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A hollowness he’d never experienced before had settled on his soul, a black oil slick that coated everything and choked the light from his eyes. He had been informed by one of his puzzled betas that Remmus had teleported Cortana back to New York following his decree.
It left him bereft. But he’d spoken the words, not she.
Palms pressing painfully into his temples, he allowed the roar in his soul to overtake the noise of the world. For so long, he’d avoided entanglement and rejection, only to be foiled by a mating bond that was destined to never be fulfilled.
His ‘mate’ would rather hurl insults and push him away than want to work through things together. He couldn’t fall into those relationship patterns again.
She’d made him out to be the fiend his family thought him all those years ago, their panicked fear and subsequent wrath gouging his soul irreparably. Although she remained unaware of his checkered past, Cortana had crushed what little remained of that broken soul.
The deadliest poison was the spoken word, spewed from a sharp tongue.
“Riaz?”
Rousing himself to respond, he looked up. “Ava.”
“You’re not yourself.”
It was the understatement of the century. Between Riaz’s scathing new temper and his inability to contain the vitriol within, he’d become someone unrecognizable. That didn’t mean he’d admit it to his beta.
“Gee, thanks, Ava. Your keen powers of observation continue to astound me.”
He turned on the sleek laptop Gadriel insisted on updating for him every couple of years. He’d get started on the schedule the pack would follow religiously from now on.
“You aren’t even trying to hide behind humor anymore.”
Riaz stopped his attempts at organization to glower at her. “What’s it to you, beta?”
“Can a beta not care for her alpha?” Riaz’s features hardened but he didn’t respond. Nonplussed, Ava continued, “You’ve sent Cortana away. Would that happen to be why your tail is in a twist?”
“Get out of my office, Ava.”
“Is that a command, alpha? Are you using your dominance to avoid my question?”
Eyes flashing the blazing orange of his wolf, Riaz growled, “Don’t push your luck.”
But she did anyway. “You see, I happen to know quite a bit about heartbreak. And I can tell when my alpha is experiencing loss. Sorrow. Whatever you want to call it. Why have you sent away your mate?”
“Because she’s rejected me!” Temper reigniting, Riaz slammed his hands into the desk, a crack forming beneath the pressure. “It didn’t matter that we shared something special—that I opened up to her and she was the one who initiated anything physical. Every time I inched closer in response, she would take a gaping step back and glare at me for the intrusion. There’s only so much a man can take.”
Something akin to pity crossed Ava’s features. Grief hung heavy around Riaz’ neck, a stone pitting in his stomach as he sank into the abyss of bitter memories. He collapsed backward into his chair.
“For what’s it’s worth, I’m sorry, Riaz.”
He studied her for a moment, noting the lines of strain around her mouth and eyes, and the alpha in him immediately focused on her wellbeing. “Take the long scout through the mountains, Ava. You don’t need to be here to see the mission through.”
Relief erased the tension in her shoulders. “Thank you. I—I’ve been contemplating moving in with Gwennie while that Raeth is here.”
“I’m sorry, Ava.” He shook his head. “Anything you need, let me know. It was never my intention to make you uncomfortable in your own home.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “Inviting him to stay was the right move. Our political affiliations shouldn’t suffer because I have a case of the heebie-jeebies.”
Riaz knew it was more than mere superficial dislike; her fear originated in her childhood, just like his. “Go. I’ll take care of the den and our people.”
And with that, she was gone.
Minutes later, Gadriel appeared at his door. Before he had a chance to start, Riaz informed him, “I’ve already gotten my hide handed to me by Ava. If your wish to file a complaint, you can put it in there.”
He motioned to the garbage can, and Gadriel beamed. “No complaints here, boss. Just a warning.”
