“That is such a cold-hearted line for you, Alpha of Poisonwood. What will happen to Lucy if she ever finds out? Banished her?” David kept asking.
“I’ll remove her from my life if I have to. As long as Monica is happy, nothing else matters.”
My knees gave out, and I fell to the floor. The coldness of it numbed the pain I was feeling, yet the words from Trent’s mouth repeated in my mind. I heard it once, but it was now in my head forever.
I had been a fool. I thought he cherished me, that the way he touched, held, and protected me meant something. But I was nothing more than an obligation. A tool. A convenient choice after his true mate rejected him.
I spun on my heel, yanking the key from my pocket and tossing it into the nearest brazier, watching the fire consume my foolish hopes.
Then I ran.
I barely saw the twisting corridors as I sprinted through the Packhouse, my vision blurred by unshed tears. My wolf howled inside me, clawing at my chest, demanding vengeance.
I stumbled into my car, gripping the steering wheel. I was out of breath because of both anger and pain.
Trent killed my mother. He took her heart and gave it to Monica’s sister. He condemned my family for his first love.
The engine roared to life as I sped down the forest roads, but I couldn’t see past the storm of betrayal in my mind. The impact came too fast. Pain exploded through me as metal twisted and glass shattered.
Then, I called for my wolf to shift and heal both of us, but it was too late.
The scent of antiseptic burned my nose. My limbs felt heavy, my skin raw with pain. I blinked against the harsh hospital lights, my body weak but my mind sharp. And then I saw Trent.
He sat at my bedside, gripping my hand like his lifeline. His golden eyes—eyes I once adored—were red-rimmed, filled with something that almost looked like regret.
“Lucy,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “Why? Why were you driving like that? You could’ve died!”
I stared at him. He kissed my fingers, then my forehead, his touch as gentle as ever, yet it felt like a sharp silver knife piercing my skin.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again. I can’t lose you.”
I almost laughed. He played the part so well.
I forced a weak smile and murmured, “I’m fine.”
Relief flooded his face. He leaned closer, brushing my cheek with his thumb, whispering how much he loved me, how much I meant to him.