Chapter 5

Aiden stormed out of the room, the necklace still clutched in his bleeding fist.

My soul was dragged along behind him. I watched, helpless, as he staggered into the room and swept everything off his desk in a single, violent motion.

"Doesn't need it?!" he repeated, his voice a low, guttural snarl. "DOESN'T NEED IT?!"

He raised his arm and hurled the blood-stained wolf tooth against the wall.

CRACK.

It shattered, the pieces scattering across the floor.

"I'll give you what you want," Aiden roared, his eyes shot with crazed, bloodshot veins.

The crash brought guards running, with Elder Elias right behind them.

"Alpha!"

The door flew open. Elias stared at the wreckage, his face instantly pale. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"She betrayed me!" Aiden jabbed a finger at the broken fragments. He rounded on the Elder, his voice a raw scream. "She threw away my necklace! She's leaving me! The traitor!"

"How can you say that?!" Tears streamed down the old wolf's face. "Rhea would never betray you! Ten years ago, when you were just a bastard son, who was by your side? When this council refused to acknowledge your blood, who found the proof?!"

Aiden froze for a second.

"When Kane tried to assassinate you, who charged into his war party alone to shield you?!" Elias pressed on. "When Vincent conspired with our enemies, who went into the Shadow Mire and brought you back the traitor's heart?!"

I saw a flicker of doubt in Aiden's eyes.

Those bloody nights. The endless killing.

How many had I killed for his safety? How many sins were on my soul for his throne?

"She has eighty-seven scars on her body!" Elias shrieked, his voice breaking. "Every single one of them was for you! She has PTSD so severe she needs a draught just to close her eyes at night! And she never once complained!"

A flash of pain crossed Aiden's face.

But the rage of being abandoned burned hotter. It twisted into a furious snarl. "Enough! Whatever she did, she's the one who chose to throw me away!"

Aiden lunged for his desk, snatched a pen and paper, and began writing furiously, right in front of the horrified Elder.

"What are you doing?" Elias gasped. "Alpha, don't be rash!"

Aiden stopped.

He lifted his blood-red eyes and read the words aloud, each one a hammer blow.

"Effective immediately, Rhea is exiled for desertion and betrayal of the pack. Her name will be struck from the records. She will be denied all honors. And upon her death… she will be barred from the Tomb of Heroes."

Elias collapsed to his knees, shaking uncontrollably. "No… you cannot do this…"

Aiden signed his name with a vicious slash of the pen and slammed the decree onto the desk.

"From this day forward," his voice was ice, "Rhea and I are done."

---

The full moon had not yet arrived, but the pack's wishing pool was already adorned with flowers, lanterns, and champagne.

The altar was ready.

Everyone was waiting to celebrate their Alpha's Mating Ceremony.

Aiden and Gianna stood before the statue of the Moon Goddess, hand in hand.

They were rehearsing for the ceremony.

The crowd applauded. All except for the members of my unit who had been on the mission with me.

I stood in the crowd, a ghost at their rehearsal. And I remembered his promise, whispered in the dark when we had nothing but each other. I’ll make you happy, Rhea. Forever.

Now, I was just a ghost, forced to watch him pledge his life to another woman.

Aiden lifted Gianna into his arms and made a wish before the Goddess.

He closed his eyes, his voice ringing with false conviction. "Before the Goddess, I bind myself to you. Forever."