My father, quiet as always, stood behind her and nodded. “It’s the right decision, Ember. You deserve better than this.”
Days passed, but he didn’t give up on me. I was tired of it. He texted me again, his tone as cold as ever.
"I’ll pick you up tomorrow, okay? We’ll talk it through. Just stop making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. I’m exhausted. Between Elara and you... I can’t handle this stress. I have responsibilities to take care of this pack. Don’t push me right now."
I almost laughed when I read it. Classic Darius, acting like he didn’t know who he really wanted. But I knew. We both knew. It was always Elara, no matter what.
When I was picked to be his mate, he abandoned me to soothe her after a clash with her own mate.
On our celebration, he slipped away to enjoy her birthday feast. Even on my own birthday, he vanished into the night to honor her rise in rank. Every significant moment that should have bonded us was instead claimed by her.
And even after everything, I still couldn’t shake the memory of the one perfect night—the night he chose me.