Chapter 101 Shattered Secrets.
SERAPHINA
The cold night air bit gently into my skin, but it couldn’t stop the strange tightness rising inside me listening to Grace. Now the sadness in her eyes when I had pulled her away from Ryker made sense. She was not frustrated because she could not flirt <b>with </b>him, instead <b>she </b>was sad because the man she loved did not react to her hugging Ryker. Now I could clearly feel her anger, the disappointment and helplessness. She was in pain. The pain from being ignored. The <b>pain </b>of love.
this point even my heart hurts to see the real Grace.
“Can a man really be worth putting your reputation on the line?” I asked before I could stop myself and unknown to me four men had been listening to me without making it obvious.
Grace pursed her lips without meeting my gaze as she replied softly. “Yes, I <b>have </b>chased after him in my <b>entire </b>youth. “I’ve put ten years of my life into desiring him. I have <b>even </b>saved my virginity just for him. No matter what. I will wait for him until I grow old <b>and </b>die,” while saying <b>that </b>she never tore her eyes from the crowd of the Alphas, her eyes growing sadder. “I stopped caring about my image the moment I fell in love with <b>him</b><b>.</b>”
I was taken aback. Ten years?
My eyebrows shot up. “You love him that much?”
I froze. “Why him?”
She stilled for a long time at my question and said. “He’s sexy, Powerful. Has the kind of presence that makes your legs shake when <b>he </b><b>walks </b><b>in </b>a room. When he speaks, no one dares <b>to </b><b>challenge </b>him. He doesn’t chase <b>anyone</b>, and still, everyone <b>wants </b>him. And I…” she exhaled shakily<b>, </b><b>“</b><b>have </b>only <b>ever </b>wanted <b>him</b>.”
There was so much conviction in her voice, it <b>caught </b>me <b>off </b><b>guard</b>. For some reason I started finding simrities in her words when she mentioned this man.
But a new question bloomed in my chest.
“Then why <b>haven’t </b>you just gone to him?” I <b>asked </b>softly. “If you love him so <b>much</b>…why not confront him and confess <b>what </b>you feel instead of ying these games?”
“I already did,” <b>she </b>bit out.
I blinked
She wasn’t finished. “I confessed when I turned eighteen<b>. </b>Told him everything. My feelings. My intentions. Everything.”
My wolf <b>got </b><b>involved </b>in her story along with me <b>as </b>we asked, <b>“</b><b>What </b>happened?”
She <b>gave </b>a bitter smile. “He ignored me. <b>Just </b>ignored me.”“”
My eyes widened slightly as she added. “He acted as if he <b>never </b>heard me. No reply. No rejection. No exnation. Like I was a child ying house.”
The vulnerability in her voice was so startling, so <b>unlike </b><b>the </b><b>fierce</b>, flirty Grace the Academy <b>knew</b>. For some reason <b>it </b>reminded <b>me </b>of our of my friends that I lost when we were sixteen. She was <b>strong</b>, wonderful, and intelligent. But when it came to love she was emotionally weak. She chased after <b>childhood </b><b>lover </b>like a shadow thenmitted <b>suicide </b>when he left her the moment he found his soulmate. She ended her life for a <b>man </b>who had not loved her. Now <b>I </b><b>saw </b>her in Grace.
The memory of losing her twisted <b>inside </b>and turned <b>into </b>frustration <b>and </b>anger as I <b>chuckled </b>
Grace’s head whipped toward me, eyes shing. “What the hell is funny!
Haised <b>my </b>hands, stillughing softly. “<b>Sorry</b>, it’s <b>just</b>…I <b>used </b>to think you were the <b>kind </b>of woman who had everything under control. Untouchable. Unbothered. Always got what you <b>wanted</b>. Yet, here you are, admitting there’s something_or
one who isn’t under <b>your </b><bmand</b>”
Her re sharpened. “Who said he isn’t in any control?” Her tone was sharp, defensive.
“Oh please,” I smirked. “It’s obvious. You can sit on a man’sp, leave hickeys, kiss whoever you want but you can’t <b>even </b>go
11:57 <b>AM </b>Pp.
Chapter 101 Shattered Secrets
<b>and </b>talk to the one person you <b>love</b>. That’s not control, Grace. That’s fear.”
+8 Pearls
“Fear?!” <b>she </b><b>snapped</b>, stepping closer to me, her hand twitching like she wanted to p the truth out of the air. “I’m <b>not </b>scared of anything!”
I met her storming gaze calmly. “You’re scared of being judged. Scared of what loving him says about you. Scared of how the world would react to <b>the </b>real you if they found out.”
Her breath caught<b>. </b>
For one suspended moment, she didn’t say a <b>word</b><b>. </b>I could feel the shatter happening behind her eyes. That mask of seduction she wore like a crown crumbled, if only for a second.
The forest around us was silent.
Grace stared at me like she wanted to scream and cry <b>all </b>at once. “What do you know about me?” she whispered, voice shaking. “You think you can make these randomments like you understand me. You know nothing.”
I held her gaze<b>. </b>“You’re right. I don’t know. That’s because you don’t let anyone know. You keep him in the shadows like a sin you’re you’re too proud to name.”
She jerked back like I pped her.
“I’m not scared to show him off. I am not hiding him,” she whispered, but her voice cracked.
I smiled. “Is that so? Then why is it so hard to believe you? Or could it be that person doesn’t even exist <b>and </b>he is only in your imagination.”
A long silence passed between us. She didn’t <b>answer </b>before she clenched her fists and growled at me, “My imagination? Then I have to check again, right?” having said that she suddenly took <b>a </b>step back and started to <b>walk </b>towards the Alphas.
As I watched her determined steps, I held my breath. Finally I’d provoked her. Ten years of waiting <b>was </b>too long for Grace. Even though I did not know her, I could feel her breaking down from inside because of that man. Now that she was finally going to him he would have to take responsibility for ying with her all this time. He had too…
My thoughts grew slower when I saw her heading towards Roman <b>and </b>Asher. An unspoken panic rose in my chest and my heart <b>started </b><b>beating </b>quickly. I still remembered Asher <b>had </b>said that he <b>was </b>not even friends with Grace so could she be <b>going </b>to Ronan? <b>Was </b>he…the man she loved?
My wolf grew still in <b>my </b>mind, my <b>breathing </b>slowed until she walked past them. I blinked, confused as next Finn came to my sight. Could she be….
Before I could think the <b>man </b>she loved was Finn<b>, </b>she also walked past him <b>and </b>the only person who came to my sight <b>was</b>…. Ryker.
My muscles tightened in disbelief. <b>So </b><b>it </b>really <b>was </b>Ryker.
However, Grace passed Ryker <b>too</b><b>! </b>
I <b>cocked </b><b>my </b>brows, “If it’s not Ryker then who…” <b>confused</b>, I stared at her <b>back</b>, <bpletely </b>puzzled <b>until </b><b>she </b>walked between two people talking and faced the tall <b>Alpha </b>and pulled him into a kiss
Everyone’s jaw dropped and my eyes widened in <b>horror </b>
<b>She </b>Lissed. Alphia Jude.
<b>While </b>standing <b>past </b>them some distance away.Alpha Gideon saw it.