“Yes.” His eyes held a challenge in them as she stared at him. He gave away nothing as he watched her, clearly seeing that this was upsetting her. Why was he being a dick?
“Is she here in your home with you?” Farris asked like she didn’t actually want to know. Her gaze looked around like this other woman would pop out. Fuck, I could feel her sadness radiating off her. I looked at Ezra, who did not give her any indication that she was his mate. He didn’t look like he was enjoying this, so why make her upset?
“She is here right now.” Ezra smiled at her. “Do you have something you’d like to say to me, Farris?”
She turned to me and frowned when he couldn’t see her face. “I would like to go home,” she said so softly that I barely heard her.
Ezra looked at me, and I saw the sadness in his eyes now. He stared at her like he was in pain being close to her. I did not understand why he was doing this.
“Right, after all, what is an engagement party without the bride-to-be present?” His voice was laced with anger. “How is your lovely fiancé? Lord Phillip, or whatever you said it was.”
Oh, fuck. His eyes were red as he spoke. Ezra did not even try to hide his jealousy.
“He’s wonderful.” Her voice was angry, but her face was full of pain and regret.
Ezra was lucky that Farris was not looking at him because the look of pure hatred and jealousy was not hidden well on his face.
“Yeah, I bet he fucking is,” Ezra muttered.
Farris whipped around, her pale skin red with anger or jealousy; I couldn’t tell which. Her fists were clenched tightly as she glared up at Ezra.
“You never told me you had a mate.”
“I don’t have to tell you shit, Farris. Let’s not forget who betrayed whom. Besides, you chose to leave and marry another man.” He took a step toward her, and she didn’t back down. “I am nothing you desire in a male, is that not what you said to me?”
For fuck’s sake, I wanted to get up and sneak out of here before they remembered I was in the room. I watched her face fall at his words. Gods, if Haden ever tried to marry another woman, I would have gutted her. Why was Ezra, a god known for being a complete asshole, not doing that to this man she was marrying?
“Isn’t that the truth, Farris? You’d rather go marry a man who looks like fucking sunshine and rainbows than be trapped in this hell with me. What else did you say?” He pretended tobe thinking for a moment. “Oh, that’s right, living here with me sounded like a lifetime of torture—a life wasted.”
Fuck.
She had destroyed him.
“You told me if you stayed in my presence I would suffocate you, that I would drain the life out of you.” His chest was heaving with angry breaths now. Damn, I actually felt bad for him—and he’d only ever been a pain in my ass.
“Ezra…” Her voice trailed off. She looked up at him with longing in her eyes. “Do you love her?”
“Yes, more than anything.” He didn’t hesitate.
Her shoulders fell at his confession as she looked away from him. “Then take me back home.”
“I will be back, Della,” he said without looking at me. As soon as they left, I relaxed. I stood up and filled my drink because I was devastated by that interaction. My moment of relief ended as I turned to see Ezra fuming from the chair he had been sitting in earlier. Shit, I hadn’t heard him come back.
Hesitantly, I walked around him and sat back down. He didn’t look at me; he just stared off into the distance.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
His eyes flickered to me. “Would you be alright if your mate chose another over you?” he snapped.
“No.” I sighed.
He looked back at me, and I saw the devastation swarming in his eyes. He blinked excessively to hold in the tears he didn’t want me to see.
“I do not understand why the heavens gave me the most perfect mate only for her to not want me back.” He cleared his throat lightly as he closed his eyes.
“I begged her.” He looked up at me with nothing but sadness. “I fell to my knees, and I begged her to stay with me. I begged herto choose me, and she still left to marry another man.” He leaned back against the chair and sighed.
“Why would she do that?” I asked.
