Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 81 - Chapitre 90

Brynn povI had stayed late because Julie had a school project that required glitter, which was a design decision that no parent or teacher had thought through properly, and by the time the glitter was contained and the project was finished and Julie had been bathed and the bathroom had been partially deglittered and both children were in bed, it was nearly ten and the reasonable thing to do was leave.I did not leave.I told myself I was tired. This was true. I told myself the drive back to the hotel at this hour was not preferable to sitting somewhere quiet for twenty minutes first. This was also true, or true enough. I told myself both of these things and I walked down the hallway to the door at the end of it, the one that opened onto the terrace off his study, and I pushed it open and stepped out.The terrace was a narrow strip of stone, good railing, the kind of view that was best after dark when the lights of the city turned everything below into something that looked deliberate

The lobby of Castellan Industries was clearly designed to intimidate.I stood in the center of the marble floor, craning my neck to take in the soaring glass ceiling thirty feet above. Everything gleamed—polished chrome, spotless windows, even the receptionist’s smile had an unnaturally perfect sheen to it. The kind of corporate fortress that screamed money and power in equal measures.Also the kind of place I would’ve protested outside of six months ago. But now I was here begging for a job.“Ms. Mora?” A crisp voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. A woman in a charcoal suit approached, clipboard in hand, with a pinched expression. “Mr. Castellan will see you now. Follow me, please.”I smoothed down my thrift store blazer—the nicest thing I owned that didn’t have holes—and followed her to the elevators. My worn flats squeaked slightly against the marble making me cringe internally as I tried to walk more quietly.You can do this, I told myself as we rose silently toward the twent

2:47 am, again. I groaned as I rubbed my tired eyes, noticing the brightness from my laptop screen casting harsh shadows across the studio. I should have gone home hours ago, but this client’s deadline was tomorrow, and the dining room rendering still wasn’t quite right. The chandelier needed to be repositioned, the wall color adjusted just a shade warmer. Mrs. Patterson had been very specific about wanting “welcoming but sophisticated,” and after seven years of clawing my way up in this industry, I’d learned that details mattered.My head felt heavy. Just a few minutes, I told myself, folding my arms on the desk, just to let my eyes rest.Within what felt like a second, I was back in my old bedroom at the Steele estate, moonlight streaming through the French windows. The silk sheets felt cool against my flushed skin as I lay there, heart racing. I knew I shouldn’t be thinking about him like this, but in dreams, the rules didn’t apply.The door opened softly. Dominic stood in the door

The mop bucket hit my face before I saw it coming.Cold, filthy water drenched me, soap and grime and things I didn’t want to think about. I gasped, choking, as laughter echoed through the servants’ hallway.“Oops.” Sasha stood over me, the empty bucket dangling from her hand. “My mistake.”I stayed on my knees, water dripping from my hair, my auburn curls plastered to my face. Three days as an Omega, and I’d already learned the most important rule, don’t fight back. Fighting back only made it more entertaining for them because they came in groups.“What’s wrong, murderer?” Another servant, Ella, kicked my cleaning brush across the floor. “Cat got your tongue?”‘Murderer.’ That’s what they all called me now.Three days ago, I had a family. Parents who loved me and even a best friend. A home and a future.Three days ago, I came back from the woods to find my house consumed in flames. My parents dead. My adopted sister Davina dead. My best friend, Hilda was no where to be found. Everyth

You are not fit to be the mate of even my lowest servant.” His voice carried across the silent ballroom. “You are nothing.”I could still feel the bond between us pulsing, fragile, golden, new moment of bliss before he grabbed it and tore it apart.“I, Dayn Blackwood, Alpha of the Silverpine Pack, reject you as my mate.”The bond shattered.Pain exploded through my chest, I put my hands over my heart where it ached the most. thinking was going to die, I heard my scream echo through the room.“This ceremony is over.” His voice was cold, final. “Everyone leave. Now.”Within minutes, the ballroom was empty except for us.I was on my knees, arms wrapped around myself, trying to hold the broken pieces together. The rejection pain was worse than anything, worse than the beatings, worse than the fire, worse than learning my family was dead.“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Dayn crouched beside me. His scent, fainter now, felt wrong without the bond and made my stomach turn. “The Alp