Chapter 110: Caleb’s Opposition
Caleb POV
My fist slammed into Dmitri’s jaw before I even realized I’d moved. The vampire stumbled backward, blood dripping from his split lip, but I wasn’t done. Something primal inside me roared with fury at his idea.
"You will not touch her," I hissed, my werewolf side pushing close to the surface. "I don’t care if we’re friends. I don’t care if the world is ending. You are not turning Lily into a monster."
Dmitri wiped the blood from his mouth, his pale eyes flashing with anger. "Your protective instincts are admirable, wolf, but they’re going to get everyone killed."
"My protective instincts?" I laughed harshly. "You mean the link that Marcus severed? The mate link that no longer exists?"
That was the twisted truth eating at me. When Marcus broke the supernatural ties holding our alliance together, he’d severed my mate bond with Lily too. I should feel nothing for her now except simple pack loyalty. The power that had tied our souls together was gone.
But the need to protect her burned in my chest like flames.
"The bond is broken," I continued, circling Dmitri like an animal. "I can’t feel her feelings anymore. Can’t feel her pain or share her strength. According to every rule of werewolf magic, she should mean nothing more to me than any other pack member."
"Then why are you acting like a jealous mate?" Dmitri asked, real confusion in his voice.
"Because some things run deeper than magic!" I roared, my control finally snapping.
The truth burst out of me like a dam breaking. "I loved her before the mate bond appeared. I noticed her years before that Triple Moon Mark showed up on her wrist. When she was just the quiet omega in the nursery, I watched her care for the pups with such gentleness that it made my chest hurt."