Chapter 5

Azelea’s Pov

The ringing in my ear was louder than the sound of the music that thrummed through the walls.

Louder than the voices begging me to breathe. Noah had slapped, raised his hand and hit me square in the face without any remorse oh his face.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even think straight.

He hit me.

My mate.

My husband, the man who had sworn to protect me all his life.

It burned, the pain, the betrayal, everything just felt like they were about to explode. My wolf was quiet, too quiet.

My eyes flickered towards the mirror, I hated the girl that stared back at me, she was nothing like the woman I thought I was. The bright red handprint on my cheek was evidence of what had become of me.

He cheated.

He slapped me.

In all this, I am the one who gets hurt. The one that ends up broken.

My fingers trembled as I touched the harsh red on my cheek, it should have healed by now, my wolf should have surged forward to dull the pain, but all I got was nothing. Silence, as though she wanted me to bask in this.

“Say something, please... don’t...” I begged, but she was adamant, keeping her silence as she watched me willow in pain.

Anger seethed through my chest, if she was going to keep mute, then I would do the same.

I rose to my feet, walking out the door, if noah wanted me gone, then I would do that. There was nothing wrong with accepting defeat.

As I made my way towards our haunted home, I could hear the sound of the music and the laughter echoing through the night air, did he feel anything? Remorse? Would he come running, begging that he didn’t mean any of it? He wouldn’t.

And just like that, I turned, my feet marching towards the banquet hall. I wasn’t going to let him think he had won…. I was done hiding the pain.

He called me an embarrassment; I should be one.

“Azelea!”

Shit. Just when things couldn’t get any interesting, Amara has to be the first person to find me, the one person who is too observant for her own good.

She paused just a few inches from me, her eyes widening in horror as she stared at me, “What the hell happened?”

I didn’t dare to smile; I couldn’t even smile if I wanted to. “I am fine…”

“Don’t fucking give me that… your cheek…”

I held back the tears, “I had been so lost that I didn’t even see the wall… I just…”

Her gaze narrowed, “Luna, walls don’t have five fingers, do they?”

What did she expect me to say? Now that I was thinking about it, what the hell did I think I was doing coming here with the mark on my face… this isn’t going to.

“It’s nothing Amara, I just…”

She cut me off with her eyes hardening as she glared, “Would you tell the truth and stop trying to justify his actions!” she growled.

I opened my mouth to talk, but just before I could say a word, another voice cut through like a thunder in a still night.

“Azelea!”

My legs trembled, the sheer force in the voice had me crumbling on the inside. I didn’t have to turn around, I already knew who it was, the scent had announced him before his voice flooded the space.

He couldn’t see me like this.

I didn’t want him to think me…what? Weak? Stupid woman who stayed?

Kyren Aerling stood before me, he had closed the distance between us in just two steps, his frame towering over mine, this didn’t feel comforting like it did when we were dancing, I could literally feel the rage rolling off him.

Why was he angry? Did the party not go according to his taste?

“What…” the words died in his throat the second his finger touched my chin, tilting my head to meet his gaze.

The bruise, he saw it.

His jaw tightened, I could swear that the air around us was charged, it felt like lightning ready to explode.

“Who…” his gruff tone sliced through. “Who did that?”

He was calm, the calmness that made me realise why he was called the steel king. Instinct told me to lie. And that I did, “I… I fell… I was trying to…”

He growled, the sound silencing me instantly, “Try again, Azelea, and this time, don’t fuckin like to me,”

Behind him, I noticed his beta, Dominic, his eyes trained on us, as if he was gauging the situation. I looked back at Amara, my eyes secretly begging that she would come to my rescue. “Alpha kin, I am fine,” I tried to play it off.

“You can’t have fingerprints on your face and claim to be fine!” he barked.

A crowd had gathered, and the sound of the music had died down. From the corner I saw him, Noah, smiling with the same lady he had fucked in his office.

Hot sizzling rage surged through my veins, he had hurt me, told me to stay away, only to return to her arms, flaunt her around like… the tears burned, the same ones I had said I would never give to him.

Kyren turned his head, his eyes following my gaze, “Did he…”

My eyes snapped back, and I shook my head, “It is nothing,”

He stormed off, his eyes set on Noah, I moved forward, my hand trying to grab his, “Please,” I whimpered.

Amara held me back, “Don’t. You have been silent for so long,” she hissed, watching as the crowd parted like a river as he walked through.

Why was I begging? Who was I trying to protect?

“Noah!” Kyren’s voice thundered.

Noah froze, his eyes widening as he looked towards me finding me behind the alpha king. For a second the smug look, the confidence of a man who had everything washed off his face. For that second, I saw fear.

My heart tugged, “What have I done?”