I surrendered everything—my art, my pride, my dreams of finding my true mate—just to survive another day.
And now I was being told it had all been an elaborate deception.
Alaric's "penance" had stripped me raw, peeled away every layer of who I once was, and rebuilt me into someone I could no longer recognize.
My message stone hummed with incoming energy.
A scent-message from Alaric.
"Lyra, I am being released from Council holding in three days. Do not forget to collect me."
My fingers tightened around the smooth stone until my knuckles went white. A dull ache spread through my chest, settling deep in my bones.
Even now, he was still playing his cruel games.
He was already at his celebration gathering. I had witnessed it with my own eyes.
He had been holding Lily close, celebrating his freedom, surrounded by an enormous feast and beautiful decorations befitting an Alpha heir.
And yet he was still treating me like a fool to be manipulated.
I stared at those words until tears blurred my vision, turning the glowing script into meaningless smears of light.
Then I blinked them away and read the message once more.
I traced my claw across the scent-message parchment, embedding my reply: