Page 4

"What did you say?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I pushed at him again, harder this time. He didn't move, so I dug my fingers into his flesh.

He lifted his head, confusion in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" he murmured lazily, leaning in to kiss me again.

Drunk.

I turned my head away, his kiss landing on my cheek.

"You called me Evangeline," I said sharply, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.

His expression shifted, confusion giving way to realization, then horror. "Hazel, no–"

But I was already pushing him away, sliding off the table. My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out his protests.

"Don't touch me," I snapped, yanking my dress down.

He reached for me again, his hands shaking, voice raw with need and desperation. "Hazel, it was a mistake. I didn't mean?—"

"A mistake?" I repeated, incredulous. I stepped back, putting more distance between us. My chest heaved, tears stinging my eyes. "You think calling me by another woman's name while you're about to sleep with me is a mere mistake?"

Xavier's face contorted with a mix of desperation and anger.

"Hazel, please, it just slipped out. It didn't mean anything." He reached for me again, but I sidestepped him, my hands clenched into fists.

"It didn't mean anything?" My voice rose, echoing sharply in the small kitchen. "Seriously? When we're finally supposed to seal our bond, you're thinking of her and not me!"

His eyes flashed, a growl rumbling in his chest. "I'm not thinking of her, Hazel. I'm here with you. I choose you."

A bitter laugh escaped me. "Choose me? You didn't choose me, Xavier. Our parents did."

He slammed his fist on the counter, making the pots rattle. "That's not fair, Hazel. I've been patient with you. I've invested in this, in us."

"And yet, you can't even keep her name out of your mouth when you're with me!" I shouted, my own anger boiling over. I grabbed the wine bottle and hurled it at the wall, shattering it to pieces. The red wine dripped down like blood, staining the white walls.

Xavier's eyes widened, a dangerous glint in them. "You're being unreasonable, Hazel. It was a slip of the tongue."

"Unreasonable?" I echoed, my voice dropping to a deadly quiet. "You want to see something unreasonable, Xavier?"

I picked up the copper pot, the coq au vin still simmering inside, and dumped it onto the floor. Lid clattering, the rich sauce splattered everywhere, the smell of wine and herbs filling the air.

He lunged at me, grabbing my wrists. "Stop it, Hazel. You're acting like a child." His voice was a low growl, his wolf surfacing in his eyes, a dangerous mix of anger and contempt. "Evangeline would never throw such a tantrum. She knows her place, understands our world."

I wrenched my wrists free, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The ultimate betrayal sliced through me like a knife. He wasn't the teddy bear himbo I tried to make him out to be: the new generation of wolves that weren't patriarchal assholes.

He was just like the rest of them–and it had been an act. For my dowry? For me?

It didn't matter.

"And you're acting like a traitor," I snarled. "How dare you come into my home, into my kitchen, and speak of another woman while you're touching me." I grabbed his shirt collar, tearing the shirt open, buttons scattering across the floor. "How dare you make me believe this was real, that I was special."

He grabbed my shoulders, his grip tight with frustration. "If you hadn't made me wait so long, if you hadn't been so afraid...Evangeline, she was just...I never meant for anything to happen, but you kept holding back, keeping your distance–"

"Don't you dare." I shoved him back, rage and heartbreak making my voice shake. "Don't you dare try to blame me."

He stumbled against the table, the asters he'd brought scattering across the floor. "Hazel, please–"

"I loved you," I said, the words burning in my throat. "I waited because I wanted this to be real, not just some magickaltransaction. And you couldn't even give me that much respect." My hands were trembling as I pointed to the door. "Get out. Get out of my house."