Chapter 275: Broken.

Theo had ran.

She had ran and ran and now she was completely lost. The pouring rain had washed away every trail she could use to find her way back to the cottage, and now she was somewhere deep in the woods.

Too deep. She’d ran for hours.

And even if she knew the way back, she probably wouldn’t return. Not after she remembered everything that happened before she lost her memories.

Right now, she was sitting on a small rock next to the biggest tree in the vicinity. It formed a canopy around her, but it wasn’t enough to stop the heavy rain from slipping through.

Her tears were now mixed with the water, and she was soaked from head to toe, staring into a distance with a lone, sad gaze. Sitting on her wrist was the bead, and she was still holding the stuffed animals.

For weeks, all she wanted was for her memory to return. She kept seeing things that were familiar, feeling so strongly for the people around her without knowing why. She desperately wanted this.

Now that she had it back, she was broken completely.

A fresh wave of pain struck her chest hard, squeezing it so tightly that she groaned out loud and almost collapsed again. She was blaming herself. She believed it was her fault. And she didn’t know if she could ever stare into the mirror again.

Everything she’d done from day one of her life was to become worthy. First, it was to become worthy of becoming her father’s heir. Then, she wanted to become worthy of standing beside her mates. To fight for them and win. To never ever let anyone hurt them again. To give them the eternal love their beautiful souls deserve.

Then they’d died. Cain had killed them before her eyes. And all she could do...was beg? As if that wasn’t enough, she had...

The pain shattered her chest again, and she fell on her knees this time with a loud cry. Oh God, would she ever be able to face them again? She couldn’t possibly ever stare into those blue and dark eyes of theirs again. She didn’t deserve it.

*Theo. Please, please stop blaming yourself. Cain did this to you. That’s what he does to everyone around him. He breaks them. It wasn’t your fault,*

Seraphina didn’t know if Theo was even listening. Her voice probably just sounded like a silent buzz in her ear. Also, she’d tried to reach out to Sylas and Zeke through the mate bond... but Theo was quite serious about not wanting to see them again.

She was blocking them out.

*Their deaths weren’t your fault. You gave them the strength to come back to you. Despite everything you faced, you still came to each other and that says a lot about what we share with them. Listen to me, Theo. Please, listen.*

Theo shook her head vigorously, hugging the animals so tight to her chest like that was the last time she would be holding them. She leaned forward, crying against the rain while thunder roared in the skies, reflecting the severity of her pain.

Maybe after this, she would leave quietly.

Disappear from their lives. Make sure of her days alone. But to stand with them again? No. She would never stand beside who she was unworthy of.

Now, she knew her worth. It wasn’t half of what they were worth to her. And it could never be.

*Why aren’t you listening to me?!* Seraphina yelled again, *They must be worried sick about you right now, Theo. They can’t reach you. It’s raining, which makes it even more difficult to trace you. You can’t do this to yourself Theo. Many things happened that you couldn’t control. It’s ok to fall sometimes, Theo. You can’t be strong all the time. And you cannot blame yourself for being weak when you’ve done nothing but be strong all your life!!*

*Maybe I should sneak back and leave a letter or something?* Theo murmured.

*What?* Seraphina asked curiously, *What letter?*

*A letter telling them not to worry about me. That I thought about it, and I don’t think...our relationship would work—*

*Can you even hear yourself? That’s the lamest excuse and the dumbest thing you could do. And it’s also very selfish!*

*I want to go, I don’t deserve them,* Theo whimpered.

*And I’ve told you that what happened wasn’t your fault. You had lost everything. You went through so much. You couldn’t always be strong, Theo. It was ok to break. To shatter.*

*Yeah, it was,* Theo whispered quietly, then she cracked, *But I allowed myself to. I allowed myself to—*

*It wasn’t your fault. Please, don’t do this. Go back to them. They love you so much regardless of what happened.*

Theo shook her head, and her wolf growled softly inside of her.

Then, she pulled her leg up and remained there, on the dirty, muddy floor just staring at nothing in particular.

Seraphina knew Theo wasn’t going to listen to her.

The girl was stubborn, especially with her memories back. The stubbornness had intensified. She really believed she didn’t deserve anything after what happened, and Sera had feared that something like this would happen if Theo eventually got her memories back.

That she would be overwhelmed.

Ava was truly right.

She’d tried her best to keep Theo away from the real world — from remembering — she’d done what she could for six months, but nothing can stop a bird from taking off when it’s ready to fly.

*Don’t secretly leave them a letter,* Seraphina said, *It’s not gonna be fair to them at all. If you truly feel bad, the least you could do is look them in the eye and tell them you don’t want anything to do with them anymore and tell them the reason,*

If Seraphina couldn’t think of how to convince her not to leave, then she could at least make Theo go back to her mates, see them again and then Zeke and Sylas would do the convincing.

*If they see me, they won’t let me go,* Theo said.

*I’ll help you escape. One way or the other.*

*That’s a lie,*

It was.

*I’m telling the truth. I respect your decision. I understand how you feel. If you believe you deserve to be unhappy, then fine. But our mates? You can’t walk out on them with just a letter. Unless you want them to go out of their minds and murder everyone in the path looking for you,*

Theo inhaled slowly, then she lowered her head and stared at her muddy feet.

Seraphina was right this time. She’d run away from all the pain before. This time, things could end a little differently.

*Alright,* Theo nodded, *I’ll go,*

*Yes!*

Theo noticed how happy her wolf sounded, but she was too depressed to comment on it, *Moreover, I have to return the stuffed animal and the bracelet,* She added.

Just then, Seraphina’s bubbliness transformed into alarm and Theo’s pupils contracted slightly, her breath becoming slow.

There was no sound around her but rain and thunder.

But she just knew on pure instinct and from the way Seraphina had just reacted...that she wasn’t alone anymore.

And the company she had...was not that of her mates.