My mother was still standing beside me, her hand reaching up to caress my face. “You’ve made me so proud, darling. You’re finally the man I always knew you could be—”
I caught her wrist mid stroke, my eyes meeting hers with no warmth. No gratitude.
She froze.
“Mother.” I guided her hand away from my face and stepped back, putting distance between us. “Excuse me.”
She stood frozen, something flickering in her eyes—surprise, maybe, or the first hint of uncertainty that her victory might not taste as sweet as she’d imagined—as she watched me walk away.
I hadn’t even made it ten feet when Selene materialized at my side like a ghost I couldn’t shake.
“Dimitri! There you are.” Her hand slid possessively around my arm. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
I fought the urge to groan out loud. This was the last straw. I couldn’t bear another second of this ceremony, another second of playing the devoted Alpha while my Mate was God knows where, broken and alone because of me.
A man approached us just as I wanted to tell of Selene. He was in his mid-thirties with cold eyes that assessed me like I was a rival. When those eyes slid to Selene, something passed between them, a look that lasted a fraction too long to be casual.
Recognition. Familiarity. And something else. Something I couldn’t quite place.
“Dimitri, this is Ethan Thorpe,” Selene said, her voice bright, “Alpha of Thornridge Pack in Top Hills. We’ve known each other since we were children.”
“Alpha Ravencrest.” Ethan extended his hand, his smile practiced and cold. “Congratulations on your coronation. And your engagement. You’re a fortunate man.”
I shook his hand, noting the calculating gleam in his eyes, the way his gaze kept drifting back to Selene. “Thank you. I hope you’re enjoying the ceremony.”
“Very much.” Another glance at Selene, this one lasting just a beat too long. “Selene has told me so much about Garnia. I’m looking forward to strengthening ties between our territories now that you’re united.”
“I’m sure we’ll find mutually beneficial arrangements,” I said, keeping my voice neutral and trying to end the conversation.
“I certainly hope so.” Ethan’s smile widened, showing too many teeth. “Perhaps we could schedule a meeting next week? I have some proposals that might interest you.”
“My schedule is rather full at the moment.”
“Of course, of course. A new Alpha has many demands on his time.” He raised his champagne glass in a toast. “To new beginnings, then. And profitable partnerships.”
I raised my glass mechanically, but I was barely listeninganymore.
There was something off between Selene and Ethan. Something in the way Ethan looked at Selene, the way she leaned into him just slightly, the familiarity between them.
But I was too hollowed out, too restless to care. I needed to go to Isabella. I needed to see her. I needed to explain why I’d done it.
It was past midnight when I finally left the ceremony.
The party was winding down anyway. My face ached from all the forced smiles I’d had to pass around, and my chest felt like it was caving in.
Inside the mansion, I took the stairs two at a time, heading for Isabella’s room in the attic. For the first time tonight, my wolf and I moved in sync. It prowled beneath my skin, thrilled that I was finally doing what I should have done all night, that I was going to Isabella. Yet beneath that exhilaration, I still felt his anger at me.
I knocked. “Isabella? It’s me. I know you’re angry, but please, I need to explain.”
Silence.
I knocked again, harder. “Isabella. Please.”
Nothing.
Dread coiled in my stomach. I twisted the handle of the door and swung it open. It was dark. And when I flicked on the light, my world stopped.
The room was empty. Not just empty, cleared out. The closet door hung open, showing bare hangers. The dresser drawers were pulled out, hastily abandoned. Her mother’s photograph, which always sat on the nightstand, was gone.
