Semua Bab Echoes of Hate: Bab 81 - Bab 88

DANE.Finch and Adam had both attempted to come and grab Aria away from me. Their glares had been filled with fire that they probably hoped would burn me where I stood.Both of them wanted her anywhere but near me, and truthfully, I couldn’t blame them. After what happened, after everything that had been laid bare in front of the pack like dirty laundry hung out in the wind, why wouldn’t they want her shielded from me?But then she looked at me, and her voice was steady when she asked me to take her to my suite so that we could talk.Not Finch.Not Adam.Me.I should’ve felt relief. Instead, nerves rippled through me like a low-grade current, thrumming in my veins. She had told me earlier that we were okay, but I didn’t see how we possibly could be. Not after the shame of having our rawest, ugliest truths thrown onto screens for everyone to dissect. Not after I had felt her emotions crashing down on me like a tidal wave.And yet… hope was a stubborn, reckless thing. A part of me clung

DANE. My hands slid to the hem of her dress, the silky fabric pooling between my fingers. I looked at her, needing to be sure, needing that unspoken permission. And Goddess, when her eyes met mine, steady and burning with trust, I knew I had it.That trust undid me more than any kiss ever could.I lifted the dress slowly, deliberately, revealing inch after inch of her flawless skin. My lips followed the rise, the curve of her waist, teasing her ribs, until the fabric was gone and she was sitting before me in the most breathtaking sight I’d ever seen.A matching bra and panty set—sinful and elegant all at once. Black lace against her pale skin, clinging to her curves like it had been made just for her. My mouth went dry, and a groan escaped before I could stop it.“Fuck, Aria…” My voice was hoarse, reverent. “You’re perfect.”She shifted under my gaze, a soft blush staining her cheeks, but the way she bit her lip and arched toward me told me she loved the way I was looking at her. Like

ARIA.The bond flared with his emotions rushing through me in a dizzying wave—shame, guilt, fierce love, and unshakable resolve.My throat tightened upon feeling it all, especially the love part. We hadn’t expressed it to each other yet. But feeling it made me realize that I felt that way about him as well. Many people would question how in the hell I could love someone who had hurt me so damn much. It was something that even I questioned, but it was because he’d made it a point to show me who the true Dane was. I hadn’t expected him to say all of that so plainly, not in front of everyone, not with the weight of his mistakes laid bare. But he didn’t flinch. He didn’t hide. He stood there, ready to shoulder the judgment, as long as I stayed behind him where he could protect me.Bex’s gaze darted between us, wide with shock. Gambit muttered a curse under her breath, while Adam just sat back, arms folded, studying Dane like he was trying to decide if this was the same man who had once

[Trigger Warning: There will be details of whipping. I will place markers before it.]ADAM. I felt the weight of the moment before I saw the gloves. My mate passed them to me with a look that said she trusted me to do what needed to be done.Thick leather, reinforced at the palms. I slid my hands into them as if I was putting on armor. The crowd watched with varying reactions. Some were apprehensive. Others shifted on their feet, restless, like they were caught between wanting justice and not quite wanting to watch it carried out.Then there was the Pro-Kelly crowd who didn’t see anything wrong with what she’d done. Her family, especially, were just as delusional as she was. Apparently, she had made them believe that Dane had a thing going on with her that they were keeping on the down-low.That was a laughable thought.Dane was at the edge of my vision, coiled with tension, but he couldn’t step in. Aria sat a breath from him, somehow steady despite how fucked-up everything was righ