Chapter 13

*Hazel*

 “Yes,” I said firmly, forcing a polite smile. It was better to make things clear now than to allow confusion later.

 Shane’s brows lifted slightly, his eyes narrowing with renewed interest. “If my lady truly had a mate, you would not be here,” he replied, as though he had discovered some hidden truth. “You are being used as an allegiance because you are still single.” The irritating smile returned to his lips, confident and knowing.

 His words tightened something inside me.

 “That is true,” I admitted calmly, though my heart pounded. “It is more of a… secret lover. I cannot feel my wolf yet, so I cannot presume he is my mate. But we are in love with each other.”

 The lie tasted strange in my mouth, but it was necessary. I had no lover. No secret one. Not even Adrian could truly be called that. What he and I shared had always been shaped by expectation and closeness — not the kind of devotion that shook the soul.

 Only after everything had fallen apart did I realize the truth.

 If we were truly in love, losing him would have shattered me. Instead, what I felt was the quiet ache of losing a friend. The idea of romance did not move my heart the way everyone assumed it should. My mind was focused on only one thing — saving my parents and clearing their names.

 “Were I in my lady’s position,” Shane said slowly, his tone carrying an unsettling weight, “I would forget about any male lover.”

 I met his gaze, unflinching. “Perhaps. But I am not you.”

 A brief silence followed before he stepped back with a casual shrug.

 “Since you do not wish to accompany me to the night market, I will not insist. You may go with your newly found friends.” He gestured toward Bella and Mira, then turned and left, smiling as though he had won some private battle.

 I scoffed quietly. He truly irritated me.

 Bella and Mira approached once he was gone, both studying my face with concern.

 “Mira,” I said, shifting to make room for them, “tell me more about the Beta.”

 Mira’s eyes lit up immediately, while Bella looked hesitant, clearly choosing her words carefully.

“Well,” Mira began eagerly, “he is very handsome — obviously. Calm, but dangerous at the same time. He loves children more than anything and always carries sweets for them. That’s why they swarm him wherever he goes.” She lowered her voice. “But when it comes to punishment… he shows no mercy.”

 Bella inhaled sharply.

 “There was a noble once,” Mira continued, her expression darkening, “who assaulted one of the female servants and left her to die. When the Beta found out, he did not hesitate. He executed the man publicly. He… mutilated him until life left his body before the entire pack. I still have nightmares about it.”

 She covered her face, visibly disturbed by the memory.

 I swallowed hard, then nodded slowly.

Justice, however brutal, had been served. No woman deserved such cruelty.

 Mira eventually recovered and continued speaking, while Bella interrupted now and then with corrections. Their conversation filled the quiet garden until the evening air cooled and lanterns began to glow across the palace grounds.

 We returned to the quarters to prepare for the night market.

 Shopping at night still sounded strange to me — who did such a thing? — but I found myself looking forward to it. The idea of walking through glowing stalls, surrounded by laughter and unfamiliar scents, stirred something hopeful inside my chest.

 For the first time in a long while, I felt something close to anticipation.