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Ava was shocked.
“Y–You did what? You broke your commitment? You are not going to marry her?”
The sound of her voice was one of disbelief. After seeing that, Ian experienced a strain in his chest.
He thought, though she did not like him, she would at least feel good for not seeing him with another woman. Was not this the reason she left the pack years ago?
Last night was a shocking night for him too. It was unbelievable that he had become her mate again.
But when she asked him to reject her, it was something that hurt him. Did she hate him so much that she wanted to reject this mate bond?
Tonight he had everything planned for her. When he asked Stephen when she usually came home, he said it was around 8 p.m. But, since it was her birthday, he assumed she would arrive home before 10 p.m.
He was able to get her parents out of the house, but Stephen refused to come out because he had already told him that he could no longer help him with Ava.
So lan basically did everything himself. There was no maid at home; he was the one who prepared everything for Ava. He remembered all of her favorite dishes and tried to cook them for her.
The last four years were tough for him. He rarely had supper with his family. So he either ate out or went to Ronald’s house and cooked for himself. He learned to live on his own.
He became concerned when he realized Ava had not returned home after 10 p.m. He called her friends to see if she had met them. They were surprised that he had called them.
They said she was with Alpha Dane.
That time, Ian’s heart clenched inside. He had been waiting for her for two hours since he set the table. So many thoughts were on his mind about her and Dane. He recalled the day Ava returned home wearing Dane’s shirt.
Ian could only sit at home and wait for her in silence.
When he heard a car screeching outside the house a few minutes ago, he approached the window only to see her get out of Dane’s car.
He was relieved she had returned. But the next moment, she bent down to the window and kissed Dane’s cheek, making his heart race with fear.
He had lost this woman. She was no longer his; he was no longer in her love. She loved someone else, which was extremely painful to watch.
He had almost set his mind at the night of the reunion party that he would let her go, but last night, he found the signal of his fate.
“Ian Dawson, are you really a man? You have hurt another woman!”
Her question caused him to sigh again. She believed he could only break women’s hearts.
“As I mentioned, there was nothing between us.”
She frowned at him, moving toward him with fast steps.
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He was stunned when she pushed on his chest. He was leaning against the pillar, so the push caused pain in his back. Last night when she pushed him in the forest, he got hurt that time too.
It was because of the wounds in his back. Every night, the wounds, which looked like tree branches, burned. It wa like it was his punishment for breaking her heart years ago.
He had been going through the pain for four years. If he would have to bear the pain for so many more years for her, he was ready to take it no matter how unendurable it was.
Ava saw his hard expression and asked,
“Why did you tell her about this mate bond?”
“Why not?” he asked, arching his brows.
She raised her finger and pointed at him and then at herself, saying, “This mate bond is meaningless. I don’t believe in it.”
Her words continued to pierce his chest. “Don’t believe it? Why? Don’t you believe in fate? I didn’t do anything, It was fate that chose me for you again,” he reminded her.
She shook her head. “Stop talking nonsense. It will be broken if you reject me. What about I find a way to reject you? Maybe it will work.‘
Ian was taken aback. His eyes darkened as he stared at her without any reply.
Reject him? Because she hated him and loved someone else?
He tried to calm himself and murmured,
“There is no way you can reject me.”
“Then why don’t you reject me? Come on, Ian Dawson. Reject me like you did years ago.”
He shook his head. “Not possible.”
“Why?”
“Because when I rejected my mate, I later regretted it. I pursued her, but I betrayed her trust by being disloyal. This is the third time, and I don’t want to make the same mistake again. Once, twice… but when it comes to thrice, it was not a mistake but a habit. I want to be disloyal to my mate this time.”
Ava was startled. His words were affecting her mind. She could not think properly. She thought, What if there was really no way to reject him for her? What would she do?
She gritted her teeth and asked him in anger,
“You had a chance to be with Freya. Why did you call off the engagement with her? Isn’t she your childhood sweetheart? Your first love?”
He clenched his jaw when he heard her. He grabbed her arms and turned her around to press her against the pillar.
“My first love is not her, but you. I never loved that woman. You were the one who made my heart tremble and turned me into a crazy lover.”
