She didn’t speak, just nodded as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. In all his thirty-four years, Korran had never seen his mother—his brilliant, strong, unshakeable mother—look so fragile.
He turned to face Varix and Malvek, his expression promising violence if either man had contributed to his family’s suffering. “I’ll be in contact soon about the ceremony details and succession arrangements.”
Succession. I’m about to become king. And according to tradition, I need a mate to assume full royal duties.
The political implications crashed over him like another tidal wave. Malvek would push harder than ever for him to choose Seraya. The council would demand stability and traditional alliances. And Tess—his beautiful, brilliant mate—would probably be heading back to Earth by tomorrow.
FIFTEEN
TESS
The grand foyer fell silent after Korran’s brutal departure, his words hanging in the air. Tess remained frozen where he’d left her, her body rigid with shock while her mind struggled to process the emotional whiplash.
You might as well just go home now.
The dismissal cut deeper than any physical wound could have. After everything, he was casting her aside like she meant nothing. Like the connection blazing between them was just her imagination.
“Dr. Holt?” Gabrielle’s gentle voice penetrated the haze of hurt and disbelief. The attendant approached with careful steps, her brown eyes reflecting genuine concern. “I can make arrangements for your departure if you need to return to Earth.”
Departure.
The word hit like another blow, confirming that everyone expected her to simply vanish now that King Voran was dead. The failure burned in her chest alongside the personal rejection.
“I just need some time to process everything.” The words emerged steadier than she felt, her years of maintaining professional composure under pressure serving her well even as her world crumbled.
Gabrielle nodded with understanding. “Of course. Take all the time you need.”
The attendant hurried away with Orric, their urgent footsteps echoing across the marble as they disappeared deeper into the estate. Tess stood alone in the vast foyer, surrounded by the opulent trappings of a world that had never truly welcomed her presence.
I need to get out of this space before I fall apart completely.
Her legs felt unsteady as she climbed the grand staircase, each step requiring conscious effort as shock gave way to a tsunami of emotion she’d been holding back for too long. The ornate banister provided necessary support as she navigated toward her guest suite, desperate to reach sanctuary before her carefully constructed walls collapsed entirely.
Within minutes, the suite door clicked shut behind her with finality that made her chest tighten. She’d made it exactly two steps into the sitting area before her knees buckled, sending her crashing to the plush carpet as three years of suppressed grief exploded through her defenses.
I couldn’t save him. Just like I couldn’t save her.
The tears came in wrenching sobs that tore from her throat without permission. King Voran’s kind eyes merged with her mother’s eyes in her memory—two people she’d failed despite all her knowledge, all her desperate determination to fix what was broken.
The cruel timing made it worse. They’d been on the verge of potentially exposing whatever had been slowly killing the king, and now he was gone. Dead before they could prove whether Varix had been healing or harming him all these years.
We were so close. We almost had answers.
But beneath the professional failure burned something even more devastating—the way Korran had looked right through her as he delivered his dismissal. Not like she was his lover,his partner in investigation, or even a colleague whose efforts deserved basic respect. Like she was nothing more than an inconvenient outsider who’d outlived her usefulness.
After everything we shared, everything I felt…
The memory of his hands on her body, the desperate hunger in his kiss, the safety she’d found sleeping against his chest—all of it felt like a cruel joke now. Had she imagined the connection between them? Misread his protection and passion for something deeper than physical attraction?
You’re being ridiculous. You knew this was temporary. You knew you were leaving in two weeks anyway.
But knowing something intellectually and having it ripped away without warning were entirely different experiences.
Time became meaningless as she knelt on the carpet, letting years of carefully controlled emotion pour out of her. The grief for her mother that she’d buried beneath work and determination. The loneliness she’d denied by keeping all relationships superficial. The fear that she’d never be enough to save anyone who mattered.
When the tears finally subsided, leaving her drained but oddly clearer, Tess pushed herself to her feet on unsteady legs. Her reflection in the sitting room’s mirror showed red-rimmed eyes and blotchy cheeks—evidence of the breakdown she’d fought against for so long.
Get yourself together. You have a choice to make.
