Chapter 16

Patience's POV

My wolf wailed—a raw, betrayed cry, tinged with the sharp bitterness of blood.

"Hazel has just been promoted to deputy captain. If something like this gets out, it will affect her reputation and harm her chances of promotion in the future," Kelsey said, his brows furrowed with concern for Hazel.

He sharpened his tone and carried his Alpha aura, as if he could force my compliance.

Just as he'd done countless times before.

But this time, his aura only sent a cold ripple through me. Even my wolf refused to submit.

I almost applauded him ironically.

He planned every detail for Hazel's sake, yet he'd conveniently forgotten that when he'd been down on his luck, barely able to pay rent, Hazel had left him with his savings.

I, on the other hand, had stayed by his side through it all—the late nights with dry bread as we revised plans, the endless pitches across the city, the darkest days we'd weathered together.

"No way," I said flatly, without a hint of hesitation.

"What?" Kelsey was taken aback, as if I'd declared something outrageous.

"I won't lie to the public," I said coldly, enunciating each word.

"We both know it wasn't a misunderstanding, and Hazel is no friend of mine."

Kelsey's face darkened, his tone grew heavy, "Patience, are you trying to ruin Hazel?"

"It's your infidelity and ambiguity that've dragged her into this. Not me."

I shot back, my pent-up fury finally erupting. "You're the one who thrust her into the 'homewrecker' spotlight, and now you blame me?"

"I didn't cheat! We're just friends!" he insisted, raising his voice as if to convince himself.

"You treat her like more than a friend," I said with a bitter smile.

"Rushing out at her call, day or night. That's your idea of 'just friends'?"

"It's because Hazel's just back in New York and needs to navigate social events. I'm helping her settle in," Kelsey defended weakly.

"So to 'help her settle in,' you forgot our day to pick up my parents' ashes?" I demanded, my voice trembling with barely contained fury.

That day had been three years in the making—the day my parents' souls would return home.

He'd forgotten it for Hazel's mother's sprained ankle.

"Are we dragging up old grievances now?"

Kelsey snapped, clearly irritated. "A few words from you could help Hazel. Why be so petty?"

I looked at him, feeling only absurdity and sorrow.

How could he say "what's the difficulty"?

This wasn't about words—it was about trampling on my dignity, distorting the truth, and forcing me to condone his betrayal.

"Since you care so much for Hazel, why didn't you reject me when she returned?" I asked, my gaze sharp.

"What?" Kelsey was thrown off guard again.

His pupils contracted in surprise. He was unaccustomed to my pressuring tone.

"If you'd rejected me then, and honestly said you loved Hazel, I'd never have held you back or clung to you," I said calmly, my voice icy.

My wolf growled lowly in my mind.

I continued, "Then Hazel's reputation would be untarnished, and you two could be together openly."

Kelsey frowned unhappily, his Alpha aura edged with stubbornness, trying to overpower my resolve. "I won't reject you. I never forgot the oath I swore to the Moon Goddess when we mated."

"Patience, I've said it before. I've never done anything to hurt you!"

It sounded like a huge joke to me, making me want to laugh, yet my eyes burned.

"Kelsey, you don't reject me because of some oath. You're afraid of the reputation of abandoning your mate after making it big." I looked into his eyes, dismantling his facade word by word.

My pheromones cut through his tense aura like a blade. "You want it all—your first love and a reputation for loyalty. How convenient for you."

"If you hadn't done anything wrong, how could you let your friends belittle and humiliate me so? How could you stand by and say nothing when my parents' ashes were turned away? How could you even break our plans on the day I was to bring my parents' ashes home, just because Hazel's mother had a minor injury? Kelsey, those were my parents! I couldn't even bring them to rest in my own home!"

Kelsey opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word.