The Alpha's Betrayal, I Married My Family's Killer - Chapter 12: Chapter 12

The cabin was small, nestled deep in the forest, hidden beneath a thick blanket of towering pines. The air carried the scent of damp wood and fresh rain—calming, despite the storm raging inside me.
Damon guided me through the door, his grip firm on my arms. I was barely holding myself together—ribs aching, legs trembling—but the worst pain came from the invisible tether still binding me to him.
Ivan.
Even now, I felt the pull—distant but relentless, like chains coiled around my ribs, squeezing the air from my lungs. He was out there, hunting me. I could feel his fury simmering beneath my skin, his rage seeping into my bones like venom.
I needed to break this bond.
The moment we stepped inside, a woman stood waiting.
Amara.
She was older, her dark eyes deep and knowing, her presence commanding. Firelight flickered across her face, casting shadows that made her seem almost otherworldly.
She studied me for a long moment, her gaze lingering on my stomach. "You don't have much time."
Damon tensed beside me. "Can you do it?"
Amara nodded. "I can sever the bond between her and Ivan. Including the child."
A sharp pain lanced through my chest. My fingers dug into my arms. "Will it hurt?"
Her expression softened. "Yes."
I exhaled slowly. Of course it would.
Pain had been my constant companion since the day I learned the truth about Ivan. It had sunk into my bones, wrapped around my heart like thorns, choking out every last trace of the love I'd once been foolish enough to believe in.
But this pain? This pain would be freedom.
I squared my shoulders. "Do it."
Amara motioned for me to sit by the fire. Damon moved to my side, jaw clenched, his entire body thrumming with tension.
"You don't have to do this alone," he murmured, his voice rough, edged with something I couldn't place.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I do."
Because no one else had been inside my head—inside my soul—trapped in Ivan's web.
Amara reached into a satchel, pulling out vials of dark liquid and dried herbs before producing a small, curved dagger, its blade wickedly sharp.
"This will cut through the mate bond," she explained, placing the blade between us. "The severing will be painful, but the real challenge will be breaking the imprint on the child."
Damon stiffened. "What do you mean?"
Amara met his gaze. "Ivan has already claimed the child through the bond, whether Cynthia realizes it or not. If we don't break it, he'll always be able to find them."
A shudder ripped through me. The thought of Ivan having any claim over my baby made my stomach twist.
"No," I whispered. "I won't let that happen."
Amara nodded, as if she'd expected nothing less. "Then let's begin."
She pressed her fingers against my forehead—
And agony exploded through me.
It was like being ripped apart from the inside. Fire scorched through my veins, searing every nerve, every muscle, as if my soul was being torn in two.
I screamed.
Damon's voice was distant, panicked, but I couldn't focus on him. Couldn't focus on anything but the pain.
Ivan's bond fought back, lashing, resisting—
I felt his rage. He knew.
But I wouldn't let him win.
Gritting my teeth, I shoved back against the bond with everything I had. He doesn't own me. Not anymore.
A final, excruciating snap echoed through my soul—
And then—silence.
The pain vanished so suddenly I nearly collapsed. My body sagged, breath ragged, pulse erratic. The room spun, my vision blurred—
Then, nothing.
The bond was gone.
The invisible chain I'd dragged behind me for years had finally shattered.
I gasped, blinking up at Amara. She looked exhausted, her hands trembling slightly, but a small smile touched her lips. "It's done," she murmured.
The cabin was quiet, the fire burning low. Amara had given me time to rest, but sleep wouldn't come. My mind wouldn't let me.
Damon sat across from me, elbows on his knees, staring into the flames. He looked as drained as I felt, shadows clinging to his unspoken thoughts.
I hesitated before speaking. "What are you thinking?"
He exhaled slowly. "That I almost lost you."
Something in my chest tightened.
He turned to me, his dark eyes raw. "Cynthia, if I hadn't found you in time—if Helena had succeeded—" He broke off, jaw clenching. "I don't know what I would've done."
The vulnerability in his voice cracked something inside me.
Damon had been my protector, my only ally. But tonight, I saw it clearly—he wasn't just shielding me. He was carrying his own scars.
"You didn't deserve this," he murmured. "Any of it."
Neither did he.
I met his gaze—and for the first time, I saw him not as the Alpha's brother, not as my savior, but as—