bChapter /bb114 /b

    Jory’s POV

    I had bto /badmit, I wasn’t too keen on the idea of hitting the nightclub. But ra, being the stubborn one, insisted. Eventually, I gave in, it wasn’t like Thad much choice anyway

    y the time we bmade /bit to the club, it was almost midnight. The bass of the music hit me first–loud, rhythmic, shaking the very air around us. The ce was packed, everyone moving to the beat, bodies swaying in the dim glow of neon lights.

    The air felt thick, saturated with the scent of perfume, alcohol, and sweat. My skin prickled, tension rolling through me Neon lights bounced off the glossy surfaces, casting colourful streaks across the crowd. The club had that sleek, modern vibe–plush velvet hooths, a har that gleamed under the harsh light, filled with exotic cocktails,

    We pushed through the crowd, beyes /bscanning for the one person we needed.

    ra spotted Kimberly first. She was sitting at a booth near the dancefloor, surrounded by her friends, allughing and talking too loudly over the music.

    “There she is!” ra practically shouted in my ear, leaning in close.

    I winced from the noise, rubbing my ear. “What do you want me to do? Walk up and ask her who the former King’s son is? Yeah, that’ll go over well.”

    ra rolled her eyes, her voice a little impatient as she shouted bback/b. “Of course, she won’t tell you that straight away! You need to talk to her, gain her trust first. We don’t need answers tonight, but you need to make a move, Jory. You can’t just stand here!”

    I stood frozen in ce, the lights shing in quick session, casting odd shadows across my face. I couldn’t move. I didn’t want to

    Sensing my hesitation, ra sighed deeply, turning to Thorne “Can you grab us a drink?” she asked, her voice softening. I could tell she wanted a few minutes with me alone.

    Thorne gave her ba /blong look but nodded. “Fine,” he said, his tone t. “Ten minutes, ra, I’ll be at the bar

    He squeezed her hand gently before disappearing into the crowd, leaving me alone with her.

    I turned back to ra, the weight of her eyes on me. She tilted her head slightly, watching me. “What’s the hold up, Jory? it’s just talking to a girl. You’re popr back at the pack, you can do this.”

    I could feel the tension tightening in my chest, the bunease /bcrawling up my throat. “It’s not that simple,” I muttered, brushing my hand through my hair. *Kimberly is… our enemy. A rogue, When I left the rogue territory, I promised myself I wouldn’t be tangled up in their mess again. But if I do this–ift recognize her as my mate–what does that make me? A rogue, or am I still with you guysb? /bbIt’s /ball so damn confusingTM

    ra’s expression softened, and she ced both her bhands /bon my shoulders, forcing me to meet her gaze. “No matter what happens, Jory, you’re still you. You’re the person I know, the one with honour, with integrity. Nothing changes that. Not even her.”

    Her words hit me harder than I expected. I felt something inside me loosen, but then it tensed bagain /bwith uncertainty.

    “And if you really can’t stand the idea of her, then you can reject her. But I still think you should at least talk to her, get to know her first. You owe yourself that, Jory”

    I met her eyes, I could see the honesty in them, the hope, the quiet insistence. “You really think bso/bb?/b” bI /basked, my voice quiet.

    She smiled, a soft, encouraging look. “I do. But if you don’t want to do this, I won’t push you. We’ll find another way

    A wave of emotion swelled in my chest–something like sorrow, something heavier. I almost couldn’t breathe as I stared at her, my thoughtning.

    “There’s more…” I said, voice barely above whisper. “There’s another reason why I don’t want to do this…

    bra’s /bbreath caught in her throat, and I could feel her tension before she even spoke. “What is it?” she asked, her bvoice /bbarely audible.

    swallowed, my hands shaking slightly don’t like her. I love you.”

    Her words came out low, soft, but firm. There is no ‘us‘ here, Jory We’ve talked about this before. Ihmenelings for you

    Her honesty hit me like a punch to the put. I clenched my jaw, and something bitter twisted inside

    “That’s harsh,” I said, the wordsing out more pained than I wanted.

    She gave me a sad, almost apologetic look. “It’s the truth. But if you don’t want to go through with this, I won’t force you, I won’t.”

    Thesitated for a moment, feeling something inside me snap back into ce. But the truth was clear now–there was no avoiding it. She wasn’t going to change her mind.

    “I do it.” I said, cutting through the tension “But just so you know, this is for you. Not for anyone else.”

    With that, I turned and headed straight for Kimberly, my mind a storm of emotions.

    I could barely focus. ra’s words still rang in my ears, but I knew this was something I had to do.

    As I pushed through the crowd, I could feel ra’s gaze on my back, but I didn’t turn to look. I couldn’t.

    I reached Kimberly’s booth, and she looked upb, /ba sly grin forming on her face as I stood in front of her.

    “I’m here,” I said, my voice thick with the weight of the moment.

    I could feel the cold tension in the air, the finality of the choice I was making.

    ra moved through the dancefloor, her eyes scanning the crowd for Thorne. But just as she made her way through the press of bpeople/bb, /bsomeone bumped into her. The man, clearly drunk, stumbled back and red at her

    “Watch where you’re going!” bhe /bslurred, his breath sour from alcohol,

    “Sorry.” ra muttered quickly, trying to move past him.

    But he grabbed her wrist, pulling her back toward him with a smirk. “Sorry? Sorry won’t cut it, sweetheart. You’re dancing with me.”

    His hand slid down her back toward her hips, and ra stiffened. This wasn’t happening.

    She pped his hand away, ring at him.

    But the guy wasn’t backing down. He was a kid, maybe no older than seventeen or eighteen, his chestnut hair messy and his eyes clouded with too much drink. But ra had seen him beforeb. /b

    This was bAndre/b–General Danton’s faster son.

    The kid didn’t recognize her. He was so far gone, he probably couldn’t even remember his own name.

    “Come on, dance with me!” Andre slurred, tugging her toward the dancefloor. “Then I’ll take you to my room, and we’ll have some funb.” /b

    ra’s lips curled into a halfugh, half–scott. “Are you even bold /benough to bdrink/b, bkid/bb?/b”

    His eyes flickered with fury. “You bet I am! Who do you think you are? it say I want to take you to my room, that’s what’s going to happen!”

    ra rolled her eyes, feeling more amused than angry. She patted his cheek, her voice dripping with bsarcasm/b. “That’s cute. But I don’t have time for you tonight. bMaybe /banother bday/b.”

    As she turned to leave, he grabbed her shoulder, his grip tightening painfully.

    And then he tried to tear at her clothes.

    b2/3 /b

    ra froze, her heart racing in bshock /band bfury/b. b“/bWhat the hell?” she hissed, twisting to face him. Her hand how out i

    SLAPI

    The sound of the hit echoed through the room, and Andre staggered back, his drunken scream ng the space. “Y You hit me”

    “Yeah, I did,” ra snapped. “And if you touch me again, I’ll break your fingers.”

    “Do you know who I am?” Andre yelled, fists clenched. “You’ll regret this?”

    He turned to shout for security, but the crowd around them had already begun to clear, backing away as the tension grew.

    ra’s eyes flicked to the doorway, and that’s when she saw him

    Thome.

    He strode through the crowd with a dark look in bhis /beyes, moving so fast that he was on Andre in an instant. Before Andre could even react, Thorne spo him around, his hand gripping the kid’s cor like a vice.

    Andre’s eyes widened, but it was toote.

    Thorne kicked him in the chest.

    Andre’s shrill scream cut through the noise as he was sent flying across the dancefloor, crashing straight into the towering champagne tower, the ss shattering around him.

    E