
The enemy.
His hand still wrapped around my wrist like I belonged to him.
Like I was already his.
Something inside me… snapped.
Not loudly.
Not violently.
But quietly.
Completely.
The fear.
The desperation.
The need to be chosen.
Gone.
In its place
Was something colder.
Something stronger.
I lifted my head slowly.
"Let go of me."
My voice was soft.
Too soft.
But it carried.
The kind of quiet that demanded to be heard.
For a moment, no one moved.
The enemy's gaze sharpened slightly, as if surprised.
"Careful," he said, his tone low. "You're in no position to give orders."
I met his eyes.
Truly met them this time.
Not as someone afraid.
Not as someone broken.
But as someone who had nothing left to lose.
"That's where you're wrong," I said.
And then
I pulled my hand free.
The moment our skin broke contact, the bond screamed.
A sharp, violent surge ripped through my chest, forcing a gasp from my lips but I didn't fall.
I didn't bend.
I endured it.
Gasps echoed around the clearing.
Impossible.
That's what their faces said.
A claimed bond wasn't something you simply walked away from.
But I did.
Step by step, I moved away from him.
From all of them.
From everything.
"I am not yours," I said, my voice gaining strength with each word.
I turned slightly, my gaze sweeping across the three men who had just tried to claim my life like it was theirs to take.
"Not you," I said, meeting the Alpha's eyes.
His jaw tightened.
"Not you," I continued, looking at the Beta.
His smirk had vanished.
"And definitely not you."
My eyes landed on the enemy last.
Something dark flickered in his gaze.
Interest.
Danger.
But I didn't care.
Not anymore.
"I reject all of you."
The words fell into the night like a challenge.
Like a declaration.
Like war.
The world went still.
Because what I had just done
Was forbidden.
A female rejecting not one…
But three mates?
Unheard of.
Madness.
Death.
The Alpha took a step forward, his voice sharp. "Diana, you don't understand what you're doing."
I let out a small, humorless laugh.
"No," I said quietly. "For the first time… I do."
My wolf stirred.
Not in fear.
Not in submission.
But in agreement.
Strong.
Steady.
Alive.
"I spent my life waiting to be chosen," I continued, my voice no longer shaking. "Waiting for fate to decide my worth."
My fists clenched at my sides.
"Look where it got me."
Silence answered.
Good.
Let them hear it.
Let them feel it.
"I am done being your mistake," I said.
The Beta's expression darkened. "You think you can just walk away?"
"Yes."
Confidence.
Not borrowed.
Not forced.
Mine.
"I choose myself."
The words settled deep into my bones, anchoring me.
For the first time since the night began I felt free.
But freedom…
Comes with consequences.
A low, dangerous chuckle broke the silence.
I didn't need to look to know who it was.
The enemy.
"Interesting," he murmured.
I turned my head slightly.
His eyes were locked on me no longer just assessing.
Now
He was intrigued.
"You break bonds," he said slowly. "You defy fate."
A pause.
Then, softer
"You'll regret that."
Maybe.
Maybe I would.
But I would rather regret my choices…
Than live chained to theirs.
Without another word, I turned my back on them.
On the Alpha who rejected me.
On the Beta who tried to possess me.
On the enemy who thought he could own me.
And I walked away.
Each step steady.
Each breath stronger.
Behind me, I could feel their gazes burning into my back.
Heavy.
Unfinished.
Dangerous.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
But one thing was certain now
I was no longer the girl who begged for fate to love her.
I was the woman who rejected fate itself.