(Audrey's POV)
Arthur's grip on my wrist tightened as his eyes burned into mine with an intensity I hadn't witnessed in years.
"Audrey, please," he pleaded, his voice uncharacteristically vulnerable. "Don't sever our mate bond. I only want you. No one else. Not Victoria, not anyone."
I couldn't help but laugh - a hollow, bitter sound that echoed in the sitting room of the Moonstone Pack House.
"Do you even believe yourself?" I asked, pulling my wrist from his grasp. "After everything that's happened between us, you expect me to just... what? Fall back into your arms?"
His face contorted with something resembling pain. I'd never seen the mighty Alpha King look so desperate.
"I know I've made mistakes," he admitted, reaching for me again. "Terrible ones. But I can't lose you."
I stepped back, putting distance between us. While I hadn't expected him to believe Victoria's ridiculous accusations about Nathan, this sudden declaration of devotion felt hollow - too little, too late.
"Y
