ily

vy, suffocating blanket, broken o

ng-shock? regret?-crossed his face as he stared at the bright red mark

rating with victory, waiting

her n

ifted my gaze to meet Caden's. My eyes felt empty, scoured clean of any emotion.

phina could process wha

same fingers that had just split my lip had been, not ten minutes ago, brushing a strand of hair from Seraphina's face. I had watched him do

grotesque, that something in

sed anger and a lifetime of being underestimated. I

onnecting with his che

AC

r, sharper t

a mask of pure, stunned disbelief. In his entire arrogant life, no one h

wer flaring, a wave of pressure

first time, my own presence felt solid, unshakeable.

word a perfectly formed shard of ice. "I am not yo

up my mother's necklace from the floor. The sapphires

out of this room with this. It is a family heirloom. Its value is more

a, who had gone pale. "And

!" she shrieked, her

up, displaying my recent calls. At the top of the list was a name

in your own home. Your mistress coached your illegitimate child to steal from her

n official inquiry. A public scandal. His authority as Alpha would be challenged.

, his voice tight. For the first time

am educating you. The next time you raise your hand, the next ti

linched and took an involuntary s

r daughter," I said, my voice dropping to a whis

either of them, I turned a

t he froze. He was paralyzed by the s

to his arms. But for the first time, I knew he wasn't comforting her. His mind was racing,

cks in the foye

tate's contracted cleaning service. I want every item belonging to Miss Se

r paled. "But.

oom for argument. "Until a formal Rejection is accepted by the e

his was my house. And the ve