Josie
I didn’t know when the tears finally stopped last night. One minute I was pacing the length of my room, replaying every cruel word and cold look, the next, exhaustion dragged down into a restless sleep. My pillow was still damp when I woke.
I lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling as the ache in my chest pulsed with every breath. I’d always thought love was supposed to be a safe place. A shield. A comfort. But the n I loved most had sohow beco the sharpest blades aid at , cutting deeper with every encounter.
And the worst part? I had no idea how to make it stop.
When I finally pushed myself up, the house was quiet — the sort of unnatural silence that pressed down on you like a weight. I padded out into the hallway, half-expecting to hear the usual morning chatter from the kitchen, but there was nothing.
One of the maids, a petite woman with her hair tucked under a scarf, stood near the sitting room, dusting the shelves. She glanced up the second I appeared and blurted, "You should stay indoors today, Miss Josie."
I blinked, thrown off by her tone. "Indoors? Why? What’s going on?"
Her eyes darted away, and she busied herself with a vase that was already spotless. "It’s just... safer," she muttered, voice low, before disappearing into another room.
Frustration curled hot in my stomach. Safer from what?
With no answers coming from anyone, I decided to ignore the warning and head to the garden. Maybe the fresh air would stop my thoughts from spiraling.
Except... the mont I stepped outside, my mood soured even further.
Liam was stretched out across one of the sun loungers near the rosebushes, shirtless, his skin glistening in the sunlight as though he were posing for so ridiculous vanity painting. He had a glass of sothing iced in one hand and looked every bit too pleased with himself.
My patience snapped. "Liam, for Moon’s sake, put on a shirt! This isn’t so private beach."
He cracked one eye open and smirked. "Morning to you too, sunshine. Enjoying the view?"
My jaw tightened. "I’m enjoying nothing about this. Show so decency."
He took a slow sip from his glass, unbothered. "Decency is overrated. You should try loosening up — might make you less miserable."
"Less—" I cut myself off, fingers curling at my sides. "I’m not here to banter with you. Cover yourself."
Liam let out a low chuckle and propped himself up on one elbow. "If I were you, Josie, I wouldn’t be wasting my ti worrying about my wardrobe choices. I’d be a little more concerned about your mate."
My heart skipped, dread clawing up my throat. "What about Thorne?"
"Oh," he drawled, the sarcasm dripping from every syllable, "nothing much. Just that he’s having himself a grand old morning over at the council office. You might want to go ’figure it out’ for yourself."
I stared at him, trying to read his face. "Are you lying to ?"
"Why would I lie?" He gave a lazy grin. "Well... besides for my own amusent. But this ti, darling, I’m telling the truth. Go have a look. Or don’t. But I’d hate for you to miss the... entertainnt."
Sothing about the way he said entertainnt made my stomach twist.
I turned to leave, but his voice followed , mocking and sharp. "Better hurry, though. You wouldn’t want soone else to get the first word in. Or the first punch."
That was it. I couldn’t stand him another second.
I made for the front gates, calling out to the guards stationed nearby. "Take to the council office. Now."
They exchanged a look, neither moving. One had the nerve to say, "We can’t, Miss Josie. Orders."
Fine. If they wouldn’t take , I’d get there myself. I hiked my skirt slightly and started running down the path, the gravel crunching under my shoes. I’d barely made it halfway before a deep voice called from behind, "Hop in."
A black SUV idled at the side of the road. One of the guards I recognized from Thorne’s security detail sat behind the wheel, gesturing for to get in. I didn’t hesitate.
The ride to the council building felt longer than it should have. My mind was a carousel of worst-case scenarios, each one uglier than the last.
When we pulled up, I didn’t wait for the guard to open my door. I stord inside, pushing past startled faces.
The council chamber was tense. Conversations died mid-sentence as I crossed the threshold, the sound of my footsteps loud against the polished floor. And then I saw him.
Thorne.
He stood near the center of the room, his head slightly bowed, the set of his shoulders rigid. His hands — his fingers — were bruised and reddened, the skin raw as if he’d been striking sothing. Or soone.
Despite the ss between us, instinct propelled forward. "Thorne—"
But before I could reach him, a strong arm shot out, stopping short.
"Not now, Josie." Varen’s voice was firm, his expression unreadable.
I looked up at him, confusion and hurt tangling together. "Why? What’s going on? What happened to him?"
"You don’t need to be here," he said, already steering toward the door.
"I think I do." My voice wavered, but I pushed through. "If this is about my mate, I have every right—"
Varen groaned, rubbing a hand down his face. "Thorne... he ssed up. Bad."
My pulse thundered in my ears. "What does that an? What did he do?"
He hesitated, and that hesitation told everything I needed to know. My mind leapt straight to the one person who’d been circling like a vulture lately.
"Is this about Michelle?" My voice dropped, sharp as glass.
The flicker of guilt in his eyes was all the confirmation I needed.
I stepped back, my chest tightening. "What. Did. He. Do?"
Varen’s voice was low, but each word landed like a blow. "He let her get close. Too close."
Horror spread through , cold and fast. I’d been bracing myself for betrayal, but hearing it aloud still felt like a punch to the gut.
I didn’t wait for Varen to stop this ti. I pushed back into the council room, my eyes locking on Thorne.
"Tell you didn’t," I said, my voice shaking. "Tell she’s lying. Tell all of this is a mistake."
But he couldn’t even look at .
He stood there, silent, his gaze fixed on so distant point on the floor.
And that silence was my answer.
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