Chapter 166: Rejection

AARON The elder turned to Helena. 'And Helena, do you take Aaron as your mate, to stand by his side and honor him?" Her smile widened, and she squeezed my hands. 'I do," she said softly, her voice full of love. The elder smiled and raised his hands. 'Then by the power given to me by the pack, I declare you mates." The crowd erupted in cheers, but the sound barely registered. I was lost in the moment, the bittersweet reality of it all crashing over me like a wave. Helena turned to face me, her eyes bright with tears of happiness. She leaned forward and kissed me, soft and sweet, and for a moment, I let myself forget. I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, things could be different. But as we pulled apart, the weight of Dorian's threat came crashing back. I forced a smile, trying to match her happiness, but it didn't reach my eyes. I knew she could sense something was off, but she didn't say anything. Not yet. The ceremony continued, with more cheers and congratulations from the pack, but I felt distant, like I was watching everything from the outside. My parents hugged me, their faces full of pride, and Frida wrapped her arms around my waist, grinning up at me. 'You did it!" she said, her voice full of joy. I smiled down at her, but it felt hollow. 'Yeah, I did." But inside, I was already bracing for what was to come. The weight of my decision hung heavy over me, and I knew that soon, everything would change. No matter how much I wanted to savor this moment, I couldn't escape it. Helena stood beside me, her hand in mine, and I squeezed it gently. For now, we had this moment. But I knew it wouldn't last. It couldn't last. So, after the celebration had died down, I pushed her off me roughly, shutting my eyes tightly as she hit the floor, watching me in horror. Silence. The moment she hit the floor, the sound of her soft gasp pierced through the silence. My chest tightened as I stood there, my heart pounding, my breath shallow. I didn't dare open my eyes at first. I couldn't. If I looked at her, I knew I'd break. But I had to do it. I had to push through. "Aaron..." Her voice was barely a whisper, fragile and broken. "What are you doing?" I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms so hard I almost drew blood. Slowly, I opened my eyes, forcing myself to look down at her. Helena was staring up at me, confusion and hurt written all over her face. Her wide eyes shimmered with the tears she was holding back. My stomach twisted violently, but I kept my face hard, cold. "You think I don't know?" My voice came out sharper than I intended. It cut through the air like a blade. I had to be cruel. I had to make it believable. This was going to hurt. Badly. She blinked, the hurt deepening in her gaze. "Know what? What are you talking about?" I stepped toward her, each step feeling heavier than the last. The words I was about to say felt like poison on my tongue, burning through me, but I had to get them out. 'Don't act like you don't know. I know what you've been doing. You've been planning against me—against this pack. Against all of us. You've been in league with the enemy, haven't you?" Her mouth fell open, shock flashing across her face. 'What? Aaron, no! I would never—" 'Lies!" I spat, my voice shaking with the force of the accusation. 'You've been plotting with the enemy. You've betrayed me, betrayed all of us." Her tears spilled over now, and she scrambled to her feet, shaking her head wildly. 'That's not true! I don't know where you're getting this, but I swear, I've never—" 'Don't!" I snarled, cutting her off. 'Don't lie to me. You think I'm a fool? You think I wouldn't find out?" My own words sliced through me like knives, each one leaving a deeper wound. But I couldn't stop. I couldn't let her see how much this was killing me inside. I had to keep going. Fuck…I had to keep going. Her hands trembled as she reached out toward me, desperation written all over her face. 'Aaron, please. You know me. I love you! I'd never do anything to hurt you, or this pack. Please, just listen to me!" I flinched, barely holding myself together. Her words, her voice—it was everything I wanted to believe. She said it…she said she loved me… It was everything I wanted to hold onto. But I couldn't. I fucking couldn't. 'I can't listen to you anymore," I said, my voice cracking despite my effort to stay cold. 'This is over, Helena. You're no longer my mate." The moment those words left my lips, her face crumpled. It was like watching her shatter in front of me. Her hands fell to her sides, and her legs gave out as she sank to her knees, staring up at me in disbelief, in agony. "No..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. "No... please... why are you doing this?" I turned away from her, because looking at her was too much. The pain in her eyes, the devastation... it was suffocating. My chest felt like it was being torn apart, every breath becoming harder and harder to take. But I had to hold firm. I had to make her believe this lie, for her own safety. 'This is the only way," I muttered, forcing myself to stay composed. 'You're a threat to this pack, to me. I can't have you here anymore. I reject you, Helena." Her sobs cut through the air like a knife, and for a split second, I almost turned back to her. I almost dropped to my knees beside her and pulled her into my arms, begging for her forgiveness. Telling her the truth—that this was the only way to keep her safe from Dorian's wrath. But I didn't. I couldn't. Helena's breaths came in sharp gasps as she stared up at me, her hands clutching her chest like she was trying to hold herself together. Her tears spilled freely now, and the sight of it made me feel like I was dying inside. 'Why?" she cried, her voice breaking. 'Why are you doing this? We were supposed to be together... You promised me, Aaron! You promised we'd always be together!" 'I lied." The words tasted like acid in my mouth, but I forced them out, each one tearing a new hole in my chest. 'I don't love you, Helena. I never did." That was it. The final blow. She froze, her body going still as she looked at me like I was a stranger, like I'd ripped her heart out of her chest and stomped on it right in front of her. 'No..." she whispered, her voice so broken it was almost unrecognizable. 'You don't mean that. You can't mean that." But I did mean it. At least, I had to make her believe I did. There was no other way. Dorian's threat loomed over me, suffocating me. If I didn't push her away, he'd come for her, for us. And that was something I couldn't live with. 'I mean every word," I said, even though it felt like I was ripping myself apart. 'You're no longer my mate, Helena. You're nothing to me." Her shoulders shook with silent sobs, and I had to turn away again, because if I looked at her for even another second, I'd break. The pain in her eyes, the betrayal... I couldn't stand it. But I walked away. I left her there, crumpled on the floor, her sobs filling the air. Every step I took felt like another piece of me was being torn away, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. This was the only way to keep her safe. It had to be.