CHAPTER 18: PROMISES

"So?" I broke the silence maintained by his stubborn assessment.

I stood stiffly across from Darek, my nails pressing crescent moon-shaped marks into my palms.

He had his hands under his chin, eyes staring into my soul. I had no idea what Kinley must have told him and he wasn’t making it easy for me to figure it out either. It felt like he was trying to assess every shift of my breathing and then decide my predicament.

"So?" I repeated, my voice sharper than intended.

"So what?" he asked in his calm, measured tone, as if he had all the time in the world.

"What are you planning to do to me?"

"How about I talk and you don’t ask questions?"

I pursed my lips. "You’ve just been staring at me like I’m prey and you’re just deciding whether to skin me or keep me as a pet. Forgive me if I’m impatient for your royal verdict."

"That’s no way to talk to me, Maeve." His jaw tightened.

I leaned forward, refusing to flinch under his scrutiny.

"So way. I don’t think you can threaten to kill me anymore. Because you’re not going to."

"What makes you think that?" His one brow arched slightly in amusement.

"Kinley said I was too valuable. And I’m sure you’re already planning how to use that to your benefit. You wouldn’t be the Supreme Commander if you didn’t." I dropped my voice. "It’s true, isn’t it? That is what you’re thinking about, right?"

His composure faltered for the briefest second but I noticed before he buried it again under his heated glare. I felt a small semblance of victory rise in my chest.

"You’re giving yourself too much credit," he said flatly.

I sighed.

"Maybe that’s true. But you could still tell me what you’re planning, then, so I don’t have to live under this constant existential dread. I’d like to know if I can get back to my life as an Omega."

"You’re not an Omega, Maeve. And until Fowler can figure that out, you’re still staying here. You obviously need to be monitored at all times. And yes–" he took a deep breath, his gaze burning into me like he was trying to peel off my skin and peer beneath it. "–as much as it pains me to admit it, you are valuable."

The door to the room creaked open.

We both stilled as Valden walked in, clutching a stack of papers. His half-lidded gaze slid across the room to Darek before landing on me.

And froze.

His eyes widened, recognition marring his features, his chest rising too rapidly before he shut it down in an instant. He quickly turned back to Darek as if nothing had happened.

"I’ve brought the reports you requested, sir," Valden said, his voice monotonous. He set down the papers neatly on the table next to us, and stood straight, not sparing another glance in my direction.

"Leave them." Darek squinted his eyes at him before waving him off.

Valden nodded and then strolled out without another word.

My pulse was rioting so hard and fast.

Even after I walked out of his room, it hadn’t calmed down.

I stepped out into the hall only to stop short as I saw Valden leaning against one of the pillars.

The dim lights caught all the right angles of his face and also the shadows under his eyes. His jaw ticked as he saw me.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. His voice was strained, like he was controlling himself, barely holding something back.

My lips curled. "Why do you care? You don’t even remember me."

Something flickered in his eyes, pain or guilt or desperation, but it was gone so quickly I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination.

"I...I care Maeve," he said roughly.

My breath hitched.

"Why?"

"You don’t understand."

I stared at him as the hallway felt like it was pressing and doubling down, the air thickening and suffocating as it finally dawned on me. "Valden?" My voice broke. "Do you...Do you remember me?"

The silence was so deafening. Because whatever was going to come out of his mouth would break, no, shatter my already fucked up heart.

Finally, he whispered the dreaded words. "Yes."

My knees nearly buckled. My eyes stung as I tried desperately to keep it together. I might have forgiven if he didn’t remember. I might have given him a chance. But he treated me like that, talked to me like that all when he knew very well who I was, and what he was to me. He said things he could never take back. And nothing, no matter what the reason was, warranted him to talk like that to me.

"How dare you?"

He flinched like I’d just slapped him across his face.

"So, all this time you were treating me like shit when you knew it was me?" I shook with so much rage and grief, and the words just came flowing out of my mouth. "All this time you let me think I was nothing. Treated me like I was trash. Like–" I laughed bitterly, not able to believe it myself.

His brow furrowed. "Maeve..."

"You promised you’d come back. We...we were supposed to be together. But then all this time you’ve just been busy shoving your tongue down Alpha Rhea’s throat and telling her that I’ve never mattered to you."

The blood drained from his face as if he found it surprising that I even knew about it.

He stepped forward, anguish marking his features. "Please just listen to me. It’s not what you think."

I shook my head, biting my lips to prevent myself from crying out as the tears spilled freely. "Don’t. Don’t even think of doing that. You don’t get to explain now."

I didn’t wait to hear anymore. I left him standing as my footsteps echoed past him, just as he reached his hand out to me, like he wanted to grab me or beg me to stay.

I ignored it.