bChapter /bb157 /b

    ra’s POV

    “No, I’m good,” Thorne said, his voice icy and cutting through the air like a de.

    I saw the disappointment in the maids‘ eyes. Some of them even went as far as bending forward, hoping to catch his attention. It was almost pathetic. Why had he turned them down? Were they not beautiful enough?

    I could feel the tension building, my heart thudding in my chest.

    Lance, ever the instigator, chuckled. “Come on, Thorne. What’s the deal? Not interested? I can have someone else sent to you. Pretty girls, the best ones in the pce–just say the word, and I’ll make it happen.”

    Thorne’s frown deepened. “Why do you keep trying to send women my way? I’ve told you before–I’m not interested.”

    Lance didn’t let up. “I just want to make sure you’re taken care of, brother. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? You haven’t had a woman since that night at the club–just danced with her and that was it. What’s going on?”

    My breath caught. Wait–he didn’t sleep with all those women?

    I had assumed… Well, I thought he’d been enjoying himself. Why else would he turn them all down?

    Before I could process more, Lance voiced the question I was already asking myself.

    “So, Thorne,” he said, his voice dripping with curiosity, “is it because you’re still in love with someone else?”

    The room fell dead silent. I could feel every eye on Thorne, including mine. I waited for his response, the air thick with anticipation.

    Even Mi, who had been fiddling with her earrings moments ago, stopped and turned to face Thorne. The lines on Thorne’s face tightened,

    his expression darkening.

    “I…,” he started, but his words hung there, unfinished, like they couldn’t escape.

    “Let me guess,” Lance smirked, clearly enjoying this moment. The woman you’re still in love with… is it ra?”

    A collective gasp rippled through the room, and suddenly every pair of eyes was on me. My stomach dropped.

    I clenched my fists, trying to keep myself steady as I felt the heat rise in my cheeks.

    “Where are you going with this?” Thorne asked, his voice colder than ice.

    Lance shrugged, a smirk still ying on his lips. “Well, if you’re still in love with her, it’s a problem, isn’t it? She’s our enemy now, Thorne. You can’t be spending time with her. She might just change your mind and drag you back to Direstone Pack.”

    I could feel the weight of every word Lance spoke sinking deep into my chest. It hurt more than I wanted to admit.

    Thorne’s gaze shifted to me, his eyes dark with something unspoken. The look made my heart race, my breath catching in my throat.

    He opened his mouth again, but before he could speak, I cut him off.

    “He’s not in love with me,” I said quickly, louder than I intended.

    I could feel my pulse hammering in my ears, but I forced myself to stand tall. I turned toward Lance, holding my ground.

    “Maybe he’s in love with someone, but it’s not me. We’ve been over for a long time. And I… I don’t love him anymore,” I said, forcing the words out, as if trying to convince myself as much as anyone else.

    The room was eerily quiet. No one spoke for a few seconds.

    Lance’sugh broke the silence. “Oh, wow! Did you hear that, Thorne? She just t–out rejected you. Right in front of everyone. Ouch,” he said, grinning widely. “And you’re just going to let her do that to you?”

    Thome’s expression darkened even further, his re cutting into me with such intensity that I almost flinched.

    I could feel the air between us crackling with the tension. His muscles twitched, the skin around his right eye tightening with barely contained fury.

    But I didn’t look away. I couldn’t.

    He seemed like he wanted to rip me apart with his gaze alone.

    I shifted ufortably, my chest tightening as I avoided his stare. I hated how nervous he made me.

    I lied. I knew Thorne still had feelings for me. I also knew I still cared about him, in some twisted way. But that wasn’t enough.

    It couldn’t be. Not anymore.

    Thorne’s voice cut through the silence, his words cold and sharp. “I’ve been too nice to you… Letting you think you can reject me.”

    I said nothing. My teeth clenched as I held my silence.

    “You don’t get to say no to me, ra,” Mi sneered, her words biting. “You’re nothing but a maid now. A ve. And in this pce, ves like you? Well, they’re at the mercy of anyone who wants to use them.”

    The room erupted into jeers andughter, but my ears were ringing with the sting of her words.

    Lance leaned in, his gaze lingering on me with a mixture of amusement and something darker. “But I get it,” he said thoughtfully. “You’re a beautiful woman. I see why Thorne’s still interested in you.”

    “No,” Thorne snapped, cutting him off harshly. “I’m not interested in her. The mere thought of her disgusts me.”

    His words stung more than I could’ve imagined.

    I felt the tremor of my wolf inside me, the frustration, the hurt, but I stayed still, my heart a mess of conflicting emotions.

    Mi, clearly eager to capitalize on the moment, grinned. “Well, if you don’t want her, Thorne, how about you let me have her? I’ll show her how to behave. Not to brag, but I’m quite good at training ves.”

    “I can handle my own,” Thorne said, his tone as cold as ever. “And… you.”

    His finger pointed to one of the maids standing off to the side, and I saw her eyes widen with excitement.

    “You’reing with me tonight,” Thorne ordered.

    The maid’s face flushed with delight, her hands trembling as she hurried to follow him.

    As they reached the door, Thorne turned sharply, snapping at me.

    “Hustle,” hemanded, his voice cold. “Open the door for your master.”

    374%

    020

    I clenched my teeth, fighting the urge to snap back, but I nodded and walked over to the door, opening it with a calm I didn’t feel.

    Thorne didn’t say a word as he walked past me, the maid following closely behind. The silence between us was thick, suffocating.

    As he entered the room, he walked straight to the couch, his face a mask of stone. The maid, clearly eager, approached him.

    “Master… Do you want to start now?” she purred, her voice full of sweetness and seduction.

    Thome didn’t respond, sitting perfectly still, a statue in front of her.

    Frustrated, she climbed onto hisp, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Master… my feet hurt,” she said in a soft, sweet voice. “Can you rub my ankles for me?”

    Thorne’s eyes flickered to me briefly, his gaze colder than before. “We have someone else who can do that,” he said tly.

    The maid pouted, clearly not getting what she wanted, but she wasn’t going to let it slide. “You,” she snapped at me, “Come and rub my feet.”

    I took a deep breath, steeling myself before walking over to her.

    I knelt, cing her foot in myp.

    “You’re rough,” sheined, ncing down at my calloused hands. “How many years have you spent doing this? Chores?“!

    I snorted lightly. “I didn’t get these calluses from housework,” I said, my voice low.

    She giggled, clearly amused. “Then what? Chopping wood? Lifting heavy things?”

    “Sword, gun, and martial arts training,” I replied, my eyes meeting hers with a knowing smile.

    Her face fell, and I saw the fear flicker in her eyes. “I’ve killed many rogues with these hands.”

    I chuckled quietly, applying more pressure to her foot. “…You feel it, don’t you?”

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