The bond is gone for me and still, the scene cuts deep. It hurts. Not like the physical pain of the bond, but somewhere in my heart. A hollowing-out kind of ache.
Sin gasps audibly beside me.
“Asshole,” Neris mutters inside my head.
“I know,” I whisper back to her. “So disrespectful. I get that I severed the bond, but still. Wait five freaking minutes, you—”
I don’t get to finish the thought.
Because suddenly, Draven growls. Low. Furious.
And in the next breath, he shoves Amira off him with enough force to make the entire room freeze. She stumbles back hard, heels slipping, and slams into the wall with a startled gasp.
The silence that follows is delicious.
Sin chuckles.
I glance sideways at him, one eyebrow raised.
He grins, unbothered. Shrugs like this is the most entertaining thing he's seen in months.
I think I like him again.
“Baby, what are you doing?” Amira whines, voice pitched so high it scratches at my eardrums. “I was so worried. I don’t understand what happened. And you didn’t even come to me — you came here?”
I roll my eyes so hard I nearly see my past lives.
He’s a king, sweetheart. Not your emotional support puppy. He has more important stuff to deal with than your drama. How the hell is she making this all about herself?
“Why did you push me, Ven?” Her voice shakes now, wobbly and tear-soaked. Oh, she’s dialing it up. Neris huffs inside my head, deeply unimpressed.
Draven doesn’t answer her. He’s too busy trying to breathe through his obvious meltdown. His chest rises in uneven bursts, jaw locked, one hand pressed tightly against his chest.
“Amira. Leave.” His voice finally scrapes out, rough and deadly.
She gasps like he slapped her. “Wh-what?”
His finger lifts — shaking slightly — as he points directly at me.
I blink. Sit up straighter. The whole room shifts to stare. I’m in the spotlight.
“Kassira,” he growls, each syllable jagged and rough. “She is my mate. You don’t get to touch me anymore. Not like that. Not ever again.” His voice trembles with control, thick with a dangerous undertone. “We’ll talk later. You need to leave. Now.”
I turn to Amira, sugar-sweet smile plastered on my face. I give her a little wave, just to twist the knife.
“Hi.” My voice drips honey and sarcasm. “I’m not actually his mate. Well… not anymore. I was. But he’s all yours now. Free as a bird.”
It’s fake as hell. I know it. She knows it. And I don’t care. I may not feel the bond anymore. I may not want him. But stars help me, I can’t stand her.
The air shifts.
And then the room explodes.
Draven roars. The sound hits the walls and cracks them. The chandelier above us swings violently, glass chiming like warning bells.
Sin grabs his sword.
Draven’s wings snap out from behind him, black and wide and massive, tearing through the ceiling. Small pieces of debris rain down around us.
