My breath hitched, and for a heartbeat, I saw past the devil to the male beneath. I saw something broken, desperate, terrifyingly real. It made my resolve waver when I needed it most and my heart stutter with something that wasn’t hate at all.
The space between us crackled with tension so thick I could taste it. Then his shadows swirled, and he was gone, leaving me gasping and fractured against the wall.
Chapter 20
Wolfe
“Where Possibilities Break”
Imaterialized in my office, barely containing the rage roiling within me.
The walls shook as my shadows flicked out around me, spilling remnants of what I was desperately trying to hold back.
Everyone had looked at me like I’d lost my mind. I’d known that would happen. It was expected.
So was Elariya’s reaction.
I never believed she’d be on board with practically becoming my prisoner again, especially not with her family still sitting in the line of fire.
Fuck. I’d wrestled with the decision since my heart-to-heart with Kaem. But the more I turned over his counsel—that a king did what he needed to do to protect his kingdom—the more keeping Elariya here felt right.
I’d come close to agreeing with Alaric and the others, but my gut and my heart told me otherwise.
I wouldn’t deny it. I was biased. I was selfish. I wanted Elariya here with me. And I knew what I did seemed like an asshole move, given her family situation. But I had to believe I’d find a way.
I had to believe I’d find some way—fast—that protected them and still kept Elariya here.
And if I couldn’t find a sane path, I’d bring war to Thayden’s doorstep. I wouldn’t care that he might have been an important lead in getting closer to my enemies.
Until then, I would keep Elariya.
I drew in a sharp breath, trying to still my thoughts.
Just now, when I held her, I’d shown too much emotion. Too much of the pain inside.
I’d borrowed words she didn’t remember, telling her it hurt less. She’d uttered those same words to me weeks ago, before I took the plunge to be with her. Back then, her eyes were alive with the growing feelings I’d fought so hard to ignore.
Now the cruel void I’d been seeing since her reset was eating me alive.
She was the one stuck in a memory loop. She was the one who had to restart her life over and over again with every new moon. But I was the one standing in the nothingness.
So, I meant what I said. I’d rather have her hate me than look at me as if I meant nothing to her at all.
The fucking nothingness in her eyes cut deeper than the sword wedged into my heart in Morgäven.
Still bracing myself, I moved toward my desk. Before I reached it, Arielle stepped out of a portal, her hands balled at her sides, her body shaking with rage.
“You bastard. You did it to me again.” She shook her head at me.
I wished I could’ve said I didn’t know what she meant. But I did.
“I did what needed to be done,” I replied.
“You asshole. You made me look like the bad guy. You left Elariya on the ship with me, knowing all along what you’d planned.”
Yeah. She was right.
The moment I’d sensed we were approaching the space between realms, I’d summoned everyone except her and told them about the meeting. Then I’d asked Kaem to deliver the message, to bring Arielle and Elariya back here to Vyrenth Hollow.
