The realization hits me like a blow, sharp and unrelenting.
Alpha Xeno, her father. I haven’t thought about him in… I don’t even know how long. I’ve been so consumed by my own anger, my own bitterness, that I haven’t stopped to consider what she might be going through.
And now, as I look at her, at the tightness in her jaw and the way her eyes glisten just slightly under the ballroom lights, I know.
He will not be pleased about this. He will demand answers.
The words to correct me die in her throat. She doesn’t say it, doesn’t confirm it, but she doesn’t have to.
I can see it in her silence, in the way her shoulders stiffen and her gaze turns inward, retreating into herself. And for a moment, I feel like the worst kind of fool.
“The great destoryer of two kingdoms,” My wolf snarls in disdain.
But I press on, not oblivious to her pain–but pretending to be. “After that,” I say, as though my words aren’t cutting her to ribbons, “we can proceed with the separation as planned.”
Siena steps back from me, pulling away with a grace that feels almost rehearsed. Her face is a perfect mask, calm and composed, but her eyes… her eyes betray her.
There’s a storm brewing there, a depth of emotion she refuses to let me see.
And I hate myself for being the cause of it, but she is far from the victim of circumsance. She is cunning, snide…self–serving.
08:38 Sun, 20 Apr
Chapter 28
Every word a manipulation…every look.
Do not let her play with your mind.
Stay focused–the end game is near.
She inclines her head slightly, a polite gesture that feels more like a dismissal, and turns to leave, &
My hand falls to my side, the warmth of her touch fading too quickly.
I watch her as she moves across the ballroom, her back straight, her steps purposeful. She carries herself like a queen, even now, even after everything.
And then I see her stop.
Across the room, Lila is watching us, her eyes narrowed and calculating, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her hand lifts almost unconsciously to touch the mark on her neck, the perfect crescent that shouldn’t–couldn’t–exist
Unless everything I’ve ever believed about mate bonds is a lie.
She is a liar.
The thought lodges itself in my mind, sharp and unrelenting.
It’s a question I’ve tried to ignore, tried to bury beneath layers of logic and tradition.
But it refuses to stay buried. Not when Siena’s wolf bristles every time Lila is near. Not when my own wolf growls softly, uneasily, whenever Lila speaks.
Not when the woman I’ve spent years resenting stands before me, stronger and more capable than I ever gave her credit for. My chest tightens, the weight of it all pressing down on me.
I watch Siena as she moves to the edge of the ballroom, her hands clenched at her sides, her head held high.
She doesn’t look back at me.
She doesn’t need to. I already know what I’ll see if she does.
Disappointment.
The realization stings more than I care to admit. I’ve spent so long convincing myself that she’s the problem–that her ambition, her defiance, her refusal to bend to my will are the reasons we’ll never work.
But now, watching her walk away, I can’t help but wonder…
What if the problem isn’t her?
What if it’s me?
The thought is terrifying. It’s messy and complicated and forces me to confront truths I’m not ready to face.
But it lingers, gnawing at the edges of my mind, refusing to be silenced.
And for the first time in years, I don’t know what to do.
