Page 17

When we finally reach the top, I can feel the tension radiating off Kyson in waves.

His grip on Azalea tightens as if anchoring himself, his breathing uneven and rough.

I can’t help but glance at him nervously, noticing how wild his eyes seem.

Even Damian appears uneasy as Kyson clutches Azalea closer, inhaling her scent like it’s the only thing keeping him from unraveling completely.

His entire body looks coiled, ready to snap.

Damian and Gannon watch him with an intensity that tells me something is wrong with the king while my mind is on Azalea clutched in his arms; what if he shifts and hurts her in the process?

I slide into the huge modified armored truck that has come to collect us and so does Kyson, sitting across from me with Ivy in his arms, his entire body tense.

Damian and Gannon climb in, and I wonder where Dustin was put when I notice a few others climb in I don’t recognize but know they are part of the Royal Guard. I am forced to sit on Gannon’s lap.

The ride back is tense, the silence only broken by the rumble of the engine and the occasional sigh from Damian or Gannon.

I sit stiffly on Gannon’s lap, my heart pounding in my chest. Every bump in the road makes me wince, the tight stitches in my wounds pulling painfully, some torn open completely from my struggle with Kade and running.

But it’s not the pain in my body that weighs on me the most—it’s the storm swirling in my mind.

Kade is dead.

The words echo in my head over and over again, and each time, they feel heavier.

I saw it happen—I saw his body fall lifeless to the ground, felt the bond rip apart my heart when he accepted my rejection, then the last fragments of the bond officially died when he did.

I should feel relieved. I should feel free.

He was cruel, heartless, and abusive. He wasn’t the mate I stupidly thought he was.

He wasn’t the person who was supposed to love and protect me.

But he was my mate.

A knot tightens in my stomach, guilt pressing down on me like a weight I can’t shake.

No matter how monstrous Kade was, a part of me mourns him—or mourns what could have been, what should have been.

I hate myself for it. I hate that I feel this way.

But I can’t stop thinking about the man who was supposed to love me, who instead broke me, piece by piece.

Not even fate could force someone to love me and knowing that stings.

I clench my fists in my lap, trying to shove the thoughts aside, but new ones come rushing in, making the guilt sharper, harder to bear.

I didn’t listen to Gannon. He warned me.

He told me Kade was a bad man, told me not to go with him.

But I didn’t listen. I was so desperate to be loved to finally have someone of my own I ignored his warning, and now Ivy—Azalea—is hurt because of me.

If I had stayed, she wouldn’t have gotten hurt. None of this would have happened. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to spill. I feel Gannon’s arms tighten around me, his warmth a comfort I don’t feel like I deserve.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the sound of the car. Gannon leans down slightly, his breath brushing against my ear.

“For what?” he asks softly, his tone gentle but curious.

“For not listening to you,” I murmur. “If I hadn’t gone with him… if I had left when you came for me, maybe Ivy wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Maybe none of this would have happened.” My voice cracks at the end, and I hate how weak I sound. “It’s my fault.”

Gannon doesn’t respond right away, and for a moment, I’m afraid he agrees with me—that he blames me, too.

But then his hand moves to gently cup the side of my face, turning me slightly so I have no choice but to meet his eyes.

His expression is soft but serious, full of a kind of quiet understanding that makes my chest ache.

I hurt him, too; I hurt him which in turn hurt me.

Shame washes over me as I stare into his intense eyes.

“None of this is your fault, Abbie,” he says firmly. “You trusted your mate. That’s not something you should feel guilty for.”

“But I?—”

“No,” he interrupts gently but firmly. “You didn’t cause this. Kade did. He hurt you, and you did what you had to do to protect yourself. Ivy getting hurt—that isn’t on you, that’s on Kade and on me, I told her about Kade, that is why she was close, she was coming to get you.”

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes again, but this time I don’t bother trying to blink them away.

“I should have known better,” I whisper.

“I should have listened to you. I—” My voice falters, and I swallow hard, trying to keep myself together.

I glance at the king but he seems to be having his own struggles with his bond as he stares at Ivy like she is a meal he wants to devour.

My cheeks heat when I lift my gaze to see Damian watching us; he says nothing but turns his gaze to the window like he wasn’t just eavesdropping.

Turning my attention back to Gannon his expression darkens, but he doesn’t let me pull away.

Instead, he strokes his thumb gently across my cheek, wiping away a tear that escapes.

“He didn’t deserve to be your mate,” he says quietly.

“You deserve more than someone who hurt you. Someone who made you feel like you are less.” His voice softens even more, his tone turning hesitant, as if he’s afraid of what he’s about to say next.

“I love you, Abbie,” he says softly. “I loved you before Kade, and I love you now. Nothing he did could change that.”

I don’t know how to reply to that, if he truly means it or is just saying that so I don’t freak out in the car while the king clearly struggles with himself.

I close my eyes, letting myself sink into his warmth, his strength.

I want to believe him. I want to hold onto his words and let them heal the parts of me that feel shattered beyond repair. But it’s hard. Too hard.

I don’t say anything else. I just let myself stay there, resting against Gannon as the car continues down the dark road.

But that fragile moment of peace doesn’t last.

Suddenly, Kyson’s body stiffens, and the tension in the car shifts dramatically.

His breathing grows louder, more labored, and I glance toward him just in time to see his pupils dilate and his canines slip down from his gums. The air inside the car grows thick, almost suffocating as his aura rushes out.

“The windows,” he growls in a voice so guttural it sends a chill down my spine.

Damian and Gannon react immediately, rolling down the windows without hesitation.

I sit stiffly on Gannon’s lap, watching Kyson with growing worry.

He’s trying so hard to hold himself together, but it’s obvious he’s on the verge of losing that fight.

Azalea is limp in his arms, too still for my comfort, and my heart clenches at the sight of her.

I shift slightly, leaning forward to reach for her, but before I can touch her, a vicious, feral snarl rips from Kyson’s throat. I jerk back in shock, and Gannon tightens his grip on me, pulling me securely against him.

“She is safe, but she is in heat; you need to stay still; you can’t touch her when she is like that when he is near,” Gannon whispers in my ear, his voice low.

“But…” I start, my voice trembling as I stare at Azalea in concern.

“No, Abbie,” Gannon cuts me off gently but insistently. “I know you’re worried, but right now, the king isn’t safe to be around. Don’t provoke him while she is in that state.”

I force myself to stay still, though it’s agonizing not to do something.

I sniff the air slightly, and a strange, heady scent hits me, making my nose wrinkle instinctively.

It’s so strong, almost overpowering. I glance at Kyson again.

His jaw is clenched tightly, his entire body tense as if it’s taking every ounce of his willpower not to act on whatever urges are clawing at him.

The rest of the ride is tense and quiet, the only sounds coming from the wind outside the open windows and Kyson’s heavy breathing.

It feels like hours before we finally pull into the driveway.

As soon as we stop, Gannon wastes no time opening the door and helping me out of the car.

I’m relieved to be outside, but that relief is short-lived when Liam appears, his expression serious.

“The boys?” Gannon asks immediately, and I stare at Gannon wondering what he is talking about.

“Clarice has them. They are both tucked away in their beds, safe,” Liam answers. Damian clears his throat, drawing everyone’s attention back to the car. I move closer wondering why he hasn’t got out of the car with Azalea yet. “Kyson, where do you want me to put Dustin?” Damian asks the king.

I stiffen slightly at the mention of Dustin, my eyes darting to Kyson who I can just make out inside the car. I know how close Azalea and Dustin are, but right now, Kyson doesn’t look like the king I know, he looks dangerous, unhinged, a predator barely holding himself back.

“My King, I’m not making excuses for him; he did the wrong thing, but…

” Liam starts to say wandering closer to the car, but Kyson’s sharp growl cuts him off.

Liam presses his lips together tightly, not saying another word.

I can tell Liam is protective of Dustin, but it’s clear Kyson’s patience is thin.

Damian steps closer, one hand on the car door, lowering his voice. “You know it wouldn’t have been a deliberate act of putting her in harm’s way,” he says carefully. “Just think of Azalea’s reaction before you act, My King. You know she won’t be happy if you hurt him.”

“He needs to be punished,” Kyson mutters darkly, and I shiver at the cold finality in his tone and glance at Gannon nervously, surely he wouldn’t hurt his own guard, right?