I sip my wine, but it tastes like ash.
“She holds them well,” a woman murmurs.
“Better than their own mother,” her companion replies with a snicker.
I grip my glass so hard I think it might break.
Kade wraps a hand around Izel’s waist and subtly pulls her closer. He has a smile on his face that I once believed was reserved only for me.
So, he thinks she is his true family now?
The shock grips me even though I saw this coming. Over the weeks and months that led up to this moment, I should’ve known he’d do something like this tonight. I just didn’t think he’d be bold enough to make a spectacle of his betrayal.
But he is the Alpha, and he has always done as he pleases.
No.Anger surges through me.This is it.I’ve had enough.
I slip out through the doors and rush to the adjoining stone terrace with quick strides, my breath coming out in sharp gasps. Cool night air rushes against my face, making me hiss. The dark sky is littered with stars but even the Moon hides from me. I grip the cold railing until my knuckles ache. My lips tremble from holding back a sob. For a moment, it is silent except for the gush of wind and the chirp of crickets in the garden below. Then I hear a voice.
‘Leave.’
My body turns to ice. The voice is very faint but familiar.
“Nyx?” I whisper, looking around.
‘It’s me.’
My knees nearly buckle.
My wolf, who has been silent for so long—six years, finally speaks. I can barely breathe right.
I’ve missed her guidance. I’ve missed her strength.
‘Leave,’she says again, voice still faint in my mind. ‘You cannot stay. Thirty days. No more.’
A shiver cuts through me.Thirty days.What does Nyx mean? Why is she asking me to leave?
‘If you want to live, you must free yourself from this poison.’
Goddess help me. I’d forgotten just how obscure wolves could be.
The doors open behind me with a sudden jolt, and heavy, thudding footsteps greet my ears.
Kade. He pushes his black and silver mask up, revealing all the beauty in his charming angled face. The mate bond vibrates the very air between us, and I feel drawn to his warmth—completely out of control of my own body. I have to steel my mind to remember all the shit he has dragged me through. His gaze sweeps over me. “You left the hall,” he says, clearly displeased.
I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat and tell him, “I needed some air. I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed even that.”
“You look pale.”
Does he care?“I’m fine, Alpha Kade.”
“Good.” He pauses, drawing in a deep breath. “You should come back soon. The guests will wonder.”
I force a smile. “Of course.” He turns to leave, but my hand reaches out and tugs at his sleeve. His gaze drops to it before meeting mine once again. “They called herMama,” I say, my voice wavering with pain.
Kade stiffens. “They’re children,” he tries to explain, eyes narrowing. “They don’t know.”
“They know enough. And if they don’t, you should correct them.”
