Silence. A deafening, crushing silence.
And then—chaos.
Catherine sucked in a sharp breath beside Luther, her nails digging into his arm. The murmurs turned into an uproar, voices overlapping, clashing, breaking through the heavy tension like shattered glass.
Luther’s entire body went rigid. His breathing turned ragged, his hands trembling at his sides—not with fear, but with fury.
“What did you just say?” His voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried through the hall like a blade pressed against my throat.
I swallowed hard, my heart hammering so violently it hurt. But I couldn’t back down. This was my only way out.
“I’m carrying Vander’s child,” I repeated, my voice steadier this time. “And that means I have no place here anymore. Our bond is over, Luther.”
The words were a death sentence. Luther lunged.
I barely had time to react before he was on me, his grip vice-like as he yanked me close, his fingers digging into my wrist so hard I thought the bone might snap.