Chapter 4 Behind Broken Vows

• Jade Nightshade
• I stumbled back into the house, my vision blurred by tears that clung stubbornly to the corners of my eyes. As my world spinned, I saw my mother waiting by the entrance, her face lighting up with concern the moment she saw me.
• "Oh dear, what's wrong? Why are you back already? Is the party over?" Her voice was laced with confusion, her eyes scanning me like she was trying to find an answer on my face.
• I felt my chest tighten at her question. The image of Rowan, his hands on *her*, flooded my mind again. I could still see the way his eyes glowed when he looked at that redhead, just like he used to look at me. A sob built in my throat, but I swallowed it down, clenching my fists.
• “Jade? Where’s Rowan? Isn’t he supposed to be with you?” Her voice softened, almost hesitant. “He’s your mate, isn’t he?”
• That was it. The final straw. The dam broke, and I snapped.
• “I *never* want to see that bastard’s face again!” I yelled, my voice hoarse and trembling as it echoed. I didn’t care that I was yelling, didn’t care that my mother’s eyes widened in shock. I was too angry, too hurt to hold anything back.
• My mother stepped back, her mouth opening to say something, but I didn’t wait for her to respond. I stormed past her, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. I could feel her watching me, but I couldn’t look back. I didn’t have the strength to explain what had just happened, didn’t have the words.
• I bolted up the stairs, my legs shaky as I reached the door to my room. I slammed it shut behind me, the sound reverberating through the walls. And then I just stood there, leaning against the door, breathing heavily.
• My knees buckled, and I slid to the floor, pulling my knees to my chest as the tears finally broke free. I pressed my hands to my face, muffling the sobs that shook my entire body. It hurt. Everything hurt.
• How could Rowan do this to me?
• The image of him with that redhead—Kassandra—kept playing over and over in my mind like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. He was supposed to be mine. We were supposed to be mates. He should have been the one to heal me, to save me from this sickness. But instead, he was out there with *her*.
• *Who was she?* I wondered bitterly, my chest tightening. And why was he so… cold to me? He’d never spoken to me like that before, never treated me like I didn’t matter. Tonight, it was like I was nothing to him. Like we had never shared anything at all.
• And now, after everything, after all we had foolishly taken a oath, we weren’t even mates. I wasn’t his. He wasn’t mine.
• A fresh wave of tears hit me, and I buried my face in my arms, sobbing uncontrollably. My body felt weak, weighed down by the sickness that had taken hold of me since the night of the oath. The night I had foolishly believed that Rowan would cure me. That our bond would save me.
• But now, what was I supposed to do? How would I ever get better? Was I just going to… die? The thought sent a shiver through me, and I sobbed harder, my whole body trembling from exhaustion and despair.
• I cried until I had no tears left, my body finally giving in to the exhaustion that had been building for weeks. Slowly, I crawled onto my bed, curling into a tight ball under the covers. My heart felt shattered, my mind too foggy to think of anything but the betrayal and the pain. I closed my eyes, wishing that sleep would take me away from it all, if only for a little while.
• Sometime later, a soft knock broke through the haze of my restless sleep. I blinked, confused, my eyes still swollen from crying. I lay still, hoping it was just a dream, but the knock came again—louder this time.
• I groaned and sat up, wiping at my eyes as I shuffled toward the window. The cold night air hit me as I pulled the curtains back, revealing the last person I wanted to see right now.
• Rowan.
• My heart clenched painfully in my chest as I stared at him. His face was cast in shadows, but I could still see the tension in his jaw, the way his hand rested against the windowpane like he was waiting for me to let him in.
• Anger flared up inside me again, and before I could stop myself, I reached for the window, ready to slam it shut in his face. But he was faster, his hand darting out to stop it, holding the window open with ease.
• “Jade, please,” he said, his voice low, almost pleading. “Don’t shut me out.”
• I glared at him, my hands shaking as I clutched the edge of the window. “Why are you here, Rowan? Go back to *Kassandra*.”
• His jaw tightened at the mention of her name. “It’s not what you think,” he said in a strained voice. “I came to explain—”
• I cut him off, the hurt in my chest too much to contain. “Explain? Explain what, Rowan? How you stood there with her like I didn’t exist?”
• He sighed, his grip on the window tightening. “Jade, I didn’t—”
• “I’m done,” I said, shaking my head as my vision blurred with fresh tears. “I don’t care anymore.”
• I tried to push the window closed again, but I was too weak. He was stronger, and I knew it. I felt the weight of my sickness pressing down on me, draining what little strength I had left.
• Rowan leaned closer, his eyes searching mine, filled with something I couldn’t read. “Jade… let me in. Please. Let me explain.”
• I didn’t know what to say. My heart screamed at me to push him away, to close the window and forget him. But I couldn’t. I was too tired, too broken to fight anymore.
• So I stepped back, letting him in.
• Rowan stepped inside, and the first thing I noticed was the way he swayed slightly. The faint smell of alcohol clung to him, and his eyes, though steady on me, were a little too bright.
• “You’re drunk,” I muttered, a mixture of anger and disappointment brewing inside me.
• He blinked, then scratched the back of his head, leaning against the windowsill. “Yeah, well… maybe a little.” He gave a lazy shrug and then his eyes softened as he looked at me. “Look, about Kassandra… she’s my cousin.”
• I stared at him, my heart hammering in my chest. "Your *cousin*?"
• He nodded quickly. “Yeah, a distant one. The reason I acted like that earlier, I—” He trailed off, rubbing his temples. “I was embarrassed, okay? The way you just… walked up to us, it looked like you thought I was cheating or something.”
• “Because you were dancing with her like—like—” I could hardly find the words. “You had your hands on her waist, Rowan! You know what that looked like?”
• He groaned, running his hand through his hair. “I know, but it wasn’t like that. I didn’t want everyone staring at us, thinking there was drama. We’re supposed to be future Alpha and Luna, and everyone was watching us like it was some kind of scandal.”
• I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing. “We’ve been best friends since childhood, Rowan. I know every single member of your family, but I’ve never seen her before in my life. How come you’ve never introduced us? And is *that* how cousins dance?”
• He hesitated, his eyes darting away for a second before he said, “She’s just a distant cousin, Jade. It’s not important. That’s why I never mentioned her before. She’s not someone you should worry about.”
• I crossed my arms, a sinking feeling settling in my stomach. “You’re asking me not to be bothered, but the way you spoke to me... I’ve never seen you act like that, ever. It hurt, Rowan. You hurt me.”
• He stepped closer, his hands reaching out to take mine, his touch warm despite the chill I felt inside. “Jade, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude, but I promise, you have nothing to worry about. I didn’t find my mate tonight. That’s what’s important, right?”
• I blinked up at him, my heart aching, but his words… his words gave me hope. “So... our oath? It still stands?”
• His smile widened, and he nodded. “Yes, it still stands. We’re going to be together, forever. We’re going to rule this pack, just like we planned. Nothing has changed.”
• Despite the lingering doubt in my chest, I couldn’t help the small flicker of happiness that lit up inside me. It was what I had been waiting to hear—what I needed to hear. Rowan was still mine. He leaned in, pressing a kiss to my forehead, but it felt... strange, almost foreign, like it didn’t quite belong.
• “I’ll see you later,” he murmured, stepping back.
• I reached out, grabbing his hand before he could move to the window. “Wait, Rowan. Where are you going? Aren’t you staying here tonight? I need you…”
• He glanced over his shoulder, and for a moment, something flickered in his expression—guilt, perhaps? “I wish I could, but my father needs me for something important. I can’t stay.”
• I frowned, confusion settling in. “But your father… he’s away on a business trip to represent my dad. He won’t be back until next month.”
• Rowan's eyes shifted slightly, but he quickly shrugged, brushing it off. “It’s just pack stuff, Jade. Nothing to worry about.”
• I pushed the uneasy feeling aside, tightening my grip on his hand, desperation creeping into my voice. “Rowan, wait. After we took the oath… did you feel sick at all?”
• He frowned, clearly caught off guard by the question. “Sick? I mean, I had a bit of a headache, but that’s it. I’m fine now. Why?”I stared at him, my confusion deepening. “You’re not sick anymore?”
• “No,” he said, shaking his head. “Why? What’s wrong?”
• My mind raced as I tried to make sense of it. Why was I still sick when Rowan wasn’t? The sickness was supposed to last until we both found our true mates, but he said he hadn’t found his. Then why had his symptoms disappeared?
• I wanted to ask him, to confront the gnawing questions in my mind, but before I could say anything else, Rowan gently pulled his hand from mine.“Don’t worry, Jade. I’m fine. I’ll see you later, okay?” He offered me a small, almost dismissive smile.
• “Goodnight, my Luna.”
• And with that, he turned and disappeared out the window without another word, leaving me standing there, torn between the relief that he still wanted me and the sinking feeling that something wasn’t right.
• He didn’t even ask if I was okay.