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There was no hope left, and everyone was just as lost.
Finn took in a deep breath and directed his words at the alpha of Rose Valley, face stern. “We need to act. As our leader, you need to act.”
The strong reaction seemed to surprise everyone, but nobody dared interrupt him—not when he was so flooded with conviction.
“Rowan and his gang can’t stay here, not after this. They have caused far too much damage to this town and its people. But this is the last straw.”
The sharp edge in his tone nearly sliced at my skin, reminding me that I had no concrete place there. Aside from being Willow’s fated mate and the father of her unborn child, I was nobody to them.
An outsider. The son of a would-be usurper. A threat to the very safety everyone in Rose Valley worked hard to preserve.
While Kai had been nearly silent during the whole exchange, still shattered by the loss of his strength and abilities, he sighed. Shaking his head in devastation, he ran a hand over his face.
“I can’t ignore my people anymore. I tried to keep the peace for you, Rowan. I really did. I wanted to try and help, but this is too far. I’ve ignored their concerns for too long, and now I see where it has landed us,” Kai said with remorse. “I need to keep them safe.”
Like salt had been thrown into the wound, I recoiled. The despair that nestled in the pit of my stomach grew, and the looming dread told me I wasn’t going to like the rest of what he had to say.
“What are you saying?”
Kai took a deep breath and met my gaze, full of what duty he could muster up. “I think it’s best if you and your men leave Rose Valley and don’t come back.”
“What?” Willow squeaked from beside me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at her. Not yet.
“You can’t be serious!” I countered, not believing the words I was hearing. “We’re in the same boat now, and we need to work together to figure out a solution. If we do nothing, we’ll be stuck like this until Keres decides to collect us all.”
Kai shook his head, looking devastated still. But his own anger flashed in his gaze. “The damage has been done, and I have made my decision. You and your men are to leave immediately. You are not welcome here. If you do so much as show your faces in Rose Valley again, there will be severe consequences.”
Those words reverberated in my mind like a sickening song I wanted to forget. The blood drained from my face at Willow’s refusal to accept it, and the reality of it was bitter in my mouth.
“No, you can’t do this!” Willow shouted, growing more frantic. “Take it back, Kai.”
But the alpha was unwavering and didn’t even bother looking at her. “You can either leave now on your own volition or go by force. It’s your choice.”
For another moment, I could only stare at him in disbelief. My heart was screaming for Willow in return, but I didn’t want to hurt her any more than she already was. My only option was clear, and there was nothing I could do to change it.
When I finally made my first move to leave, Willow screamed my name, but Finn and another shifter gripped her arms to hold her back.
While it made me wish I could beat Finn down for even touching her, a part of me knew it was for her own good. I knew she would try and fight for me, but it was better for everyone if I left.
It was made clear that I wasn’t wanted there, and I couldn’t push my luck any further.
“I’m sorry, Willow,” I murmured to her over my shoulder. I had no choice. “Goodbye.”
There was a moment of stiff silence before Willow’s cries reached me, and it took everything in my power not to turn around and try to make it better.
It broke my heart to walk away, devastated by the idea of being apart from her, but I couldn’t risk her safety any longer.
Between the absence of my wolf and bond, and the sheer anguish of having to leave Willow, I only felt numb.
Chapter 25 - Willow
The pain in my chest hadn’t left ever since Rowan and the others were kicked out. I was devastated, angry, and terrified for what was to come.
My mate and the father of my child was forced away from me, and there was nothing I could do about it. I was stuck enduring the pregnancy on my own, and the thought of eventually giving birth without him made my heart feel like it would collapse at any moment.
Several days had gone by, and each one went slower than the last. It was agonizing, like pulling my teeth out one by one, sitting and waiting for something to change.
The weight of the shifters losing their wolves was like fallout that affected the entire town. That pain and devastation settled amongst everyone, and nobody felt truly safe.
