I sit there and act like it’s the perfect solution. I act like my heart isn’t bleeding every time they call my mate a nuisance. I act like I wouldn’t have to repeat these words to her if I had any chance of getting her to leave.
In a place surrounded by familiar faces with unfamiliar betrayals, I can’t risk keeping my mate and son.
I will have to make her leave. Even if I have to tear my heart out and let her stomp on it to do so.
???
Present.
It’s been seven days since she left—Correction: seven days since I made her leave; broke her heart, trust, and my family to pieces.
I don’t know how will I ever repair the hurt I saw in her eyes when I refused her touch. Her dark eyes holding back tears thatIcaused is an image forever engraved in my mind. I made a promise to keep her safe—funny how I ended up being the one to hurt her the most.
I’m the one who proved her fears right.
I wanted her to call me names, yell at me, curse me or even stab me, so I could feel at least a small amount of the pain I was forcing on her, but I forgot how loud that evil voice in her head could get.
I know it made her believe she deserved it, that what I did was a long time coming, and now she knew better than to repeat her mistake.
Her mistake of falling in love with me. Her mistake of letting me destroy her walls only to destroy her along the way.
I wish I was beside her right now, taking in her addictive scent and feeling whole with her touch, but all I can do is curse the night our world fell apart.
I tried to link her that day, to tell her I didn’t mean a word I said, but she was too broken to realize her headache was my fault—just like her heartache.
Since the day I asked my mate to leave, I have spent every minute trying to figure out a way to flush out the traitors and get my mate back.
If only I could figure something out. I’ve never been this dysfunctional before. I want to get this over with so I can bring my sweetheart back home—back to me, where she belongs and beg for her forgiveness, but everything is upside down, and I can’t think straight.
The worst part is how Seiji and Grace haven’t talked or even looked my way since that day. They locked themselves in their respective rooms and Grace even refused to see Harvey. It’s killing the poor man.
The castle has never looked emptier, our living room never resembled a ghost town, even when it was just the four of us living here.
The door to my office bursts open with such force it rattles the walls. Without caring for the dent I would have to repair, Seiji marches straight to my desk, delivering a bone-cracking punch to my jaw before I can react.
Okay, I deserve that.
“I tried to stop them.” Harvey runs in, trying to catch his breath. He stands next to Grace, who ignores his existence and tries to hold Seiji back from ruining more of my face.
“No, he didn’t. Grace told him to move, and he did,” Seiji retorts.
Harvey rubs the back of his neck and looks down. I don’t blame him. I can’t imagine what the rift between the new couple must be like.
“We want the truth. The whole truth.” Grace walks over to the chairs in front of my desk and makes herself comfortable. When the room is dead quiet, and no one gives her what she wants, she scoffs impatiently. “Is it because we hold no major position in the kingdom?”
“No, that’s not—”
“Then what? Because the way we see it, the soul twins know everything while we are out here ripping our hair out, getting sick with worry about my sister and nephew.”
Hazel stomps to the door, and I think she’s about to leave, but she slams the door shut to stand with her back against it, making sure our conversation remains private.
Rubbing his eyes, Seiji tiredly follows Grace to take the other seat before my desk. I can see the disappointment on his face, but when his eyes level mine, I know he is trying to understand what changed in those couple of hours.
“I’ve known you my whole life, Anxo. I saw how it tore you to watch her leave. I saw how your words hurt you just as much as they hurt her. You accused her of ruining everything, and that stupid overthinker didn’t even try to defend herself. I know you didn’t want her gone, so fess up right now.” Seiji warns, and I know it’s my last warning.
Leaning back in my chair, I heave out a long sigh, running a hand through the stubble I haven’t bothered to clean up in days. I wonder where to start, but my lack of response is not what they are looking for.
“We’ve given you a week to get your shit together, but all you guys do is mope around like heartbroken puppies and stalk our warriors like creepy ex-boyfriends. So, spill.” Seiji is clearly at the end of his rope, and my dramatic pause will only get me another purple bruise.
