Damien's POV
As we rode back to my mother's house, the wind rushing past us, I felt like I was on top of the world. Leslie's arms were wrapped around my waist, and her head rested against my back. For the first time, I could feel her trusting me—at least a little—and that meant more than I could express. Every bump in the road and every twist of the throttle was a reminder that she was here with me, holding on. It made me feel invincible.
But there was something else nagging at the back of my mind. I had noticed earlier that she wasn't quite herself. She kept insisting she was fine, but there was a faint stiffness in the way she moved, and the quietness in her voice seemed off. Maybe it was just a headache, like she said, or maybe I was overthinking things.
When we finally pulled into my mother's driveway, Leslie loosened her grip around my waist. I could already see my mother waiting for us at the front door, her arms crossed and a stern look on her face. As soon as we stopped, I helped Leslie off the bike, but her hand lingered on my arm as if for balance. I shot her a concerned glance, but she only smiled softly and muttered, "I'm fine, Damien."
My mother wasted no time. "Damien!" she scolded, marching up to us. "What were you thinking, taking her out this late without telling me? You know better than to drag her around at all hours like some bad boyfriend parents always warn their daughters about!"
I blinked, stunned by her sudden outburst. "Mom… What? I'm not—"
"And you!" she turned to Leslie, who shrank under her gaze, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "You should have told him no. What if something had happened? You can't be out riding motorcycles at night like it's some teenage adventure."
Leslie stammered an apology, casting me a quick stink eye for putting her in such an awkward position. I opened my mouth to defend myself, but my mother wasn't done.
"Damien, you're acting irresponsible! This girl is practically my daughter now. You better treat her right, or you'll answer to me!"
I stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. "Mom, I'm your son, remember? And Leslie's my mate. Why are you treating me like I'm the bad guy here?"
She glared at me. "Because if you want her to be yours, you better start treating me like the mother of the girl you're trying to win over."
I sighed. My mom could be completely unreasonable at times. Having no choice, I turned to Leslie and, with exaggerated defeat, said, "I'm sorry for taking my mother's daughter out without her permission."
Leslie, despite her discomfort, let out a soft chuckle. I was just about to relax when, suddenly, she swayed on her feet. I barely caught her before she hit the ground, her body limp in my arms.
"Leslie!" I yelled, panic surging through me. Her skin was burning hot, her breathing ragged. My mother's eyes widened in alarm as she rushed over. "What did you do to her?" she demanded, fear etched into her features.
"I didn't do anything!" I snapped, lifting Leslie into my arms. I could feel her trembling, her hand clutching her chest as if in pain. "She's burning up—something's wrong!"
I didn't wait for more questions. I carried her inside, straight to my old bedroom, where I laid her down gently on the bed. My heart pounded in my chest as I linked every pack doctor I could reach, ordering them to get here as fast as they could. Time dragged painfully as I paced the room, watching helplessly as Leslie muttered incoherently, clutching at her chest, her face twisted in agony.
"It hurts…" she whimpered, her voice barely audible. I clenched my fists, furious that I couldn't do anything to help her. I was her mate, and I was supposed to protect her. But right now, I felt powerless.
Finally, the doctors arrived, pushing me aside as they examined her. I watched anxiously from the corner of the room, my patience wearing thin as they whispered among themselves.
"What's going on?" I demanded, stepping forward. "Why is she like this?"
One of the doctors, pale-faced, stepped up, hesitant to speak. "Alpha… It's the mate bond."
My mind raced. "What do you mean? How could the bond be hurting her?"
The doctors exchanged nervous glances, and I could see the fear in their eyes. They were hiding something. "Tell me!" I growled, my wolf on edge, ready to lash out.
One of them finally spoke up, his voice trembling. "She's in pain because… when one mate cheats on the other, the bond causes physical pain."
I froze. "What?"
The room went deathly silent as they all avoided my gaze. They thought I had cheated. The absurdity of it made my blood boil. "Are you saying I cheated on her?" I snarled, my fury barely contained. "I was with her the entire night! How could I have cheated on her?"
The doctors looked anywhere but at me, unsure of how to respond. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The idea that Leslie was suffering because of something like this was unbearable. But I hadn't been with anyone else—there was no way. Something wasn't adding up.
I stared at the doctors, my mind struggling to make sense of their words. "You think I cheated on her?" My voice was low, dangerous. My wolf was barely contained beneath the surface, snarling at the mere suggestion.
The doctors flinched under my glare, but one of them stepped forward, looking nervous. "Alpha, we don't know for certain. All we know is that the symptoms she's showing are consistent with the effects of a damaged mate bond."
I shook my head in disbelief. "That's impossible," I growled. "I've been with her the entire night. I haven't even looked at another woman, let alone cheated on my mate."
The room was suffocating, tension thickening the air. The doctors exchanged uneasy glances, clearly afraid of saying the wrong thing. My mother, who had been standing by, listening intently, suddenly snapped.
"You're telling me that my son—who has waited his entire life for his mate—would betray her?" Her voice was sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. "How dare you accuse him of such a thing?"
"Mom, stop," I muttered, trying to focus. Leslie whimpered again, her face twisted in pain, and my heart shattered all over again. "I would never," I said, my voice softening as I looked at her. "I would never do that to her."
The doctors shifted uncomfortably. "Alpha, we're not accusing you," one of them finally said, his voice trembling slightly. "But the symptoms… they don't lie. This is what happens when a mate bond is shattered by infidelity. The connection becomes tainted, and the pain manifests physically."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It didn't make sense. I hadn't done anything to hurt Leslie—so how could the bond be reacting like this?
"There has to be another explanation," I said, my voice firm. "I've been with her the whole night. Something else is causing this."
They didn't respond, just shifted their weight uncomfortably.
My mother interrupted, her face flushed with sorrow and anger. "Damien, you need to fix this. Now. I don't care what the cause is, but you need to stop her suffering."
I turned to her, my heart breaking. "I would never let her suffer if I could help it."
My mother's eyes softened slightly, but the fear for Leslie was still evident in her gaze. "Then find a solution. Do whatever you have to."
I faced the doctors again, desperate for answers. "What's the cure? How do I stop this?"
Their silence was deafening, and I could feel my patience slipping. Finally, one of them spoke, and his words made my blood run cold.
"Alpha… the only way to stop her pain is to break the connection entirely, reject her."
For a moment, I thought I hadn't heard him correctly. "What did you just say?"
"You would need to reject her as your mate," the doctor repeated, quieter this time. "That would sever the bond and stop the pain."
A deep, guttural growl ripped from my throat before I could stop it. Reject her? Were they out of their minds? Reject my mate? After waiting my entire life for her? After everything we'd been through? The very thought was unthinkable.
"You're insane," I spat, fury coursing through me. My wolf was snarling inside me, pacing, ready to tear apart anyone who even hinted at such a thing.
But then Leslie whimpered again, clutching her chest in agony, and my heart twisted painfully. Her soft cries pulled at me, tugging me toward an unbearable choice.
Could I be so cruel as to let her suffer like this? The thought of her in constant pain, her body and soul torn apart by the bond, was enough to bring me to my knees. But could I really bring myself to reject her? To sever the connection that was supposed to bring us together?
My chest heaved as I tried to breathe, torn between the urge to protect her and the fear of losing her forever. My mind screamed in protest—no, I couldn't do it. I wouldn't.
But Leslie's pain was real. I could see it etched into every line of her face, feel it in the way she trembled. Could I stand by and let her endure this, just to keep the bond intact?
I looked down at her, her body burning up with fever, her lips parted as she murmured my name weakly, and I felt the weight of the world pressing down on me. I couldn't lose her—but how could I let her continue like this?
My mother's voice echoed in my ears. "You need to fix this, Damien."
But I didn't know how.
I clenched my fists, my mind racing, every instinct telling me to protect her, to save her. But what if rejecting her was the only way? What if I was forced to make the most unbearable choice of all?
As the doctors stood there, waiting for my answer, and Leslie's broken whimpers filled the room, I felt a knot of fear tighten in my chest.
Could I really reject my mate?