He ignores me.
“You’ve gotten yourself in quite the mess,” he continues, tone almost conversational as if they’re just catching up.“Running off, being sold, and getting involved in things that don’t concern you.”
Naia doesn’t move, but I feel the tension emanating around her. There’s a sort of pull in the way his words dig under her skin.
He’s playing it exactly the way I expected, favoring manipulating more than any kind of force that would only drive her further away.
“But it doesn’t matter now,” Hayes says with enough false kindness to make my skin crawl. “Come home, and we can sort this out properly.”
My lip curls slightly, barely holding back a snarl. “She’s not falling back in line.”
Hayes’ gaze flicks to me again, more irritated and brief, then he focuses on her again. He knows there’s no use trying to convince me, but she’s the one with emotional ties.
“This doesn’t have to be complicated,” he says. “You’re my sister, and you belong with your pack. Wraith Peak is your home.”
The word belong leaves a sour taste on my tongue. I said the same thing to her, but I meant it, unlike him and his poor intentions.
Naia’s shoulders square slightly as she stands her ground, keeping her words steady despite the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. “I don’t belong to you. I know that now.”
Hayes’ expression tightens just a fraction as he digests her claim, and he takes a moment before he huffs a quiet breath and uses a lighthearted tone. “You’re confused, is all… they have influenced you. You’ve been away for too long.”
Before I can stop myself, I step forward slightly with a hard expression. “Careful, Voss.”
Hotter irritation sparks in him, but he continues, trying so hard to dig his claws in as deep as he can. He has always done this, even when she was young, just to keep her on his side and in his back pocket.
“You think these wolves understand you?” he asks while gesturing vaguely toward us. One of the guys growls, but he doesn’t care. “You think they see you for what you are?”
Naia is tense beside me, and regardless of her allegiance wavering slightly under the pressure, she holds out. “They do, even if they have every reason to cast me out instead.”
“No,” Hayes counters smoothly. “They see an asset to keep out of anyone else’s reach, just like the rogues did. They’ll keep you close, but only to prevent you from being a problem. You’re a liability to them, Naia…they don’t even trust magic.”
“You’re wrong,” she returns, teeth gritting. “They’re nothing like how you or Dad described them.”
“I guess you’re right. They’re worse,” he murmurs. “Stay here with them and never reach your full potential, or come back with me and find out what you can really do. Help me shape Wraith Peak, like you were always meant to.”
There he goes again, making false promises he’ll never keep his word on. He treated her like something that could be discarded, as if nothing, and it would only end the same way if she gave in.
I can’t let that happen. Not after she has come this far.
Rage rises in my chest, and I take another step forward. “That’s enough.”
This time, Hayes looks at me fully, both cold and assessing. He scowls. “You think this is about you? The one who left Wraith Peak like a coward…”
Choosing to ignore the jab, I force my inner wolf to stand down. “I think you’ve done enough talking.”
Naia adjusts to angle herself toward me now, and that’s all the reassurance I need.
When Hayes sees it too, his gaze drops briefly between us, and that understanding clicks into place. His expression darkens into something closer to disgust.
“You’ve bonded.”
I don’t answer, and I don’t need to. The tension in the clearing instantly rises as his wolves shift uneasily behind him. Regardless of their numbers, they’ve gone up against us before, only to face the same fate.
“You’ve tied yourself to him,” Hayes says, his voice quieter now and bellying the rage stirring in him as he looks at his sister again. Now, it’s like he doesn’t recognize her. “After everything?”
Naia doesn’t hesitate. “Yes. I have.”
The word lands like a final strike, and for a second, Hayes just stares at her. Then, the anger cracks through his cool demeanor and spills out.
