Rephyrine
“I should go home,” I <b>said </b>at <bst</b>,pelling Dessyn to stare at me in confusion.
“Why are you epting this humiliation, Zephyr? Why?
Finished
I looked away toward the small window of the carriage, exhaling, Ka had insulted me gravely, and I watched her walk away.
She’s respected in the Empire for her contributions to peace, but a woman like me. I am above her. Still, I allowed her to trample all over me.
“Is this because of the mate bond? Because of Nyroth?” Dessyn asked, and I sighed, I turned to her gently.
“He’s my mate.”
“A mate who never cares about <b>you</b>, Zephyr. <b>You </b>deserve more than him. He doesn’t even touch you, or..” She paused, then asked softly. “Has he ever kissed <b>you</b>?”
At that question, I swallowed <b>hard </b>and looked away.
Come to <b>think </b>of it. Nyroth has never kissed my lips.
All he’s ever done is kiss my temple, and that only happens when he’s trying to apologize for something
<b>We </b>never had any romantic time together. There’s never been any lust between us.
Once, we hugged, and I tried to take it further but he gave excuses, Said we should save it for our wedding night.
I believed him until now.
Now I know the truth. He’s saving himself for his crush.
He’s never once felt attracted to me in a romantic way. He only kept me by his side because I helped him <b>build </b>his pack. Nothing more.
The carriage stopped before Hue Pack, and I turned to Dessyn, who was clearly annoyed by my tolerance.
“I’lle meet <b>you </b>at home. We promised Princess Mearez I’de byter tomorrow,” I said, and she nodded.
When I alighted, <b>I </b>could <b>feel </b>her gaze on <b>me</b>.
Atst, the carriage rode on toward White Pack.
For a long while, I stood at the gate of Hue Pack before I walked in.
The hall was unusually <b>silent </b>today.
When I <b>pushed </b>the door <b>and </b>stepped into the living room, the first person I saw <b>was </b><b>Ka</b>, <b>seated </b>calmly in a chair and Pam, Nyroth’s mother, patting her back.
At once, Olivia, who seemed to have been waiting for my arrival, charged forward.
“The harlot is here. Was it true you <b>told </b>lies just so you could make your friend the host? <b>Was </b>it true?”
I stood there, my <b>eyes </b>on her for a brief moment before I shifted my gaze.
Nyroth stood ahead beside the window, saying nothing which <b>meant </b>one thing.
He believed it.
I bypassed Olivia and headed <b>toward </b>my <b>chamber</b>, but Pam blocked my way.
173
Finished
“I heard what you did, Zeph. How you spread lies about that friend of yours hosting a festival in Ash Pack. Have you chosen death, lying to the Lycan heir about a pack so sacred and respected?”
My gaze fell on her. I pulled back, trying to suppress the anger that threatened to rise.
It’s best I left the house for now,
I made to bypass her. Then it came.
” shows she’s a whore. She must have inherited that trait from her dead mother. Spreading legs and fucking with strangers!”
I went cold at that im.
Slowly, I <b>turned </b>back to stare at her, stunned she <b>had </b>crossed a line of no return.
“What did you <b>say</b>?” I asked.
“You heard me, you harlot!” she shouted.
That exmation came with a p that tilted my head to the side. A hard p across my face.
I went colder stis she spat, the spitnding on my feet.
“I curse the day my son brought you home. You never deserved him. Barren.”
That <b>was </b><b>it</b>.
1 fisted <b>my </b>hands and turned toward my chamber, dashing in just to breathe.
My own mother being called a harlot?
I was still seething when the sound of my door opening came.
I turned to see Nyroth <b>standing </b>there in the doorway, his eyes fixed on mine.
“Was it true?” he asked. Zeph.. is it true you had a thing with Apex?”
I went cold.
An assumption and he believed it at once. That meant one thing. There’s no love between us. No trust.
After everything that just happened in the living room.. this is all he could ask me
I didn’t respond and he seemed to understand the message. He sighed in frustration.
“<b>Zeph</b>, you <b>know </b>what the rumors say about Apex. He doesn’t care about anyone but his two sisters. But today. he stared at no one but you. Spoke to no one but you which means one thing.”
“That I slept with him? I asked quietly.
He swallowed <b>hard </b>when he saw the tears welling in my eyes.
“<b>That </bst night, when I <b>was </b>chased like a dog from my mate’s pack in the rain, with my parents‘ ashes, I went ahead andy with a stranger. Is that it?!”
Silence descended at my yell.
He searched my eyes.
Atst, he let out a sigh and took a step forward, his fingers reaching to hold me but I took a step back.
Zeph, I’m sorry. Let’s <b>just</b>..”
His fingers reached again, trying to wrap around my arm and I stopped him with one deadly re.
“Touch me. Nyroth, and I <b>swear </b>on the Moon Goddess we worship. I will slit your throat.”
It <b>wasn’t </b><b>a </b>threat. It was a promise.
He went still at once, stunned by my words.<fn91a0> Fresh chapters posted on Find[?]ovel</fn91a0>
I wiped the tears off <b>my </b>face and stepped back, arriving at <b>a </b>decision of no return.
Finished
“I <b>tried</b>, Nyroth. Despite all I’ve done and all the endurance I’ve shown the love and trust just isn’t there between us.”
Zeph
“Let’s break up.” I cut him off. “I want rejection. Fix the date and time. Let’splete the ritual and go our separate ways. You can marry and mark Ka, as you’ve always wanted.
He went totally pale at my words but I didn’t give him time to <b>recover</b>.
I turned and left the pack, heading straight for White <b>Pack </b>