bChapter /bb45 /b

bNyssa /bpov

bPfft/bb! /b

Before I could stop bmyself/bb, /bughter burst out of meb. /bbI /bbpped /ba hand over my mouth, but it was toote–I threw my head bback /bandughedb, /bbeyes /bsqueezed shut, my other hand tapping rapidly on the couch as the sound echoed through the room.

Oh my goddessb. /bOh my goddess.

This bwas /bhrious. Absolutely freaking hrious.

bWas /bhe seriously trying to pin it all on Aria? That she tried to seduce him, hit on him, but he nobly resisted her advances because he didn’t want me to get hurt?

Pleaseb. /b

Aren’t they supposed to bbe /bmates? From everything bI’ve /bseen, it looks like Aria cares way more about Kieran than he ever has about her.

Interesting. Very interesting.

“Oh goddessb,/bb” /bI gasped, wiping away the unshed tears, my gaze locking with Kieran’s. He was still staring at me, his frown now etched deeply across his faceb. /b

“I’m sorry. I really am. I’ll stop, just give me a second.” I struggled to catch my breath, but the more I thought about the absurdity of it all, the harder it was to hold back theughter. I couldn’t control myself at first, but eventually, the humor faded when I felt the wave of his killing intent radiating off him.

Clearing my throat, I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to steady. “Ahem, I apologize. Please, go ahead,” I said, trying to mask the sarcastic edge in my tone as I gestured for him to continue.

Kieran’s fists clenched at his sides, his body tense, but he spoke anyway.

“I’m sorry, Nyssa. I know I hurt you, and I know it’s hard to believe, but nothing happened between Aria and me. I can never betray you. I love you-” He reached out, his hand trembling slightly as he tried to touch me, but I yanked my hands away and threw my head back, unable to suppress theughter that bubbled up again.

“Hahaha! Oh goddess, this bis /bgold,” Iughed, shaking my head at the sheer absurdity of it.

bHe /bcould never hurt me? Never betray me? And most of all- he loved me?

The lies bwere /bpiling up, one after another, like a script from a melodramatic soap opera.

bWhere was /bthe man who had slept with my best friend? Who framed me for adultery? Who kicked me out of my own pack?

Where bwas /bthat bastard now? Oh, right, he was here, kneeling before me, trying to manipte me just like he had in my bpast /bblife/bb. /bAnd you know what? The old Nyssa might have believed him, swallowed every word like gospel. But that old Nyssa? She died that day in the woods. She died, pregnant, with a dagger in her chest.

My hands balled into bfists /bbat /bmy sides, brage /bsurging through me as I remembered my unborn child- the one I couldn’t bprotect/bb, /bbeven /bwith my bst /bbbreath/b.

“bNyssa-/b”

Chapter

bI /braised bmy /bbhand/bb, /bbstopping /bhim midb–/bsentence. My gaze turned cold bin /ban binstant/bb, /band I ran a hand through my bhair/bb, /bcursing under my bbreath/bb. /b

I had promised bmyself /bbI /bwouldn’t show any emotion. But the pain of betrayal… bthe /bbsting /bof it all… cuts deeper than anything I could’ve imagined.

“I don’t want to hear your lies again. That’s enough,” I hissed through clenched teeth, the anger and the murderous intent from the bpast /brushing backb, /boverpowering me.

“Do you honestly think I’m a fool, Kieran? That I wouldn’t know what you did? Your tricks? Do you think I’m stupid?b” /bbI /bsnapped, my voice rising sharplyb, /btaking Kieran by bsurprise/bb. /b

“You used me. You used my vulnerability to get what you wanted. You exploited the love I had for youb, /band you hurt me. You betrayed me! You never loved me! Everything- everything was bjust /ba lie. A scheme to get the Alpha’s positionb, /band you killed for it. You killed everyone for it… and even our unborn child!”

But of course, the words got caught in my throat,ing out as nothing more than a dry exhale. I closed my mouthb, /band the bitter metallic btaste /bof blood rushed to my tongue. I swallowed it without a second thought, pushing the bpain /baside bas /bbI /bstood tall to continue.

“I should’ve known something was wrong from the very beginning,” I muttered, my voice shaking. “You never showed me any love. You were always cold, distant… And when you did care, it was just in small, insignificant ways. Whenever I wanted to spend time with you, you were always busy. You always ignored me, but you never ignored her! The way you looked at herb… /bwith affection, Kieran. Something you never once showed me.”

Kieran stood up, shaking his head, clearly about to protest but I cut him off, raising my voice loud enough for everyone outside to hear. If they were going to listen in, I might as well give them a show.

“The way you look at her, Kieran, it’s not the same way you look at me. You look at her like she’s precious.” My voice cracked, but I pushed through. “I always knew there was something going on between you two, but I told myself it was just my delusion. I forced myself to believe I was imagining things. But I wasn’t, was I? You’ve been with her all along.”

Hot, relentless tears streamed down my cheeks as I stepped forward and shoved him.

“Nyssa! Listen to me- it’s all a misunderstanding! Nothing happened between Aria and me!” he shouted, desperation in his voice. But I only shook my head, shoving him again.

b“/bYou’re a bliar/b! That’s all you’ve ever done, lie to me. Use me! But not anymore. I refuse to be a pawn in your game. Enough is enough, Kieran!”

I grabbed his hand in the heat of the moment, and he hissed sharply in pain. I quickly yanked mine back, hiding it in my palm.

“I don’t want to hear anything from you anymore. I’m tired of this. Let’s part ways,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “You’re free to be with anyone you want–just don’te near me again.”

I wiped away the tears spilling down my cheeks and turned away, walking out of the room. Kieran didn’t follow. Maybe he bwas /bbstill /bstunned, trying to process what had just happened.

bAs /bsoon as I stepped out, I stopped in my tracks. My father stood at the door, along with his beta and gamma, Benjamin and bCalen/bb, /ball wearing the same stiff, unreadable expression. Cassian, Zayn, and Serene were there too, their gazes pinned onollimeb. /b/li/ol

My lips quivered as bI /bwiped away thest of my tears, forcing myself to keep walking. I could feel my father’s urge to follow, but Calen and Benjamin held him back with a subtle shake of their heads before gesturing to Serene to go after me.

bAs /bbI /bpassed, I bcaught /ba glimpse, just for a moment, of a faint, amused smirk on Zayn’s lips. I stiffened but quickly told myself

b2/3 /b

Chapter b45 /b

it was nothing. bJust /bmy mind ying tricks on meb. /b

bStill /bwalking, I bopened /bmy palm and blet /bmy bgaze /bdrop. The bcorner /bof my lips curled into ba /bslowb, /bcold bsmirk /bbas /bbI /bbstared /bbat /bbthe /bring nestled in my bhand- /bbKieran’s /bring.

The bevidence /bbthat /bwould point straight at himb. /b

bJust /bas I reached bthe /bbstairs/b, bI /bstopped again. Darius was still sitting there, his head bresting /bon his hand, his sharp bgaze /bbfixed /bon me, narrowed and intenseb. /b

Time seemed to slow bas /bI stared at him for a while before puffing out my chest and flipping my hair, walking baway /bwithout sparing Darius ba /bsecond bnce/b.

Hmph!

He could take his potionand rejection to hell for all I cared. I wasn’t going to let him be the cause of my bdeath/b.