It was morning, and Thorne hadn't seen Adina yet. She wasn't there to give him his coffee, nor was she there to set out his clothes. It was her duty, but she was nowhere to be found.

He clenched his jaw tight. There were hundreds of maids who would jump to do it. She shouldn't matter, especially after what she did.

He wasn't going to ask about her… no matter how much he wanted to.

Thorne looked up from the papers on his desk, sensing the sudden shift in energy even before the door slammed open.

"Thessara," he said, his brows arched up. "You're supposed to be in the forest," he said.

Thessara didn't reply. No— she only stared at him, eyes filled with disappointment.

Disappointment?

"Thessara," he called out again, and her frown deepened. She stared at him like he was the devil himself.

"What did you do to her?" she snarled angrily.

At this, Thorne stood up, hands slipped into his pockets. "What has gotten into you? Have you forgotten whose presence you are?"

Thessara scoffed. "Oh, I know. I know very well who it is I'm talking to. I'll ask you again. What did you do to her?"

Thorne shut his eyes. He truly wasn't in the mood for this drama that had come with. He was losing his mind with these many things crawling on him. The council. The concubines. Adina.

No— he didn't have the time.

"You either speak clearly or leave. I don't have the time to—"

"You never have the time, but somehow you always have all the time in the world to ruin someone. What did you do to Adina to have her show up at my cabin late at night?"

Thorne stiffened slightly. Adina went where?

"I saw her last night," Thessara went on, stepping into the room, her robes trailing behind her like storm clouds. "Do you know how she found me? Alone. In the dark and tired, all because she had no one else to turn to."

She slammed her hand on his desk, making the inkpot rattle.

"She's thinner than before. Her cheeks are sunken in. Her body is nothing but bones. Her wolf should have healed her bruises by now, but she's still carrying them."

Thorne looked away.

"She's not eating. She's not sleeping. And she's not living," Thessara said, her voice low now. "And you're letting her fall apart right in front of you. How long will you continue to pretend like you don't see it?"

"She's just a slave," Thorne muttered, his jaw tight.

Thessara's eyes narrowed into slits. "No. She's your mate. The gods gave her to you. Your beast marked her. But you've done nothing but reject, deny, and destroy her."

She shook her head… "I had told you to consummate your bond. I told you it would've healed her well, but you—you let her be. You couldn't even do that. I'm a hundred percent sure that the reason why her wolf can't handle her healing or supporting her body anymore is because it's sick. Tired. Whatever you might call it. Her wolf is already weak, and all she needs is her mate to help her… give her a quarter of his strength and help her heal. But even that, you can't do."

Thorne didn't respond. No— he didn't even look her way.

Thessara scoffed. Of course, he would continue with this. Acting like he didn't care.

"She asked me to nullify the bond."

The room went still.

Thorne's head snapped up. "What?"

"She came to me, begging not to feel it anymore. Not to feel you anymore." Her words hit like daggers. "She's willing to give up anything just to escape the pain of being your mate."

"I—" His mouth opened, but no words came. He couldn't believe it. Adina wanted to nullify the bond? She wanted to just cut off her feelings and what? Not feel him again? Their bond?

Thessara took a slow breath, reining herself in. She waited for him to speak, to jump and run after her. To apologize for being a prick, but of course, she was expecting too much. "Why won't you open your damn eyes and see past your past? Look at her. She's the one for you. She's your redemption, Thorne! She's the only one who can—"

"She's a murderer!" Thorne roared, cutting her off, his eyes wild.

"She killed a pup. Stabbed her sister so deeply she lost her baby. How can I look past that? How can I pretend that my mate isn't a baby killer?"

Thessara stilled. She's never heard of this, but she knew. Adina would never. The person she saw in that cabin. She was a fucking rag. She let anyone step over her. She was weak and had no backbone. If she stabbed anyone. They probably deserved it.

Thessara scoffed. "Did you ask her?"

"What?"

"Did you ask her about the murder? Did you ask her what happened? Was she framed? Did she truly do it? What made her do it if so? Did you hear her side of the story or did you just listen to one part and conclude?"

Thorne looked away… Thessara's words hitting him more than he'd like to admit. Why did he need to ask her? When the reports clearly stated what she did.

Thessara scoffed. "You've been alive for centuries, and this is what your wisdom looks like? You act like some twenty-year-old pup. You were supposed to be intelligent. Smart. Not this—"

"Thessara.!" Thorne growled, the sound reverberating through the room.

Thessara shook her head, her disappointment deepening. "Coming here was useless. You've made up your mind about her." She turned to leave.

"Will you do it?" Thorne's voice stopped her in her tracks. She turned to see him looking more disturbed than before. Good. He shouldn't be at peace. She hoped the gods punished him even more for this.

"Will I do what?" Thessara asked.

"Nullify the bond." His voice was barely above a whisper.

She stared at him for a long moment. "If that's what Adina wants… yes. I will."

"You'd really do that?" he asked. "You'd break the bond?"

"If it saves her from the pain. If it gives her peace? Absolutely." She straightened, "You may be family, Thorne, but I'm not going to watch you ruin a good woman."

Thorne's eyes darkened, his jaw clenched. A thousand things warred behind them, guilt, pain, jealousy, fear.

Thessara didn't soften. "Even with the hierarchy between you two. If I can break the bond entirely. I will. She deserves someone who sees her. Who chooses her. Not someone who punishes her for a past that's not even hers."

She turned away from him then, pausing only to add, "Whatever Adina decides, I'll stand behind her. Nullify it. Break it. Or keep it—if she still wants to."