Everest's POV:

Not for the first time in the past few weeks, I wake up with Henry basically on top of me with his arms wrapped around me. The stupid mate bond is making me feel drawn to him, but my wolf still hasn't resurfaced or connected with me.

So, clearly, Henry is not the one for me.

Even if he smells really good and I feel kind of relaxed.

I squirm out of his arms and head to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. I've already packed my bag for Italy, and even if Matias won't have me back (as he's the one who sent me away) I'm definitely going to give that fucker a piece of my mind.

As I'm washing my face, I feel two arms wrap around me and I jump when Henry kisses my neck.

"I told you not to do that!" I growl, pushing him off.

Henry hums and grabs his own toothbrush and covers it with toothpaste. The gross mint kind, too.

Matias got me the bubblegum flavor even though he thought it was weird that I, a full adult, enjoy the bubblegum flavored toothpaste.

"How long until you accept me?" Henry asks me, staring at me as I prepare my own toothbrush. "I've tried to show you that I care and you just won't have it."

I huff. "You rejected me and left me at a hostel. If your relationships with any of the other people you tried to get with had worked, you would have never come back for me. I don't love you and I want nothing to do with you, Henry."

His eyes harden. "And you think that Matias is better?!"

"I never said his name," I growl. "But I have moved on. It's not my fault that you haven't."

Henry growls as I brush my teeth, before proceeding with his own routine. He does not look at me at all, even when we sit across from each other at the breakfast table.

This isn't new; whenever he gets upset he just broods and ignores me. Not all of what happened in the past is his fault, but he didn't bother to even try to fight for me.

Matias did, and we are not even goddess given mates!

I cannot wait to get back to Italy and see him, even though I know that I will be reduced to tears when we meet again. I'm not sure if I'm going to scream at him or just fall into tears, but there will be some kind of reaction.

Obviously I am angry, but I miss him so much.

He won't be able to keep me away from him, and I don't care what stupid rules his family puts in place. I've never felt so strongly for someone, not even when I first met Henry and felt the mate bond.

"Finish your food and then we will leave," Henry says, sounding defeated and more broody than normal.

Of course, the stupid mate bond makes my heart lurch.

"Are you okay?" I ask, before I can bite my tongue and pretend I don't care.

Henry sighs and grabs his plate, bringing it to the sink and leaving it there, since his housekeeper will clean it later.

"You are never going to love me," he says, his voice breaking. "You said it yourself, and I keep thinking there's a chance that I'll be able to win you back... but my wolf can't even get yours to let him in. As soon as I saw you in Italy... my wolf came back full force, and I assumed yours was taking his time because he was afraid, but the more I try to get close with you and force your wolf to come back, the harder it is."

I never thought I'd see Henry cry, and it's honestly heartbreaking to watch because everything he is saying makes sense. It isn't that I have no connection to him, because the mate bond is still barely there, but it's true that my own connection to my wolf has faded.

"My wolf and I both fell for Matias," I say, my voice stony and cold. "Because he showed me more love in a month than you did in the few days I knew you. I feel the bond, and it's just barely there, but I can't be with you."

Henry wipes the tears from his cheeks. "Your wolf chose Matias."

"My wolf and I both did," I correct him, as it is certainly not only my wolf who has fallen for that man. "And I know it's hurting you, and I swear that was not my intent, but I can't be with someone just because of a bond. I want to be with someone who chose me and wants me for who I am."

"I do want you for who you are," Henry chokes, picking up my duffel bag from the floor.

For a second, my stomach tightens and I'm afraid he's going to get rid of my bag so I can't go with him or see Matias. Then, he shocks me by handing it to me.

"But you deserve more than me. I didn't fight for you, and it was because I wanted to appease my parents, and deep down I believed what they did. They you were insufficient because of your inability to have pups, and I know now that I was wrong. I messed my life up by letting you go, and I can't hold you back from someone you love because I want you for myself."

I throw my bag to the ground and dive into his arms, hugging him tightly and sobbing into his chest. I'm so overwhelmed by emotions right now, and I am even more stressed because I know that we are about to officially severe the mate bond so I can be with Matias.

"I, Henry Thompson, reject my mate," he says softly, his own salty tears falling down his cheeks as he says the words.

I take in a shaky breath, saddened by what I am about to say, but I know that I will not regret it, because I am completely head over heels for Matias.

"I, Everest Chryses, reject my mate," I whisper, and I feel the bond fully break.

It doesn't hurt me, but I see Henry wince and grab his chest as he collapses to his knees. As soon as I try to surge forward, he holds up his hand and forces a smile.

"I'm sure it's nothing compared to the pain I caused you," he says, his voice strained as he painfully stands back up. "Come on, we should get you to your mate."

I hug him once more before grabbing my bag. "I don't know how to express how grateful I am."

"You don't have to. I should be begging for you to forgive me after what I caused you... none of it was ever your fault, and I don't deserve to pout and be angry over the fact that you were able to move on and be happy. You deserve this life."

A shrill howl in the back of my mind takes me by surprise and I stumble backward, grabbing both sides of my head.

"Everest?!" Henry asks, kneeling in front of me.

"Home! We're going home!" my wolf shrieks in my head.

I wince at the loud cries that I haven't heard in so long. "My wolf decided to make an appearance," I say, shuddering as I readjust to another mind sharing my own. "He says we're going home."

"Ask what he thinks his home is."

I repeat the question to the animal that is currently making my brain shake with screeches and howls.

"Matias! Home! We're going back to him, right? He promised he'd take care of us and now we aren't held here by the bond!"

I sugarcoat what my wolf just said, but I give Henry the general gist of what he told me. It's clear that it hurts Henry, knowing that my wolf ignored the mate bond, as that's a rare thing for a wolf to do, but he just nods.

His lips are pressed into a thin line. "I could have had the mate of my dreams and the life I wanted," he says, blinking quickly to keep more tears from falling. "Goddess, I fucked up..."

I know he's angry with himself and he is not trying to make me feel bad, but watching him suffer like this is not fun for me at all.

"Come on, let's get going. I'm sure Matias is losing his mind. Probably has been for the last couple of weeks."

I don't know if he has, to be completely honest... if his family still has that damn rule of Matias' mate needed to have pups, he may have been instructed to find someone else.

I like to think he saw me as special, but I can't be sure. Our relationship was a very read-between-the-lines type of thing because we didn't ever openly commit to anything.

"Are you doubting that he's missed you?" Henry asks, probably due to my silence and anxiously clutching my duffel bag.

I nod, biting my inner cheek.

"I didn't tell you what this meeting consists of," Henry says, watching me as I perk up a bit. "I was jealous of Matias... I still am, to be honest, but he called this meeting and it's not just to discuss things with the company alliances."

I follow Henry out to the car where his driver is waiting for us and takes our bags, listening intently to his words.

"Matias called the meeting to get the favor of the majority of the companies to have his father pushed out of the leadership position as his morals are seen as questionable and Matias would make a better leader. Until now, that's all I thought it was... but I'm now positive that he is doing this for the purpose of being able to change the rule that he has to have an heir. He's doing this so he can be with you and you will not be at risk. Plus, it's easier to put his father away in prison and punish him if he's not empowered by the company's profits."

I'm at a loss for words as the driver brings us to the private airport where Henry's plane resides and I cannot speak when we get on the plane and take our seats.

Matias did all of this just to be with me?

That's... impossible.

He has so many options of other lovers and a potential future as a leader of that company... money, vacation homes, whatever, he has those options.

But apparently he's going to call a meeting to vote his father out?

For me?!

"Don't overthink this, Everest," Henry says, and I can tell the smile he is wearing is forced. "That man is head over heels for you."

I hope he's right.