Chapter 21
Siena’s POV
I don’t know how to react to Lila’s mark.
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My mind is a mess, tangled in rage so sharp I can taste it. My woll surges forward, instincts clawing at me to bare my teeth, to shift right here and now, to rip her apart.
This anger–it’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt.
Then, at the peak of my fury, my wolf speaks, quiet but firm.
“We haven’t felt the pain of a mate’s betrayal. She’s lying.”
The words cut through the haze, a lifeline yanking me back from the brink. I suck in a breath, forcing my muscles to relax before I lose control entirely.
Lila trembles, the scent of her fear lingers in the air, sharp and sour. Her confident smirk is gone. For once, she looks frightened: Her wide eyes flick to mine as she takes a step back, her instincts telling her exactly what kind of danger she’s in.
I flex my fingers, trying to stop the shaking.
This isn’t the time. Not here Siena.
I force myself to straighten my spine.
My voice is low, cutting through the thick air like a blade. “You’ve gone too far this time.”
The surrounding Alphas shift uneasily at the threat laced in my words.
Lila’s lips part, but before she can say a single word, Raiden steps in.
His presence is immediate, drawing all attention toward him.
He doesn’t say anything right away–he doesn’t have to.
His gaze sweeps over the scene, taking in Lila’s shaken stance, my barely restrained fury. His eyes narrow. “What the hell is going on?” His voice is like gravel, low and commanding.
Lila is the first to recover. She lifts her chin, a flicker of her usual vulnerability returning. “I was just-”
“Lying,” I cut in. My voice is steadier now, ice–cold. “Trying to stir up conflict during a stately event. It’s pathetic.”
Lila flinches.
Good.
Raiden steps closer, his body radiating tension. His scent wraps around me, grounding me, but it does nothing to douse the fire simmering in my chest. “Is that true?” he asks Lila, his tone deceptively calm.
For a fraction of a second, I see hesitation flash across her face. But then she squares her shoulders, defiant.
Will you do it? Will you lie to your Alpha King?
“Of course not. Why would I lie?”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Because you’re desperate.”
08:36 Sun, 20 Apr
Chapter 21
Her eyes flash. “That mark-*
“Is fake,” I snap. “You think I wouldn’t feel it if it were real?
Raiden goes rigid beside me. His jaw tightens, his entire body wound tight like he’s barely holding himself back. Lila must see it too, because she swallows hard. But instead of backing down, she doubles down.
“You’re just upset because you didn’t see it coming,” she says, forcing a smirk that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Raiden and I
“You’re delusional,” I spit, taking a step closer. Lila freezes. I lower my voice to a deadly whisper. “Say it again, and I’ll rip that lie right off your tongue.”
Silence falls like a heavy weight over the room.
No one moves. No one breathes.
Lila sways slightly, her bravado cracking.
Her eyes flick toward Raiden, as if expecting him to step in. Holding my breath, I’d be lying if I wasn’t waiting too…
Did you do it? Did you mark her?
But he doesn’t. He just watches Lila, avoids my eyes.
Lila must realize she’s miscalculated because the next words that come out of her mouth are quieter, weaker. “You’re overreacting.”
A bitter laugh escapes me. “I should rip you apart for this.”
Raiden’s hand brushes against mine, the briefest touch. Not stopping me–just reminding me he’s here. That I don’t need to prove anything. My wolf exhales, easing some of the pressure in my chest.
Lila looks between us, her expression twisting. “You don’t own him,” she hisses. “You act like you do, but you don’t.”
I arch a brow, letting a slow smirk curve my lips. “Then why are you so scared, Lila?”
Her breath catches.
Raiden steps forward then, placing himself between us–not to protect me, but to end this. He pins Lila with a stare so cold I almost feel sorry for her.
Almost.
“You’re done here,” he says simply.
Lila bristles. “I-”
“Leave.”
His voice is final. No room for argument.
Lila’s face twists in fury, but she knows better than to push further. Not with him. Not with me. She turns sharply on her heel, her retreating form stiff with frustration.
The second she’s gone, the tension in the air eases slightly, but my blood is still humming, my hands still curled into fists at my sides.
Raiden turns to me. “What is the meaning of this Siena? You should know better!” he growls.
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08:36 Sun, 20 Apr
Chapter 21
I don’t answer right away.
The rage is still simmering, the weight of what just happened settling deep into my bones. But I don’t want him to see that. I don’t want anyone to see that. So instead, 1 exhale slowly, unclenching my fists.
The eyes of the Alphas are following our every move. “Is she…is teh amrk-
“Siena, that is my business. I will attend to it,” he snaps, but the voice is low, like a google of fury I don’t think I’ve ever heard. Raidne cannot lie–not to me anyways. I search his eyes.
“He didn’t do this Siena, he wouldn’t.”
My wolf bristles inside me, suffoctaing with teh want of revenge.
Raiden studies me for a long moment, before he leads me away, but as I follow, I make a silent promise.
Next time, I won’t hold back.
“Where-”
“Do not argue! Know your place!”
I heed his warning, not out of submission, but a genuine need of relief from the spectacle that has taken root.
Stepping onto the back terrace, a traditionally private business spot of the Alphas, the adrenaline lingers, burning through me as we step outside. Finally, I stop walking, pressing my fingers to my temples. “I can’t believe she did that. She really thought she could fool everyone with a fake mark?”
Raiden exhales, running a hand through his hair. “She’s desperate, Siena. And desperate people do stupid things.”
It wasn’tr the response I suspected and not nearly enough to quell teh feeling of beryal. “It’s more than that. She wanted to humiliate me. She wanted to hurt me.”
His jaw tightens. “She didn’t.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Didn’t she?”
Didn’t you?
田
AD
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