He had desired to be with her. Why hadn’t I stepped aside? Why hadn’t I let them be? I had been foolish to think he might change his mind. Because of my insistence, he had witnessed Sonya leave for another pack after she found her true mate there.
My parents had insisted I accept my fate and remain with Craig. They believed there was no escaping the bond we were meant to share. So Craig was forced into the mating with me, which left me as his Luna.
Our mateship ceremony was far from joyful. Craig had refused a grand celebration, saying I deserved nothing more.
Years later, when Sonya returned claiming her mate had died, I realized how pointless it was to compete with her.
Looking back, I had begged him once again, promising to leave him alone after all these years. That plea seemed to break the last barrier—he agreed only because he wanted to be rid of me.
But why? Why hadn’t he spent even a single final moment with Dustin? Why did he break his promise? It’s one thing for him not to love me, but Dustin is his son too. How could he be so utterly heartless toward him?
I stared at Craig with a heavy, gnawing sense of disappointment eating away at me. There was a time when I admired every line and curve of his face, thinking of it as a masterpiece brought to life. Now, seeing him filled me only with revulsion and bitterness.
Just as Craig was about to speak, Sonya cut in, her voice laced with fake pain and melodrama. “Alpha, I’m feeling dizzy again, and my cheeks are burning. Can you check if they’re swollen?”
Craig’s attention immediately snapped to her, genuine concern flashing in his eyes. Sonya wasted no time, collapsing dramatically into his embrace with a heavy sigh. The handprint I had left on her pale cheek stood as a vivid testament to the rage I had unleashed.
Tears glistened in Sonya’s eyes, and the Alpha tenderly brushed them away with a gentle touch that felt too familiar. I recalled a time when he had shown that same kindness to me. When we were younger, he would have helped me up if I stumbled and comforted me just like that. But now, those moments of warmth seemed like nothing more than distant memories.
His face hardened abruptly, transformed into something chilling and ruthless. “Kristen, apologize to your sister.”
I lifted my chin defiantly, locking eyes with him, unwavering in my stance. “No.”