Theron's eyes widened in agitation. His words caught in his throat as he doubled over in a coughing fit until his eyes were red and bloodshot."Arynn, I swear there was never anything between me and Mirelle! I only helped her because we grew up together, and she lied to me! She was never carrying a pup!"Suddenly, Theron broke down and choked out. "Arynn, I've missed you so much… When your plane went down, I thought you were dead…"At first, I refused to believe it and searched everywhere for you for so long. But when the airline confirmed your name and details, I had no choice but to accept it…"Recalling that memory brought a sharp, throbbing pain to his chest as he continued, "They never found your body, and I've been living on with that sliver of hope all these years."His eyes locked on mine and brimmed with affection. "Arynn, you're the only one I've ever loved. I hurt you trying to help a friend, so could you forgive me for the sake of my love? Let's start over, shall we?"
Theron's foot landed hard against Mirelle's side and sent her flying. She smashed through two tables before crumpling against the wall, which splintered like a spiderweb under the impact, and left a shallow crater.Lying sprawled on the floor, Mirelle was on the brink of death.Theron stepped toward her slowly before grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her head back. That way, she was forced to meet his gaze."I warned you that I only helped you for the sake of our ties as childhood friends. If you'd stayed in your place, I wouldn't have minded giving you a comfortable life. You should never have touched Arynn!"Your life is mine. Every day Arynn is gone, I'll torture you and stop only when she comes back!"Mirelle's eyes widened with terror. What kind of monster had she fallen in love with?Her voice was desperate with despair as she screamed, "Arynn's dead, Theron! The plane she boarded crashed, and you'll never find her!"His body jolted in disbelief. As his eyes nar
Mirelle assumed that playing weak would result in Theron being soft and pitying her like he used to. However, to her surprise, terror flashed across his face."Take off that wedding gown now! If Arynn sees you in it, she'll be furious!"He knew what that gown meant to me and couldn't imagine how much sorrow I'd be in if I saw another woman wearing it at his mating ceremony. Was that what drove me away—straight into the disaster of the plane crash?Theron crushed the thought as soon as it popped up in his mind. No way! He believed I was just hiding nearby, stewing in anger. I loved him too much to leave the Nightcrest pack. Almost immediately, his hand shot to Mirelle's throat, and his gaze flashed with a sharp, vicious glint. "I'll investigate whether this was your doing. You'd better pray that it wasn't. If it was, I'll make sure you regret it, though."Mirelle's face turned purple as she gasped for breath, only to have him throw her onto the floor. A fit of coughs broke out,
Theron's gaze softened. He hadn't expected me to treasure all his gifts so carefully. Looking at them made him feel as though he was reminiscing about the sweet moments we once shared.However, something struck him at that moment and drained the color from his face.I'd left the villa with all my personal belongings, yet this wooden chest remained, filled with the items he'd given me. What did that mean?The more he thought, the more panic seized his chest. The gifts I once guarded like treasures were now abandoned and randomly stacked like discarded trash. No matter how he looked at it, they felt more like evidence of abandonment."No way! She treasures these too much to throw them away!"Frantic, he knocked over the furniture in the room and searched for proof that I hadn't left like mad. Yet, in the end, he collapsed to the floor in exhaustion, eyes burning dry as he murmured my name, "Arynn, are you going to leave me just like that?"When he lifted his head, a flash of whit
"What did you just say?"Theron's face was drained of color. The words tore out of him like a roar in disbelief, and his chest seized with so much pain it felt as though a hammer had struck his heart.He forced himself to calm down and staggered toward the door, only for his knees to nearly buckle. Harkon rushed to catch him before he collapsed to the floor.Lifting her gown, Mirelle appeared and blocked his way. "Where are you going, Theron? The mating ceremony is about to begin."She looked radiant in her wedding gown. It was an even grander version of mine that had been destroyed. It made her stand out almost like a stunning fairy, but Theron had no eyes for her beauty."Stop the mating ceremony for now. Arynn's plane went down, and I have to find her!"His face was unusually pale as he forced the words out to Mirelle. Toward the end of his words, his eyes welled up with tears.Mirelle's heart leapt. She'd just wanted me gone and hadn't dreamed I might be dead. Delight sparke
I believed the overwhelming sorrow must have numbed me. My voice came out calm when I replied, "It's fine. She didn't mean it. Leave the gown, and I'll mend it myself."Relief washed over Theron's expression before he turned to bark at Mierelle. "Take it off now!"Then, he turned to me with a fawning smile. "I'll win that jewelry set you wanted at the next auction so you can wear it at the mating ceremony."However, his gleeful thoughts betrayed him. "Arynn sure loves me. After Mirelle wears that jewelry set tomorrow, I'll gift it all to Arynn and treat her well for the rest of her life."Mirelle's eyes flashed with resentment as she reluctantly slipped out of the gown. "I'm sorry, Arynn. I won't do it again."Yet, her inner thoughts were viciously cursing me out. "Bitch, how dare you stay so calm! Next time, I'll tear your whole room apart and see whether you can still act composed! I'll destroy you, fucking bitch!"…After they left, I stared at the ruined wedding gown tossed