“It's been months; why now?” His voice dripped with anger.
“I wanted to know if you were doing okay. I missed you.”
He took a deep, irritated breath.
“I’ve never been better,” he said. I nodded as I looked away from him. My mating bond pounded violently in my chest. It wanted me to take him home and not let him leave me ever again. “I thought I made it pretty clear over the past nine years that I did not ever want to see you again. I meant it. Thea broke her curse; you don’t need to come around here anymore.”
“Please,” I begged.
Haden took an angry step toward me. My bond tugged violently like it wanted to snap.
“If you let me explain…”
“Explain?” he hissed. “There is nothing to explain. You killed Remiah—murdered her. No reason will ever be good enough for that. I have not thought about you for months, and I thought you finally understood that I don’t want you around.”
His words pierced straight into my heart and shattered any delusions I had that he could forgive me with time. I swallowed down my sobs because I didn’t want him to see me fall apart. Iwould do that in my home. I was about to answer him, to spill my heart out for him, but stopped when I saw the woman behind him. Her eyes stared at us. Her dark hair was soaking wet from the rain. Gods, she was pretty.
“Haden?” she called out. He stilled as his gaze went to her. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. I’ll be back inside in a minute.”
“Okay.” She nodded and turned away.
I couldn’t help that the storm above us increased its intensity. All I was doing was making a fool of myself. Haden did not want me; if he did, he would have called to me. He would have reached out in these past six months, but he didn’t. He was absolutely fine without me, and the thought made my storm stop completely.
Stars, this is what I was going to feel like for the rest of my life. He deserved to be happy without me.
“Storm—” Haden’s voice broke, and when I looked at him, I paused for only a moment. The void was staring back at me. I had not seen this version of him since I killed Remiah.
“I’m sorry. I’ll leave you alone,” I said quickly and let my starlight take me back home without looking at him. Pia looked at me as I appeared in my room, soaking wet. There was a puddle of water under where I stood, and all I could hear was the rain dripping off of me.
“Della?” She frowned.
I said nothing as I walked past her and into the washroom. I started a bath, stripping my clothing off, and sank into the tub. He’s better than he’s ever been. He looked better than he’s ever looked. I closed my eyes tightly as I tried to be relieved that my mate was not suffering. But I could not. Pia knocked on the door and came in.
“Della, what happened?”
“He is doing better than he ever has, and hasn’t missed me.”
I looked at her, and she looked back at me with pity. Pia knelt next to the tub as my tears fell freely.
“Oh, Della,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I said with no emotion. I was hanging by a thread and I did not care what happened anymore. This was not how it was supposed to end.
Chapter 3
Haden
This is what I should want. I did not need Storm to be a damn distraction from my original plan, but as I watched her, I could not help wondering if I could have both—her and revenge against the stars and gods.
“You know, you could just go talk to her instead of creeping around watching her.” Cassius startled me. I hadn't heard him come up beside me as I stood in the woods of Crimson. I was stalking the woman I told to leave me alone. Cassius watched me without judgment. He knew what it was like to be consumed by the need for one woman.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” I lied, and Cassius’ smile widened.
It took me less than a minute to become void when she came to see me two weeks ago. But by the time I resurfaced, my nice side had already broken her heart again. Even though this was what needed to happen, it didn't mean that I had to like it. She was not for me to keep. But as I told myself that, I was getting moreirrationally pissed off at my own thoughts. How could she not be mine?
Because I did notwantto corrupt her. I did notwantDella to change for me. But wanting and needing are two different things, no matter how hard it is to tell the difference sometimes.
