Kael’s POV
She was gone.
Swallowed by the crowd. Her silver hair disappeared like smoke between the bodies on the dance floor.
But I could still see it. That final look she’d given . Those eyes. Cold. Defiant. Like I was nothing.
Like I hadn’t been the one to hold her. Kiss her. Make her scream my na.
My fists clenched at my sides.
*Go after her,* Fenrir snarled. *NOW.*
"Kael."
Rebecca’s voice. Sharp. Demanding.
I didn’t turn around. Couldn’t tear my eyes from the spot where Aria had vanished.
"Kael!" Her hand grabbed my arm. Nails digging in. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
The lie tasted like ash.
"Nothing?" She laughed. Harsh. Bitter. "You’ve been staring at that Oga like a lovesick puppy for the past ten minutes. That’s not nothing."
I finally looked at her.
Rebecca’s face was twisted with fury. Her green eyes blazed. The man she’d been kissing was long forgotten. All her attention was focused on now.
On destroying .
"I wasn’t staring."
"Don’t lie to ." She stepped closer. Her perfu was suffocating. "I know what I saw. You looked like you wanted to murder that man with your bare hands."
I said nothing.
Because she was right.
I did want to murder him. Wanted to rip his hands off for touching her. Wanted to tear out his throat for making her smile.
*She’s ours,* Fenrir growled. *That human has no right—*
"Oh my god." Rebecca’s voice dropped. Horror and realization mixing together. "You actually care about her. Don’t you?"
"Don’t be ridiculous."
"I’m not being ridiculous!" Her voice rose. Heads turned. "I’ve known you for fifteen years, Kael. FIFTEEN YEARS. I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you just looked at her."
My jaw tightened.
"She’s nothing," I said. The words felt wrong in my mouth. "Just a Shadow Moon—"
"Stop." Rebecca held up her hand. Her whole body was shaking now. "Stop saying that. Stop pretending. I’m not stupid, Kael."
Silence stretched between us.
The music pounded. The lights flashed. The world kept spinning while mine fell apart.
"Do you love her?"
The question hit like a bullet.
I opened my mouth. Closed it.
Do I love her?
I didn’t know what love was. Never had. My father’s version of love was control. Violence. Ownership. My mother’s version was submission. Sacrifice. Pain.
Was that what I felt for Aria?
No.
What I felt was... different. Terrifying. All-consuming.
When I was with her, I wanted to be better. Wanted to be soone worthy of those silver eyes. Wanted to protect her from everything—including myself.
But I’d failed. Spectacularly.
I’d hurt her instead. Over and over. Because I was too afraid to admit that she’d gotten under my skin. Into my blood. Into every goddamn part of .
"Answer !" Rebecca grabbed the front of my shirt. Her face was inches from mine. "Do you love that Oga trash?"
*Don’t call her that,* Fenrir snarled.
"I don’t know," I said.
The truth. Finally.
Rebecca stared at . Sothing shattered behind her eyes.
Her hands were still fisted in my shirt. Her body pressed against mine.
And I felt nothing.
That was the problem. That had always been the problem.
With Rebecca, I felt nothing. Never had. She was convenient. Expected. The path of least resistance.
But Aria...
Aria made feel everything.
Too much. All the ti. Even when I was trying to push her away.
"You’re pathetic," Rebecca hissed. "You know that? Chasing after so low-class whore who spreads her legs for anyone who pays her."
Sothing dark flickered in my chest.
"Careful," I warned.
"Or what?" She laughed. Wild. Desperate. "You’ll defend her honor? Please. You’re the one who paid her like a prostitute. You told yourself."
The reminder stung.
Because she was right. I had done that. I’d thrown money at Aria like she was sothing to be bought. Sothing to be discarded.
And she’d looked at with those broken eyes...
*We hurt her,* Fenrir whined. *Our mate. We hurt our mate.*
"You want to know the saddest part?" Rebecca’s voice dropped to a whisper. "She’s probably out there right now. With that man. Letting him touch her. Kiss her. Maybe more."
My vision went red.
Images flooded my mind. Aria’s hands on that stranger. His mouth on her neck. Her dress—my dress—on his bedroom floor.
No.
NO.
"She’s moved on, Kael." Rebecca’s smile was cruel. Satisfied. "She’s forgotten all about you. Found soone else to warm her bed. Soone who actually wants her."
My hands were shaking. Every muscle in my body was coiled tight.
Before I could react, Rebecca grabbed my face.
And kissed .
Hard. Desperate. Her mouth crushed against mine. Her tongue pushed past my lips. Her body pressed so tight against I couldn’t move.
The kiss was aggressive. Demanding. Everything Rebecca had always been.
And I felt nothing.
*Stop this,* Fenrir growled. *She’s not our mate. This is wrong. WRONG.*
I should have pushed her away. Should have ended this. Should have done sothing.
But I just stood there. Frozen. Let her kiss while my mind was sowhere else entirely.
With silver eyes and moonflower scent.
With trembling hands and broken smiles.
With the woman I’d destroyed because I was too afraid to love her.
That’s when I saw it.
Over Rebecca’s shoulder. Through the gap in the crowd.
Aria.
She was near the exit now. That man—Marcus—had his arm around her waist. They were walking toward the door. Leaving.
Together.
But for one second—one split second—she turned her head.
And looked directly at .
Our eyes t.
She saw everything.
in the VIP section. Rebecca pressed against . Our lips locked together.
Sothing flickered across her face. Pain? Betrayal? Vindication?
Gone before I could identify it.
She turned away.
And walked out the door.
With him.
His hand on her waist. His body against hers. Taking her sowhere I couldn’t follow.
*NO!* Fenrir’s roar shook through my entire being. *She’s OURS! Stop this! GO AFTER HER!*
Rebecca pulled back from the kiss. Her lips were swollen. Her eyes were triumphant.
"There," she breathed. "Rember what that feels like? Rember what we—"
"Move."
The word ca out harsh. Guttural. Barely human.
Rebecca blinked. "What?"
"I said move."
I tried to step past her. She blocked .
"Where do you think you’re going?"
"Out of my way, Rebecca."
"No." She grabbed my arm again. "You’re not running after her. Not while I’m standing right here. Not after everything—"
"I don’t care."
The words fell between us like bombs.
Rebecca went still.
"What did you say?"
"I said I don’t care." My voice was cold. Empty. "About this. About us. About any of it."
Her face went white. Then red.
CRACK.
Her palm connected with my cheek.
Pain exploded across my face. My head snapped to the side. The impact echoed through the VIP section.
People were staring now. Whispering. Pointing.
I didn’t care.
"You bastard," Rebecca spat. Tears were streaming down her face. Real tears this ti. "You absolute bastard. How dare you? How DARE you?"
I touched my cheek. Felt the heat where she’d struck .
Nothing.
I felt nothing except the desperate need to move. To run. To chase.
"I’m sorry," I said.
The words were inadequate. Pathetic. But they were all I had.
I stepped back.
Then again.
Pushing through the crowd. Toward the exit. Toward the door Aria had walked through.
My feet moved faster. My heart pounded against my ribs.
She’d left with him. That man. His hands on her body. His smile directed at her.
The jealousy burned through my veins like acid.
I didn’t know what I was going to do when I found her. Didn’t have a plan. Didn’t have words prepared.
All I knew was that I couldn’t let her walk away.
Not again.
Not this ti.
The exit lood ahead. Cool night air rushed through the open door. The sounds of the street beyond.
And sowhere out there—Aria.
With another man’s hands on what was mine.
I pushed through the crowd harder. Faster.
My mind was chaos. My heart was racing. Every instinct I had scread at to find her. To stop her. To make her understand that I’d been lying. That everything I’d said was bullshit. That I couldn’t stop thinking about her no matter how hard I tried.
Rebecca’s voice faded behind . The music dimd. The lights blurred.
All I could see was the door.
All I could think about was her.
Aria.
My fated mate.
The woman I’d destroyed.
The woman I couldn’t live without.
I burst through the exit into the cold night air.
My eyes scanned the street frantically. Looking for silver hair. For that altered dress. For any sign of her.
She had to be here. She couldn’t have gotten far.
I just needed to find her.
My feet carried forward. Away from the bar. Away from Rebecca. Away from everything that made sense.
I didn’t know what would happen next. Didn’t know if she’d listen. Didn’t know if I could fix what I’d broken.
My heart pounded. My wolf howled. Every fiber of my being pulled in one direction.
Toward Aria.
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