Our bond was threadbare now—on the verge of snapping.

And he knew it.

“I’m sorry,” he said at last.

Sorry?

A bitter laugh burst out of me.

“Sorry?” I repeated, my voice cracking under the weight of fury. “You might as well have killed him yourself.”

His eyes darkened. “Don’t say that.”

“You did kill him!” I screamed, my entire body shaking. The pain, the grief—it all surged out of me in one violent wave.

That’s when he lost control.

He gripped my arm roughly, his emerald eyes blazing. “Don’t go there, Selene. Don’t you dare. You’re lucky I even saw him as my own.”

Time stopped.

I froze.

My lungs refused to pull in air.

“What the hell did you just say?”

Ronan slammed a folded document against my chest.

“I had Elior’s DNA tested,” he said, his tone devoid of warmth. “This proves everything.”

He let go abruptly, and my hands trembled as I opened the paper, my pulse thundering so loudly it drowned out every coherent thought.

It was a DNA test.

His name. Elior’s name.

A paternity report.

My limbs went rigid. My vision swam as I read the lines.

No.

I shook my head violently. “No… That’s not true. It’s a lie! Elior is your son!”

“This has been forged! How could you believe this garbage?” I gasped, my wolf thrashing inside me, clawing its way toward Ronan’s wolf—only to be slammed against an impenetrable wall.

He had locked me out.

Shut the bond down completely.

I burned with rage. My grip on the paper tightened, and in a flash, I tore it into jagged pieces, shredding it with every ounce of fury.

Ronan scoffed, disgust written all over his face. “That’s your answer? Seriously?” His voice rose, sharp and furious. “Selene, are you kidding me right now? You lied to me. Who’s the real father? Huh? You had me raising someone else’s kid!”

His fists were clenched so tightly they shook. And then, unexpectedly, he laughed. A bitter, broken sound.

“This isn’t real,” I murmured, my throat closing. “He’s your son! That test—it was tampered with! Someone manipulated it to hurt us!”

“Don’t give me that crap!” he snarled, his voice turning primal. “You’re a filthy liar! I had three tests done, Selene—three separate labs. And they all said the same damn thing.” He was breathing heavily now, his nostrils flaring. “Stop treating me like I’m stupid. I’ll never forgive you for this betrayal.”

I looked at him, stunned.

Ten years, Ronan. A whole decade.