He won’t look me in the eyes, and it enrages me. I know a caged wolf when I see one, and he’s trapped. And I deserve to know the truth—to hear the words that will break me. Sometimes bones have to break again to heal properly.
I need to hear it. Otherwise, I’ll spend every day searching for slivers of evidence that he still might choose me.
I’d wait forever for him.
But I need him to let me go.
I need him to say it.
“Are you mating her?”
He looks up at me through his brows, his mouth in a tight line, and his jaw ticking.
And there it is.One look, and I have my answer.
And it tastes like heartbreak. My entire body trembles like a volcano ready to erupt. My emotions are powerful, yet I’ve never felt more fragile.
I bite my lip and tears threaten to fall.
I hate him. More than ever. And I hate him mostly because I don’t... I can’t.
“Would you say something, please?” I beg.
He looks up at the ceiling, like he’s wanting so badly to avoid this conversation.
“Caleb!”
He whips his head at me. “Yes!” He snaps, causing me to jump. “Yes... I choose her.”
The pain becomes too great to bear.
At his admittance something finally breaks inside me. But I gather my heart off the floor and stand for myself. I have my answer. I don’t need to stay. I don’t want him to see me cry.
I turn to leave, but I get as far as the doorway when Caleb says, “I can’t lose you.”
“You already have.”
I walk out the door, shutting it behind me.
Chapter FIFTY
Jay
Out of anger and pettiness, I find Jemma outside her home, hunched on her knees, weeding and tending to her garden. I approach her and ask, “What do you know about the Hunt?”
Jemma jumps. “Oh, good goddess!” She glances over her shoulder at me. “Don’t sneak up on me like that. My ticker can’t take it.” She holds her chest, taking deep breaths as she calms her racing heart.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” I say.
“It’s alright. What was your question again?” She squints up at me from the sun in her eyes, creating a visor with her hand.
“I was wondering what you could tell me about the Hunt.”
She pivots into a squat, tending the garden. “The Hunt, huh?” She inspects her plants. “The Hunt has been around long before me. It was created to preserve ancestral powers. Since powers only pass to the firstborn, it’s important to have as many generations at a time to ensure a secure line. Once that ancestral power is gone, there’s no getting it back. No matter how many pups you have, only the firstborn can receive the gift. The sooner that first born becomes an adult and procreates, the more secure a power in a family line is.”
“Can I ask you something personal? Do you regret not taking a mate?”
She stops. “You know, you’re the first person to ask me that.” She stands and brushes the dirt off her hands and sighs. “Sometimes, sure. But mostly, no. I wanted my fated mate. Iknow you can be just as happy with a chosen and most people are too afraid to admit it, but it’s not the same. I didn’t want to feel like I was settling. I didn’t want to be with someone just for the sake of being with someone. Or take someone from someone else for that matter.”
