Thorne hesitates to respond, and I’m not sure if that means he’s doubting me or something else. I’m not even sure I care.
“Okay,” he says. “Consider it done.”
Raking hair over my forehead, I close my eyes. “Good.”
“You look tired…”
“Iamtired.” I force myself to smile for the sake of hiding what’s inside my head. As if it matters. As if he’s as talented at reading minds as Sawyer.
He isn’t.
No one is.
Not even me.
Lacing my fingers with Thorne’s, I lift his hand and tug the red bracelet on his wrist. It’s a token of betrayal I’ve fingered for the past year. Never angry. Never jealous. Because Luna Cox isn’t capable of such a feeling.
Now, I know better.
“You know I don’t believe in monogamy.” I try to ease my expression as shame sinks into his face. He looks away quickly but doesn’t pull his hand from mine. “But I need you to take this off.”
He opens his mouth, his eyes strained with guilt. I cup his face so he’ll look at me.
“Don’t speak… Just act.”
His mouth hangs open for a moment before he reluctantly nods, pulling his hand from mine. He takes out his knife and flicks it open before sawing my sister’s cruel taunt off his wrist. It drifts to the floor between us never to be spoken of again. Maybe never to be seen. I’m seriously considering burning this house down along with everything in it.
When he goes to tuck his knife away, I grasp it and slowly pull it free. “Thank you.”
“I love you,” he whines. His face twitches with a silent cry, bleeding heart he is. “I’ve always loved you. That isn’t…” He points to the bracelet. “Whatever you think that is?—”
“Quiet, my sweet.” I force a smile while caressing his jaw until his lip no longer trembles. “I understand.”
His brow furrows in confusion, his face sunk. He waits for me to explain, as if he deserves a fair trial. But I get it.
How could I share my mate with my sister for over a year while saying nothing, presumably whileknowingnothing?
I wish the truth wasn’t so simple. Then maybe I wouldn’t see it so clearly.
Zephyr, my beloved, my sister, mytwinis sunshine. I am the moon.
She is passionate fire. I am unforgiving ice.
Her bed is simply warmer than mine. She’s used more than one man to prove it.
“Sometimes, I can be too cold,” I whisper, curling my finger around Thorne’s ear, proud of how level my voice sounds even while my heart cracks.
I lift my dress and clip his knife to my undergarment before laying it back down and gesturing toward the door. “Shall we?”
CHAPTER 28
SAWYER
By the time I make it to the treeline, my lungs ache. My legs burn from being propelled by an endless pour of adrenaline. Music rises over the crunch of leaves and heavy panting.
I follow the sound while hugging the treeline until I spot a woman in a bright yellow sundress, then two men with crossed arms and moving mouths, then a group of four, then a crowd of people gathered around the ceremonial stage.
I cut across the grass and work my way to the back of the crowd, catching the curious eyes of several attendees.
