Little witch

Goodbye

Adeline's POV

Adeline lay beside Titus, her head nestled against his chest, her heart heavy with the decision she'd made. She could feel his arms tighten around her, the steady rhythm of his breathing giving away that he wasn't fully relaxed. He knew something was wrong. She could feel it through the bond—the worry, the sadness, and even the suspicion. She had done her best to hide her plan from him, but keeping her emotions at bay while wrapped in his arms was almost impossible.

Titus was the first person to ever make her feel truly safe, truly loved. He had given her a sense of home that she never thought she'd feel again, especially after everything that had happened. His pack had accepted her, and for a brief moment, she had allowed herself to believe that this could be her life. That she could be happy.

But the truth was, she couldn't stay—not with Aspen still out there. Two guards had already been injured because of her, and she couldn't bear the thought of anyone else getting hurt because of her past. No matter how much she wanted to stay, no matter how much she loved Titus, she couldn't let him or his pack be put in danger. As Luna, it was her responsibility to protect her people, even if it meant breaking her own heart in the process.

She shifted slightly, careful not to wake him. The bond was a constant hum between them, and she knew Titus could feel her inner turmoil. Blaze, his wolf, wanted to take over, to protect her in the most primal way possible—by keeping her locked away, safe from any harm. But Titus was holding him back, struggling to respect her space while dealing with the overwhelming need to protect his mate.

Adeline tried to quiet her mind, to not think about her plan, but the weight of her decision pressed down on her. Every breath felt heavy, every heartbeat echoing the pain that was to come. Leaving Titus would break her in ways she hadn't even begun to comprehend, but staying meant putting his entire pack at risk. And that was something she could never allow.

What kind of Luna would she be if she put her people in harm's way?

Hours passed in the darkness. She lay still, her breath steady, pretending to sleep. Titus took longer to drift off than usual, his tension palpable as he held her closer than normal, as if sensing what was about to happen. She could feel the way his heartbeat slowed, his body finally relaxing into sleep, though she knew it was uneasy.

Once she was sure he had fallen into a deep sleep, she carefully unwrapped herself from his embrace. Her heart clenched painfully as she looked at him, his peaceful face making her second-guess her plan. She gently brushed her fingers through his hair, memorizing the feel of him, the warmth of his skin, knowing it might be the last time she ever got to touch him like this.

Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them back. She couldn't afford to lose her resolve now. Slowly, she whispered a spell under her breath, feeling her magic surge to life inside her. It drained her more than she expected, pulling on her energy reserves, but she needed to transport herself as far away as possible. The pack would search for her, and if they thought she had simply run, they might catch up. But if she used magic, it would throw them off her trail.

In a blink, the room around her disappeared, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself standing at the train station. The cool night air brushed against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine as she clutched the small stash of cash in her hand. She had left everything behind—her phone, her clothes, even the small trinkets she had collected during her time with Titus. The only thing she took was her emergency fund, the cash she had always kept hidden away for this exact reason.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she walked to the ticket counter, her legs feeling weak as the spell's energy drained her. She bought a one-way ticket to the farthest place she could find, barely registering the destination. It didn't matter where she went, only that it was far away from South Carolina, from Titus, from everything she loved.

As the train started moving, Adeline felt the bond between her and Titus stretch, a sharp pain shooting through her chest like a knife. It was as if her heart was being torn apart, a physical manifestation of the heartbreak she was feeling. She clutched her chest, gasping for breath, knowing that Titus would be feeling it too.

Tears finally spilled over as the train rumbled down the tracks, the weight of what she had done crashing down on her. The farther the train went, the more the bond frayed, the pain growing more unbearable by the second.

And then, in the distance, she heard it—a howl, faint but unmistakable.

Titus.

He had woken up. He knew she was gone.

Her entire body trembled as the reality of it all hit her. She had left him. She had broken their bond, torn herself away from the one person who had ever truly loved her. And now... now she would have to live with the consequences.

As the train sped into the night, Adeline curled into herself, her heart shattering with each passing second, knowing she would never be the same again.