Chapter 4

Freya

“Pretending what?” I asked, tilting my head.

“That you’re happy without me,” Kael said. Before I could stop him, he reached out to brush a strand of hair away from my face. “I know you’re suffering just as much as I am.”

I scoffed at that and shoved his hand away. “I’m not suffering because I left you. I’m suffering because you stole everything from me. Because you’re a greedy bastard.”

Rather than getting angry at my dig, Kael’s blue eyes just softened. Once, I might have fallen for it. Once. But not anymore.

“Regardless, I don’t want you to suffer, Freya. That was never my intention.” He moved closer and lowered his voice. “After you left, my wolf started becoming uncontrollable. We need you. You’re meant to belong to me, because we’re fated mates.”

The way he said “belong to me” made my skin crawl. It was always about ownership with Kael. I saw that now.

“We have no connection anymore,” I said, disgusted by his possessiveness. In his eyes, the mate bond meant he owned everything about me. When we were together, I had been so entranced by him that I hadn’t noticed how controlling he was.

But now, looking back, I saw it all for what it was. He wanted me to wear only the clothes he picked out, eat the food that met his standards, and he needed to know everything I was doing, controlling my entire schedule, even getting involved in my social life.

Now, at 26, I knew that was not normal, not healthy, and certainly not fair.

“You know that’s not true,” Kael murmured. His hand moved to my neck, his thumb gently stroking the spot where his mark lay hidden beneath layers of makeup. “No matter how much you deny it, you still belong to me. You can cover the mark with all the makeup in the world and it won’t change anything. The mark is still there, the bond is still there, and we both know it.”

I pushed his hand away again. “No, it’s just a scar you left behind. It will heal, and I won’t let you have everything you want.”

Kael’s eyes darkened. “Everything I want? You’re the only thing I’ve ever wanted, Freya. The money, the pack—it was all supposed to be ours together.”

I felt his eyes on my back as I walked away, but he didn’t follow me. Small mercies, I supposed.

I returned to the main ballroom after that, hoping to find the businessman I had been talking to earlier, but as soon as I approached him, he made some excuse about needing to speak with someone else and quickly walked away.

I watched him go, confusion turning to understanding when I spotted him glancing nervously over his shoulder at something—or someone—behind me. When I turned, I saw Kael standing at the edge of the dance floor, watching us with narrowed eyes.

I approached the businessman again, determined not to let Kael intimidate me into isolation.

“As I was saying earlier, the timber resources—”

“I’m sorry, Alpha Freya,” the man cut me off, not quite meeting my eyes. “I don’t think I can help you with your… situation.”

“Why not? You seemed interested earlier.”

He glanced at Kael again, then leaned closer to me. “If you want some advice? Don’t defy Alpha Kael. Not now, when he’s more powerful than ever.” With that, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

As I watched him go, a fresh wave of despair washed over me.

Kael certainly wasn’t as wealthy as Ezren, but he had a whole hell of a lot more political influence than Ezren did. After gaining my parents’ fortune, Kael was more powerful than ever, and the money Ezren gave me wouldn’t be enough to help in that regard.

I realized now just how efficiently Kael had consolidated his position over the past two years, and now it seemed that no one was willing to cross him—not even for the daughter of their old friends.

I made my way to the bar, needing another drink. As I waited for the bartender, I watched the crowd, feeling more like an outsider than ever. Couples danced, groups laughed, and business deals were made. And there I was, standing alone.

But I wouldn’t give up. I told myself this was a challenge I had to face. If I gave up here, that would be my real defeat. My parents had raised me to be strong, to fight for what was mine. I wouldn’t dishonor their memory by surrendering now.

I scanned the room again, looking for any potential allies. My gaze landed on Ezren, who was lounging on a sofa across the room. He had a drink in one hand and a woman on each side, both leaning against him. Another woman was standing in front of him, speaking animatedly while Ezren smiled up at her.

Even here, at a political event, he was just as charming as if he were in a club.

I turned away, not wanting to watch anymore, and nearly collided with Grace.

“There you are!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” She frowned, studying my face. “Are you okay? You look upset.”

“I’m fine,” I lied, forcing a smile. “Just tired.”

Grace didn’t seem convinced. “Is it because of Kael? I saw him talking to you earlier.”

I nodded, not wanting to get into the details. “He’s just… being Kael.”

“That man never knows when to give up,” Grace muttered. Her gaze drifted over my shoulder, and her expression immediately brightened. “Oh, Ezren’s free! Come on, let’s go talk to him.”

Before I could protest, Grace was pulling me across the room toward Ezren’s sofa. The women who had been surrounding him had apparently moved on to other pursuits, leaving him momentarily alone.

“Alpha Ezren,” Grace greeted, her voice taking on a slightly higher pitch than usual. “Wonderful party, isn’t it?”

Ezren looked up, his gray eyes moving from Grace to me. “Indeed it is. Alpha Grace, Alpha Freya.” He nodded to each of us in turn. “I’m glad to see you both enjoying yourselves.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. As if he cared whether I was enjoying myself or not.

Instead, I picked up a drink from a passing waiter and downed it in one go. The alcohol burned my throat, but I welcomed the sensation.

Ezren seemed to notice the redness in my eyes, and his smile suddenly disappeared. “What happened?” he asked.

I opened my mouth to respond, but Grace answered for me: “Kael proposed to Freya in court yesterday. He’s still trying to drag her back.”

Ezren’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Is that so?”

I gave Grace a look that clearly said “we’ll talk about this later” before turning back to Ezren. “It’s nothing. Just Kael being his usual possessive self.”

“Doesn’t seem like nothing,” Ezren said, studying my face. “You look like you’ve been—”

He was cut off by a sudden hush falling over the ballroom. I turned to see what had caught everyone’s attention and felt my blood run cold.

Kael had entered the hall again, this time stepping onto the small raised platform where the band had been playing. He tapped on the microphone, ensuring he had everyone’s attention. The spotlight hit him, illuminating his perfect features and making the small object in his hand glint in the light.

I realized with a start that it was the engagement ring he had once given me, back when we thought we would spend our lives together. I had given it back the day I rejected him and walked away.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Kael’s voice boomed across the ballroom, “I have an announcement to make.”

My heart hammered so loud I was certain everyone could hear it as Kael’s eyes found mine in the crowd.

“On the fifth of next month,” he said, “Alpha Freya Thornhart and I will be joined in marriage.” He held up his hand, flashing the ring for all to see. “I invite you all to attend and celebrate this union with us.”