His words felt like a cruel mockery of the past. I had once dreamed of standing at his side, of holding the title of Luna with pride. But the reality had been starkly different—while I had hidden in the shadows, he had paraded Adeline before the world as his true mate, his unwavering companion in the presence of other Alphas and their packs. I had been nothing more than a secret, a forgotten whisper in his life. And now, when I no longer wished for what he dangled before me, he wielded it as a means to bend me to his will.
The sting of Adeline’s slap still burned, but I refused to let it show. Instead, I met Ronan’s gaze head-on, my voice steady and resolute. “There’s no need, Alpha. We’re finished.”
Shock flickered in his eyes, as if my rejection was something beyond comprehension.
A slow, derisive smirk curled on his lips. “What’s this? No longer running to me, pretending you need me just so I can entertain your son?”
His words dripped with malice, but before I could respond, Adeline spoke, her voice thick with mock sympathy. “Anastasia, stop trying to deceive Alpha Ronan. If Kieran were truly dying, why would you be here alone?”