And it wasn’t just the fact that he’d chosen her over me—it was how openly he did it, without a shred of guilt or concern for what others might say. The whispers started almost immediately, spreading through the pack like wildfire.
Everywhere I turned, I could feel their eyes on me, watching, judging. They pitied me—the daughter of the Bloodmoon Pack’s Alpha, a true Lycan, reduced to nothing more than a joke. Once, I had been respected, revered even, for my powerful lineage. My family’s blood ran deep, our history rich with tales of strength and honor. But all of that seemed so far away now.
I laughed bitterly at the absurdity of it all, the sound hollow in the empty room. How had it come to this? When did I become so insignificant in his eyes?
I unwrapped the cake I had prepared for us, the one I had been so sure we would share. The icing was perfect, the smell sweet and comforting, but as I took a bite, it tasted like ashes in my mouth. Pointless. This was all pointless.
Without thinking, I reached out through our bond, mind-linking Haynes. His response came swiftly, his voice as cold as the winter air. [Yes?]