Her words stung, but I said nothing. I kept my gaze fixed on the rippling water, refusing to grant her the victory of my pain.
Her tone hardened, sharper than fangs.
“You deaf freak, did you actually believe Alpha Alaric married you for love? He told me everything the night of your wedding. He asked you to keep you from ruining my bond with Ronan Stormclaw. He said the one he loves, the one he has always loved, is me.”
She stepped closer, her perfume cloying, her aura pressing against mine with dominance she had no right to wield. “Face it. No one loves you. If I were you, I’d slit my own throat beneath the moon.”
Each word was a dagger, driving deeper until I could feel my very wolf bleeding inside me. My fists clenched, nails cutting into flesh, my breath shaking as I battled the tears burning my eyes.
She laughed coldly at my silence, her voice curling with cruelty.
“Still clinging to Alpha Alaric? Then let me help you.”
And before I could move, she threw herself into the pool.
The splash shattered the stillness of the night, water churning violently around her as she flailed, her cries shrill and piercing.
“Help! Help me, someone!”
Her voice carried across the garden, echoing like a siren’s wail. And there I stood, frozen at the edge of the water, my heart pounding as the weight of her deceit crashed down upon me.
Nyra’s shrill cries split the night like a wounded wolf’s howl, shattering the moonlit garden and pulling the entire pack to the poolside. Gasps of shock replaced the low hum of chatter as every eye widened at the scene.
Without hesitation, Alpha Alaric tore off his jacket, his wolf surging. He plunged into the pool, slicing through the icy water with lethal precision, every stroke driven by raw desperation. He reached Nyra in powerful swipes, scooping her trembling form into his arms like the most prized treasure of the Silverfang Pack.
Water poured from her gown as he lifted her out, his hold fierce yet careful. “Nyra, are you hurt? Tell me you’re all right!” His golden eyes, once my sanctuary, scanned her face with frantic devotion.
Nyra clung to him, shaking, lashes heavy with tears that caught the chandelier’s light. Then, with the skill of a predator, she flicked a glance at me, her fake anguish glimmering sharp and cruel.