Chapter 126: He took it
Killian sucked in a sharp breath. Kieran was crazy. His gaze immediately snapped towards Maverick.
"Go after him. Now," he commanded. Panic was raw in his voice.
Maverick immediately moved. The court watched in confusion as he hurried after Kieran. Kieran had barely stepped outside the throne room when his legs gave way. Maverick caught him before he hit the floor.
"Kieran!" he called out.
He stared at Kieran in stunned silence. He had never seen Kieran in such a condition.
Kieran coughed violently. A mouthful of blood spilled onto the floor. Maverick stared at him in horror.
"What the hell did you do?"
Kieran tried to straighten, but his legs nearly buckled again.
"Help me to my lab," he instructed.
Maverick frowned, supporting most of his weight.
"Your lab?"
Maverick was confused about what Kieran wanted to do in the lab in his condition.
"Within the Obsidian Palace," Kieran managed, his voice weak but firm. "Now."
"You’re bleeding and can barely stand," Maverick argued. He needed a doctor.
"I know," Kieran said quietly.
Maverick stared at him. Kieran opened one eye, a faint spark of dry humour still present despite the blood on his lips.
"Are you going to keep listing my problems, or are you going to help me?"
Maverick cursed under his breath before tightening his arm around Kieran’s waist.
"Fine. Let’s get you there before you collapse again."
Back inside the throne room, Yuki remained on the marble floor. Her body felt strangely numb. She couldn’t understand it. Her wolf was devastated, yet the unbearable pain had somehow faded. Yuki pressed her trembling hand against her chest.
’Why did the pain fade?’ she asked her wolf.
Her wolf’s answer came weakly.
’He took it.’
Her wolf sounded baffled.
Yuki froze.
’What? He took the backlash.’
Yuki’s eyes widened.
Why would he do that?
’Is that even possible?’
Her wolf was silent for a moment.
’I don’t know.’
Her wolf sounded equally confused. Yuki stared towards the doors through which Kieran had disappeared.
’How was he even able to move after taking that much pain?’ she asked, more to herself.
Kieran took three times the pain: the backlash from Killian’s rejection, his own backlash, combined with hers.
Her gaze drifted around the throne room. That was when she noticed the plants. Every single one had wilted. The lush vines climbing the pillars had turned brown. The flowers decorating the edges of the hall had shrivelled, and dead leaves were scattered across the marble floor. The air itself felt wrong. Yuki stared at the destruction in confusion.
’What happened?’ she asked her wolf, confused.
Her wolf’s voice was faint.
’I don’t know.’
A murmur spread through the court. Everyone was confused as they stared at the wilted plants.
"The plants weren’t like that before."
"Look at the flowers."
"Is this an omen?"
Yuki’s gaze returned to Killian. He was staring at the dead plants too. His face had gone pale. He had felt Kieran’s wolf weakening. Estelle sat completely still. Her heart sank. She knew exactly what had happened.
"That foolish boy," she cursed under her breath.
Her fingers trembled against the armrest.
"What did you do, Kieran?"
She had always known Kieran was too sympathetic. Too compassionate. Too willing to sacrifice himself for others. But this? For a woman he had claimed to hate? Estelle’s gaze shifted towards Yuki.
He should have let Yuki suffer the backlash. He should have allowed the rejection to damage her wolf. With three rejections at once, it wasn’t impossible for Yuki to become one of the rare few whose wolf failed to survive the process. But Kieran had ruined everything. He had taken the pain for her. He had sacrificed himself. Estelle’s jaw tightened.
"You foolish, foolish boy."
Meanwhile, Kaden stood frozen. A heavy bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. He could feel everything. The first bond snapping, the second one, the pain, the horror, the loneliness, and now he was the last one standing. The final rejection. Kaden’s chest rose and fell heavily.
"This is for the best."
He repeated the words inside his head. He loved someone else. Eloise. He had always loved Eloise. Letting Yuki go was the right thing to do. The sensible thing. The only thing.
So why couldn’t the words come out? Why was his throat suddenly so dry? Why did his wolf feel as though it were standing at the edge of a cliff? Kaden closed his eyes. Then Eloise’s voice slipped through the mind-link, soft and sweet.
’Do it, Kaden.’
’Do it for us.’
Kaden’s fingers curled. He took one final breath. It was too late to turn back now. When he opened his eyes, his expression had returned to its usual calmness. Almost unnaturally calm, even for him. Kaden stepped forward.
"I, Kaden Ravencourt..."
His voice faltered. He swallowed against his dry throat.
"Third Lord of the Ravencourt Pack..."
His gaze found Yuki. She was still lying on the floor. Blood stained her face. Her body trembled weakly. Something inside Kaden twisted. He looked away.
"...accept your rejection..."
His voice dropped to barely a whisper.
"...Miyuki Donovan."
It didn’t matter how softly he said it. The rejection had been spoken. The bond responded. A golden thread appeared between them. But this one was different. It wasn’t bright like Killian’s. It wasn’t pure like Kieran’s. A faint reddish tint pulsed through the golden thread. The colour of resentment, anger, pain, and something else. Something neither of them had ever dared to name. The thread stretched between them. Yuki’s pulse raced. She watched it extend until it reached its limit.
Then it snapped.
Yuki waited. She braced herself for the pain. But something was wrong. Her wolf did not howl. There was no scream. No desperate cry or violent agony. Her wolf simply went silent. Yuki’s smile faded. Something inside her had disappeared, not shattered or torn apart.
It had simply gone.
Yuki’s eyes lifted towards Kaden. He was staring at her. For the first time, there was something in his expression that she couldn’t understand. Then her vision blurred. The room tilted.
"Yuki!"
Aevia screamed. Yuki’s body fell sideways. Her head struck the marble, and everything went black.
Kaden stood frozen. Blood began to ooze from the corner of his mouth. He didn’t wipe it away. His ears rang. The entire world seemed distant. Aevia rushed towards Yuki, dropping to her knees beside her.
"Yuki! Yuki, wake up!"
Kaden didn’t move. He stared at the girl lying motionless on the floor. Something inside him had died. He didn’t know what it was. He only knew that the emptiness in his chest was far worse than the pain. And for the first time in his life, Kaden Ravencourt had absolutely no idea what he had just done.