Chapter 10 That Dreadful Night

• The frigid night pursued him relentlessly as he stumbled deeper into the dense forest. With each step becoming increasingly desperate. Tears streamed down his face, obscuring his vision. Determined to keep running despite the ache in his feet and the anguish in his heart, he pressed on. The fire within him consumed his body, leaving no room for rest. He yearned to vanish, to avoid ever having to confront them again. The sight of their pain, their tears, haunted him—they were his mates, and he had betrayed them.
• As he raced through the woods, their pleas echoed in his mind, reminding him of the pain he had inflicted on them. The blood staining the ground, their Moon markings that he had stolen, the magnitude of his rejection weighed heavily on his conscience. How could he ever face them again? What words could justify the harm he had caused to his other halves? Overwhelmed with emotion, he collapsed for a brief moment, clutching his chest and fighting for breath.
• He urged himself to go faster, to escape before the morning light. He was certain the revelation was as much of a surprise to them as it was to him. And now, he not only rejected them, but he was also on the run, fleeing from them, from his family, abandoning his home and shattering their fragile unity. His thoughts were interrupted by his father's voice calling out to him through the family link.