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My own failure.
I opened my mouth, then shut it.
“She had that bite on her neck the whole time,” Drake spat. “And still, she could smile. She’s the strongest person I’ve ever met. She doesn’t deserve this. And I don’t understand. She knew how much I cared about her, and she was with you all the other nights, I don’t—”
“I didn’t make her welcome,” I said, heart tight in my chest.
I had to tell him now before this got worse. Even Ebony broke his attention on the computer, eyes calculating as he watched me.
“What?” Rook’s voice was weak. “I don’t understand, she was with you—”
“I told her not to come. I told her to focus on the rest of the pack. She didn’t listen.”
Of course, the reasoning for that was clear now. She’d been commanded to convince each of us. She’d been desperately running from a dark bond.
And I’d pushed her away—her own mate.
I’d made her feel unwanted.
Each memory from those nights was a sharp knife in my brain, challenging me in every quiet moment.
“I left her by herself, waiting for me until the morning.”
“What?” Drake was staring at me as if he didn’t recognise me.
“There’s your answer,” Ebony said. “Three out of four of us made her feel unwanted.”
“Ebony—”Rook began, suddenly strained.
“Three?” Drake interrupted, glancing between Rook and Ebony. I blinked. Rook had said in the meeting that Vex hated him, but I’d tucked it to the back of my mind for later, unable to process every issue at once. Now, looking at his discomfort, I realised there was much more to it.
Ebony looked a little sour as he glared at Rook.
“Rook was blackmailing her into being sweet to him,” Ebony supplied.
Drake stood, expression now something dangerous, sickness twisting it. “Blackmailed her into…what?”
My blood chilled, but Rook was shaking his head. “Nothing like that. It’s stillVex, for fuck’s sake, she’d have had my head—”
“She was running from a dark bond.” My voice was icy. “I doubt there was much she wouldn’t have done.”
“It wasn’t like that. I just…” He winced, not able to meet our eyes. “I wanted to get back at her for that first night when she… Look, I was pissed. I thought she was here for the fame.”
A cold pit of fury simmered in my chest.
I knew I wasn’t one to talk, but I’d only done what I had to protect her from getting between me and Ebony. But Rook…? I thought she and him were close.
“She…” Rook was ashen, eyes darting between us. “I was a dick, alright. I didn’t know—”
“Didn’t know what?” Drake asked, voice frigid.
Rook got to his feet, eyes a little wild as he squared up to Drake. “I didn’t know she was our mate.”
“I didn’t know either!” Drake snarled. “I didn’t know, and I loved her anyway!” Those words cut me short.
Lovedher?
We’d all known. But hearing him say it…?
