"Oh, Ayla. You’re so predictable. You think this is about strategy?" She stood, smoothing her gown as she walked toward Lukas. "He chose me because I’m better. Better-looking. Better-bred. Just... better."
"Celeste." Lukas’s voice was firm, but the smirk on his face told me he enjoyed the show.
I glared at him, my claws stretching out. "Seven years, Lukas. Seven years I stood by you. Endured your cruelty. And this? This is what I get?"
Lukas rolled his eyes. "Stop being dramatic. Celeste is an asset to the pack. You’ve been nothing but a liability."
His words hit deep, but I didn’t let him see my pain. I grabbed the silver anklet he’d given me hours ago, ripped it off, and tossed it at his feet.
"I hope you and your ‘asset’ are happy together. I’m done."
The anklet rolled to a stop against his boot. Without hesitation, he crushed it under his heel.
"You’ll come crawling back," he sneered. "You always do."
I turned and walked away, Maia howling inside me. Not this time, I told her. We’re done.
But it didn’t end there. As I walked away, I felt the sting of the pack’s mental link. Lukas’s voice boomed in my head.