Chapter 6

Kyra’s POV I slowly turned around, and my breath caught when I saw two figures standing a few meters away. From the corner of my eye, Nathan was still on the ground, staring at the newcomers with shock. "Grandma…" The name scraped past my lips, my throat suddenly as dry as the desert. Sylvia stirred uneasily in my mind, "She shouldn’t be here." I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay still as Grandma let out a nervous laugh, her hands fluttering like startled birds. "I must be hearing things. How is everyone? I missed you all, so I came for a visit." Her voice was light, but I could hear the tremor beneath it. My chest ached. This woman had been like a grandmother to me, the one who’d welcomed me into the Nightfall pack with open arms. And now, standing before her while my mate bond with Nathan unraveled—it felt like betrayal. "Grandma…" Nathan’s voice was rough as he pushed himself up, his movements slow, as if weighed down by guilt. He took a step toward her, but Grandma turned her face away. My heart twisted. She had raised him, taught him the sacred traditions of our kind. And now, because of me, because of us, she was hurting. "Grandma, I'm sorry…" The apology tumbled out before I could stop it, my voice cracking under the weight of my own shame. Tears welled in her eyes, "D-Did my grandson hurt you, Kyra?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. I shook my head quickly, my own eyes burning. "No, Grandma. He’s been… good to me. But maybe we weren’t truly meant for each other." Somewhere behind me,Luna Marlene let out a soft, broken sob. Grandma swayed slightly on her feet, her age showing in the way her shoulders slumped. Grandpa was at her side in an instant, his arm wrapping around her waist to steady her. I felt my heart almost stop beating because of what happened. However, I remained in my place as I watched Nathan try to help his grandma. "She’s hurting because of us," Sylvia murmured, her voice thick with regret. I knew that. And it killed me. Grandma let out a slow breath, her smile brittle. "I wanted you two to stay together because I saw something deeper between you—more than just our pack’s duty, more than just obligation." Her voice wavered. " I know you will take care of each other and love each other more than anyone,but I shouldn’t have forced it." "Grandma…" I rushed to her and held her hands. I shook my head and smiled at her. "I know… We know your intention, that's why we tried it. We gave it a try, Grandma but we didn't work. I'm sorry." I'm sorry for lying, Grandma. I don't wanna hurt you because you're like a real grandmother to me. She squeezed my hands weakly, her eyes searching mine. For what, I didn’t know. Forgiveness? Understanding? The rest of the evening passed in a blur. Alpha Richard stormed out at some point, his anger a tangible thing in the air. Grandma wept quietly in Grandpa’s arms, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. And through it all, Nathan stood like a statue, his face unreadable, his emotions locked away behind the mask of an Alpha. But I knew him. I knew the way his jaw tightened when he was holding back pain, the way his fingers twitched at his sides when he wanted to reach for someone but didn’t. And right now, he was hurting just as much as the rest of us. Later, back at the house, the silence was suffocating. I stood in the hallway, my back pressed against the wall, trying to steady my breathing. The conversation with his family had left me raw, my nerves frayed. "Kyra…" Nathan’s voice was soft, barely more than a whisper, but it still made me flinch. I didn’t turn around. I couldn’t. "Did you mean what you said?" His words were hollow, stripped of the usual strength that came with being an Alpha. My fingers tightened around the small pouch I always carried—a relic from our mating ceremony, a symbol of the vows we’d made. The leather was smooth beneath my touch, worn from years of being held, of being cherished. Now, it felt like a weight. "I meant every word, Nathan," I whispered. He didn’t respond immediately. When I finally risked a glance at him, his expression was unreadable, but his eyes—his eyes were full of pain. Confusion. Regret. "Kels…" His voice cracked. "You’re not drifting away because of this, are you?" The question hit me like a physical blow. My breath stuttered. Did he really think I could stay after everything? After the way he’d looked at Sophia, after the way he’d hesitated when she came back into his life? "Nathan," I said, my voice strained. "I’m exhausted. Let’s talk tomorrow." He sighed and slowly nodded. He walked towards me and planted a kiss on my forehead. I squeezed my eyes closed as I felt my heart wrenching. I'm gonna miss this. I'm gonna miss everything about him. His care, his love, his smile, his laugh, everything. God! If only I could stay with him. "Good night, Kels," he murmured. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, and turned away. His gaze burned into my back as I walked upstairs, each step heavier than the last. I guess this is our fate. We are just meant to be best friends and will never go beyond that. Sleep didn’t come easily. I tossed and turned, my mind racing with images of Grandma’ tears, of Nathan’s hollow expression, of the life we’d built together crumbling around us. When morning came, nausea hit me like a tidal wave. I barely made it to the bathroom before I was retching, my stomach heaving until there was nothing left. "Kyra!" The door burst open, and Nathan stood there, his face pale with panic. I froze, clutching the bathrobe to my body, my cheeks burning with humiliation. He turned away immediately, his neck flushing. "A-Are you okay? I heard you—" "I’m fine," I snapped, harsher than I meant to. He hesitated before turning back, his hand lifting to brush my forehead. "You don’t feel feverish," he murmured, his brows furrowed. "Just hungry," I lied, pulling away. He nodded, though his eyes were still shadowed with worry. "I’ll order food. What do you want?" "Just…pasta.." "Okay." He caressed my arm and cheek before he turned his back and left. My shoulders dropped as I watched him gently close the door. His feelings never changed. He still sees me as his best friend. The pack lawyer arrived just as we finished breakfast. "Good morning, Alpha Nathan and Luna Kyra," Morgan greeted, his tone polite but impersonal. Nathan stiffened beside me, his fork clattering against his plate. "Who is it?" I didn’t look at him. "He’s here for the mate bond dissolution papers." Silence. Nathan didn’t speak as the pack lawyer laid out the documents, his pen hovering over the line where his signature would sever our bond forever. My own hand shook as I signed my name, the letters jagged, uneven. Sylvia’s voice was soft in my mind. "You are stronger than this pain, Kyra. The moon will guide you." I set the pen down, my breath coming too fast. It was done. Now, I’m getting back to just being his best friend but I don’t think I’d be okay with that. After all of these, I think it’s better for me to slowly exit his life. So I can focus on my own. So I can take care of myself. I won’t deny that he made me so happy during those three years of being married to him. But I know it's only my stolen moments. Now, it's time to end this false happiness.