The healer shook his head with a heavy sigh. "Her body is ruined. She'll spend the rest of her life in pain."
Something like guilt flickered across Hadeon's face. He gathered me into his arms, my body limp as a threadbare rag. "I'm sorry, Perenna. It's not that I didn't want to help you, but the Alpha Heir's mate is carrying a royal pup. I couldn't afford the delay..."
I gritted my teeth against the pain and pulled myself free of his embrace. I shook my head. "It's fine. You were up all night, my lord. Go rest."
His hands hung frozen in the air where I'd been. His voice came out scraped raw. "Are you angry with me, Perenna?"
I closed my eyes. My answer was flat, toneless. "This Omega wouldn't dare."
"Omega?"
Hadeon caught the shift instantly. He stared at me as though I'd spoken a foreign language.
Before, I had always addressed myself as "your mate" in his presence.
Now I'd changed the word. The line between us, drawn clean.
"Yes. This Omega was born lowly. Naturally, I can't be compared to the Alpha Heir's mate. So you did the right thing, my lord. This Omega wouldn't dare hold it against you."