| Clementine POV |

"You're going to be okay Clem, you're a bad ass. You got this!" I repeated to myself as I walked back to the bonfire, shaking like a leaf.

I wanted to yell at the Goddess for giving me fool's hope and for making me believe that finding my mate would be beyond magical but all I received was quite an anti-climatic heartbreak. I didn't sign up to be hurt like this even though I should have expected this since my mate was already in a relationship. He made me realise that the bond is just a false facade, an awful curse that binds us forever without giving us a choice in the matter. But I'm not going to be blind anymore and I would decide on my own without the Goddess interfering.

I looked up at the moon and pulled my finger up at its mocking luminance, not a care in the world if others saw me.

"Fuck you and your holier than thou bond, Goddess! What kind of bullshit was that?" I screamed bitterly as the hot tears pooled in my eyes.

I caught them with my fingers before they started to fall since I didn't want to give him and the Goddess the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Tired of my own self-pity, I composed myself after and tried my best to fix myself before meeting Tom. Even though I couldn't get my happy ending, I honestly hope my best friend got his while I was gone.

Sitting at the same place where I left him, I scowled again at the moon that Tom didn't find his mate tonight as he stared at the bonfire miserably by himself.

"It's on sight when I see you, Moon Goddess." I muttered spitefully as I walked toward my best friend.

"Get up Tom, let's go." I patted him hard on the back, disrupting his thoughts.

"Shit! You scared me!" Tom clutched his chest dramatically but his eyebrows quickly furrowed in confusion as soon as he looked at my face. He immediately stood up and clutched my face as he stared at my swollen eyes which betrayed the remaining fortitude I have left.

"What the fuck happened Clem? Why are you crying?"

"Tom, please not here." I begged as I pulled his sleeves to calm him down but Tom's eyes flickered darker, his wolf pressing on angrily.

"Tell me now."

Tom's seething voice has piqued a couple of gazes around us which made me more agitated at the attention he brought. Seeing my distress, Tom gripped my wrist firmly and dragged us back to the car park away from everyone. He crossed his arms across his chest indignantly and narrowed his eyes at me to get answers.

"What did he do Clem, don't make me repeat myself."

"Can you please calm down Tom."

"Calm down? You expect me to calm down when your eyes are red from crying after seeing Lucas?"

Hearing his name, the reality of the situation finally weakened my resolve and I broke down, shaking and crying over a mate who made me believe that there was an us.

Tom's eyes softened at each sob and he embraced my shaking figure tightly as he caressed the top of my head repeatedly to help me calm down.

"He chose Alice." I sobbed at each word as I tried to maintain eye contact with Tom whose mouth dropped in shock.

"He did what!?" He roared and gripped my shoulder, the fury in his eyes back again.

"He chose her and he was going to reject me, so I rejected him first."

"Fuck Clem, I don't care if he's the Alpha or if I lose my Beta role. I'm going to beat his fucking ass for hurting you. What the fuck is Lucas thinking by choosing someone he isn't mated to?"

"I don't know, he just said he had to do the right thing so clearly, I'm not the right thing."

"This is absolute bullshit. I'm glad you rejected him, he deserves every fucking pain from that and more. Goddess, I'm feeling a bit murderous, Clem."

"Tom, please don't hurt him or yourself over me. All I want is to forget this ever happened and learn to live my life without him."

"But that's not fair though is it Clem? Why does he get play house with a human and you have to suffer alone? That doesn't make any fucking sense to me."

"He can do as he pleases because he's the Alpha, Tom. It's my fault for even fantasising about the idea of being his mate. I'm the pathetic fool really so let's just go home and forget about all this. Please?"

Tom sighed deeply as he curled both his hands irately. I dragged him towards his car so we could leave when a figure approached us from behind. The familiar scent made my chest heave in pain as my wolf forced me to face him once more, ever the optimist that our mate would take us back.

"Clementine." Lucas muttered exasperatedly as he stepped forward slowly, making me stiffen in place as I met his languishing eyes.

I felt Tom's body jerk in outrage at the sound of my name and he quickly pushed me out of the way as he walked over to Lucas with a murderous glint. I could sense Tom's wolf was itching to get out, hungry to tear Lucas apart despite being his Beta. The minuscule Alpha blood Tom got from his mother was ever so present in that moment as he stomped purposefully toward the most hated man of the hour.

"Get the fuck away from her!" Tom roared while I tried to hold him back from provoking the Alpha.

Lucas clenched his jaw as he watched Tom's green eyes turn pure black, ready to shift. Lucas' eyes then locked into mine worriedly as he realised that I'm an arm-stretch away from a shifting wolf.

"Don't do something you'll regret Tom, I just want to talk to her. Stand down now, that's an order!" Lucas sneered back as he squared up in front of a fuming Tom who was fighting the Alpha command placed on him. I squeezed Tom's arm tightly to urge him to submit and he reluctantly exposed his neck to Lucas before punching him square in the jaw.

I gasped at Tom's maniacal stunt as he grinned back at me coyly, satisfied with his own actions.

"What? He deserved that one Clem." Tom crowed with a snicker.

I shook my head irritatedly and pore over at Lucas' wiping the blood off his mouth. He glanced right back at me and I furrowed my eyebrows back at him.

"I'm really sorry Clem but please, I want to talk to you." Lucas pleaded as his apology brought a sour taste to my mouth.

"Save your sorry Lucas. I'm done, you've already said enough." I snapped bitterly, not wanting to hear his reasoning because it would never suffice for the hurt he has caused.

Tom stepped forward to block Lucas from approaching me and gave him a silent threat to back off. We silently walked back to the car and Tom had to help me get inside as I was in a complete daze from it all. As soon as my door slammed shut, the tears I was fighting back so hard finally betrayed me as I hugged my arms around me. Tom just stood outside by the door giving me space to cry it out as he knew how much I hate crying in front of others and feeling vulnerable.

I hate that Lucas made me feel like this.

Broken and weak.

The drive to my house was painfully quiet that even the loudmouth next to me didn't peep a word. Tom was probably agitated over what he has done to Lucas and I couldn't help but feel guilty that I was the cause of it. I know he was already distraught over not finding his mate tonight but losing his Beta role would have been the nail in the coffin for him.

Sensing the silence was driving me mental, Tom stopped the car on the side of the road and rolled both our windows down as he stuck his head out before screaming at the darkness.

"Try it Clem, let it all out! Scream out all the anger and the pain until you feel lighter." He coaxed before he screamed out the window again.

Perplexed yet amused, I finally gave in and stuck my head out of the window too. Conjuring all my feelings, I screamed and screamed until my voice could no longer make a sound. Even though it didn't make me feel lighter, it made me feel more determined to be stronger.

I spun back at Tom as he stared solicitously at me. I gave him a toothy grin as he reciprocated with a sympathetic smile.

"Clementine, it will hurt a lot now but remember that whatever happens, I will be here for you. But promise me that you will be fine and you will thrive without him. Okay?"

He stuck out his pinky finger and shook it in front of me as I smiled back and looped my pinky finger to his.

"Okay."

===End of chapter===

Tomtom you absolute gem of a friend.

And I'm all about the Tom-Clem train atm if that's the ship you guys wanna sail lmao

Thank you again for reading my book! I really appreciate every follow, comment and likes ✨ I especially love it when it gets added to a reading list. Makes my heart warm huhuhu

Should I post what I envisioned for the characters to look like and a character description so you have a fair idea of who they are? Let me know xxx

(Grammar/spelling mistakes will be fixed asap)

Inspired by: