Damon frowned, sitting up slightly. “Leaving? What are you talking about?”
“I’m leaving the pack. Leaving you.” I let the words hang in the air, waiting for his reaction.
For a moment, he looked confused, like he couldn’t comprehend what I was saying. Then, he laughed—an actual laugh, as if what I had said was a joke.
“You’re upset, Luna. I get it. Noah’s death… it’s been hard on both of us. But this?” He gestured vaguely toward me. “You’re not thinking straight.”
My blood boiled. He thought this was just about Noah? About me being upset over our son’s death? How could he be so blind?
“No, Damon,” I said, my voice rising. “This isn’t just about Noah. This is about YOU. About how you left me to grieve alone. About how you’ve been spending all your time with Leah while I’ve been drowning in my pain. About how you’ve abandoned me.”
His expression darkened, his jaw tightening. “I haven’t abandoned you.”
“You did abandon me!” I shouted, unable to hold it in any longer. “You left me there with our dying son while you ran off with her! And you’ve been with her every day since! Do you even realize what that’s done to me? What it’s like to be betrayed by the person who’s supposed to be my mate?”
He stood up, towering over me, but I didn’t back down. Not this time.
“I was grieving too, Luna,” he smirk, his voice low and dangerous. “Leah was… she was just comfort. I didn’t mean for things to get so complicated.”
“Comfort?” I repeated, incredulous. “You found comfort in my sister? While I was mourning our child? Wow.a”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said, his voice softer now, but I wasn’t buying it. Not anymore.
“You didn’t mean to hurt me, but you did. Over and over again.” My voice cracked, but I forced myself to stay strong. “And I’m done. I’m done waiting for you to realize how much you’ve destroyed. I’m leaving, Damon.”
He stared at me, his eyes narrowing as if he was finally starting to understand that I was serious. “You’re leaving… for good?”
I nodded, my throat tight. “I want you to reject the mate bond.”
Damon froze, his eyes widening. “What?”
“You heard me. I want you to reject me. Officially!"
His face paled. For the first time in a long while, I saw genuine fear in his eyes. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am,” I said, my voice firm. “I can’t be bound to someone who doesn’t love me. I can’t be tied to this pack, to this life, anymore.”