Aurielle DuVallI didn’t sleep at all that night. Too tense about the confrontation between me and Matthias. When Sunday morning came, I was really anxious. Matthias is crazy. Following me into the elevator last night was a dick move. The man needs to accept that I am done with him. Like so fucking done with him. I can’t stand him. And he’s driving a truck into my happiness. Bothering me with complications. I couldn’t get it out of my head how he said 'What if Nerissa isn’t what he wants anymore?Why would he say that to me? After saying he wants me to come to their engagement party?That man is the most confusing person I’ve ever met. I shoved him out of my mind and stepped out of the hotel room. I have things to do today, and I can’t let his actions of last night disrupt my plans.I had just stepped out when my eyes dropped to the side and saw Matthias. My heart jumped. It’s currently 8:00 A.M. What the fuck is he doing here? Mind my language, but I’m just appalled. And a littl
Matthias CroweI stayed in the elevator, thinking about too many things at once. I didn’t want to return to my house. Nerissa was upset when I told my grandmother that next month just wouldn’t work since I needed to have an official engagement party. She was disappointed but understood I needed to do things the right way. So now Neirssa is planning the engagement party, which she intends to make a huge deal about. Standing there, watching her talk about who to invite, the press, and other pack leaders, I could only think of Aurielle and how she’d never gotten an engagement party from me because I didn’t want to marry her.But that was me of the past. This version of me is different, and that’s why I’m here. I had to drive down to see her. I needed to just be around someone who used to stand in the shadows, asking me for nothing but my time and attention. Things I gave her, but with great negativity.When I saw her on the bench, I have to admit I almost thought she was someone else. A
Aurielle DuVall“You’re not going to say anything?”“Why would I?”Matthias chuckled, but it sounded hollow and bitter. “You don’t care about me, do you?”“I don’t,” I said without hesitating.He shook his head. “I’m not getting married.”I continued to look at him, confused. “I’m having my engagement party, but I’m not getting married yet. You know, Auri, with our history, I’d be a bit upset if you were getting married so soon after our divorce.”I bat my eyes at him. “Why? You didn’t love me.”“It’s not about-” he cut himself off, sounding frustrated. “It’s not about love, it’s about respect.”“And you didn’t respect me, so I don’t understand.” Matthias had nothing to say to that. He knows exactly what our marriage was like, so I’m trying to wrap my head around his audacity. Thinking that I would be upset.“You spent our marriage talking about Nerissa. Now you have her. Why are you upset that I don’t care? You won. You got what you wanted.”Matthias exhaled, his frustration seemed
Aurielle DuVallBy Saturday, I was feeling much better about my encounter with Nerissa. I know she’s going to do something crazy, but I’m prepared, and I have Cassiel in my corner. For most of my life, Nerissa has been able to win because people just believed her. They bought her sad looks, her tears, and her demonization of my character. Only those who chose to use common sense could see through her. Matthias and my parents just didn’t like me, so they never bothered to question the holes in Nerissa’s stories. I will never forget showing Matthias the text messages from Nerissa’s number after she was supposed to be dead. Look at how that turned out. He called me a liar, punished me, and just assumed I got hold of her cell phone and used it to text myself. Or that wasn’t her number, even though it clearly was. You can’t defend yourself against people who have already made up their minds about you. But I’m not like that anymore. I’m not willing to defend myself nicely. If Nerissa co
Matthias CroweNerissa brightened moments later like she had finally accepted my words. She gasped, light bursting into her expression like someone had flipped a switch. Then, without warning, she squealed, a high-pitched sound that made me flinch, and leapt into my arms like a child receiving a long-awaited gift.I blinked, caught somewhere between disbelief and resignation as her arms wrapped tightly around my neck.Gods. If only my wolf had stayed fated to Nerissa, maybe none of this would be happening. Maybe I wouldn’t feel this… fractured. Split between duty and desire, past and possibility.I shoved thoughts of Aurielle into the farthest corner of my mind, locking them behind every reason I could come up with. I reminded myself- well forced myself to remember- how wrecked I’d been when I thought Nerissa had died. The sleepless nights. The frantic search for closure that never came. The guilt. The way I’d clung to the idea of her.I tightened my hold on her, because that memory s
Matthias CroweI took the stairs two at a time, heart pounding, and went straight to the bedroom. The moment I opened the door, I heard Nerissa crying into the pillows.She was curled up on the bed, her back to me, shoulders shaking. She looked small and broken. It wasn’t the side of her I was used to.I felt a stab of guilt. I didn’t know what I felt anymore—maybe it was care, maybe just habit. Whatever it was, I couldn’t ignore it.I sat down on the edge of the bed and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.“Nerissa…” I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. “What’s wrong?”She didn’t answer right away, only buried herself deeper into the pillows, muffling another sob. I leaned closer, gently coaxing her to turn her head. After a few moments, she finally lifted her face, revealing red-rimmed eyes, mascara-streaked cheeks, and a mouth twisted with pain.“Someone tried to poison me,” she whispered, voice cracked and hoarse.I blinked. “What?”My frown deepened. “Who would do som