Mated To The Hybrid Prince - Chapter 72: Chapter 72

(Lily's POV)
I cried until my throat burned.
I had buried my face into the crook of my arm, hunched over one of the wooden desks in the classroom as I tried to muffle the sound. My whole body trembled violently, wrung out from the weight of it all.
When I finally lifted my head, the light in the room had changed. My breath was unsteady and my cheeks damp with tears. I sat up slowly, like every movement required effort. My chest felt tight...
Zion had really cheated on me. Just when I thought we were good and that he was the perfect mate the Moon Goddess had given me, he had gone to sleep with Celeste.
He had been cheating on me all along...
I choked back the sob and cleaned my face. Zion had done the one thing I never thought he could—and now I have no choice but to move on.
Inside me, Ravena whimpered. My wolf's grief was raw, her pain echoing mine as if her very spirit had been torn. Vaelith growled low, her fury trembling beneath the surface. The two voices inside me that rarely agreed now shared one thing: heartbreak.
I straightened my shoulders and left the classroom.
My friends were waiting outside the door. They didn’t say a word, but their presence told me that they were here for me. Aria’s eyes softened as I stepped out. She offered me a hug, and I let myself melt into her embrace for a moment before pulling back. Dev’s jaw was tight, and Tobe had a scowl; they patted my shoulder gently, not trusting themselves to speak.
We returned to the hall just in time for the certificate call-outs. Our classmates' names rang out, each followed by cheers, claps, and proud smiles.
Then my name was called.
"Lily Pison."
The room suddenly hushed, as though someone had puffed out all the joy in the room.
I walked to the stage slowly, one step at a time, feeling all their eyes on me. My gown skimmed the stairs as I climbed. Their silence didn’t scare me anymore. If anything, it fueled the pain and anger in me.
I didn't turn to look at Zion, or the King and Queen at the royal seats.
I walked straight to Principal Thamior who handed me my certificate with a smirk. He leaned in, whispering, "Shame on you. The Prince didn’t end up with you after all..."
I met his gaze head-on as my grip on the certificate tightened.
"You should be more focused on being a leader than poking your nose in your student's private lives," I whispered back, and he gasped in shock.
Then I turned and walked off the stage like nothing could touch me. Aunt Lamia's eyes were fixed on mine. Her expression was soft, sad, and filled with worry. She knew Zion was my mate.
We didn’t wait for the event to end. My friends and I told Aunt Lamia before slipping out quietly and going to their home. Back in Aria's room, I dropped my handbag and sank onto the bed. My body was tired, but my heart was heavier.
Aria sat beside me, her hand moving in slow circles on my back.
“I'm so sorry,” she said gently. "No one saw that coming. I thought you two were perfect."
My lips quivered. “He's nothing but a cheat and a liar.” I sat up, voice low but seething. “It hurts, but I am done with him. I’m ending our mate-bond for good.”
“How so?” she asked, gently wiping at her own tears.
"I'm going to reject our mate-bond, so we can both go our separate ways. I do not want to feel any connection or sparks with him when he's going to be with someone else."
Aria bit her lip. “Oh, I understand, Lily. And I'm so hurt and pained that this is happening to you. You deserve only the best..."
Her tears spilled freely now, and I held her tightly. We cried together, clinging to each other like sisters grieving the same loss. For a moment, the pain felt bearable, shared.
She finally pulled back, her voice thick with emotion. "But he'll have to accept the rejection for it to be completely severed."
"I know." I gulped. "I’ll make him reject me himself," I swore, biting my lip till it bled.
At midnight, after Aria and I lay curled up on the bed, I sat up and reached for my hoodie. Aria stirred and blinked sleepily.
“Wait, where are you going?” she asked.
“To the palace. I need to do it tonight,” I answered.
"Let me come with you," she begged, already reaching for her own hoodie.
I shook my head, gently stopping her. "This is my cross to bear. I need to do this alone... Please, also tell Dev and Tobe that I'm sorry for not including them too."
She sighed dejectedly, nodding. "Be safe... and please come back."
I slipped out under the moonlight, leaving the mansion. I walked the long mile in silence, not willing to shift. Ravena and Vaelith were both quiet, their silence deafening. Their sorrow mirrored mine, echoing through every step I took.
The palace gates loomed ahead like a nightmare.
I found the hidden passage used by the palace guards during training. It led behind the stables, a narrow path flanked by stone and shadows. I crept in through the side gardens, weaving through the trees and slipping through a back door I once used as a child. No guards. No footsteps. The palace was asleep.
The halls whispered secrets as I moved, but I didn’t stop. My feet knew the path. My heart led the way.
I crept to Zion’s window. The curtains were drawn back. He was pacing inside, his back turned.
I knocked lightly.
He spun around, eyes wide when he saw me. For a second, the tension in his face cracked. There was a flicker of surprise, and something else... Hope.
He opened the window slowly, as if scared I might vanish. His voice was soft, almost desperate. “Didn’t think I’d see you so soon.”
“Don’t,” I said, climbing in. “I’m not here for pleasantries.”
His smile died instantly. His brow furrowed. “Then why are you here?”
“I want you to reject me.”
He blinked, frozen. “What?”
“I’m ending this, Zion. Reject me. Right now.”
He stepped closer, his face full of disbelief. Pain tightened his eyes, his mouth opened as if to speak but nothing came out.
“Why are you doing this?”
“How dare you ask me why?! You know why. You lied to me, and slept with Ce—”
“I didn’t!” he roared, voice cracking with pain. His fists clenched by his sides, his chest heaving like he could barely hold himself up.
My breath hitched. My voice trembled. “Just say the words, Prince Zion! Reject me as your mate, and let's go our separate ways!”
His lips parted, but before either of us could speak again—
The door creaked open, and the Queen's voice sliced through the silence.
"What! You two are mates?"