Chapter 18

Kyra’s POV I was checking the footage of the surveillance video again when I accidentally pricked my own eye with my finger. I groaned and rubbed my eyes, but it only made the sting worse. ‘You’re making it worse,’ Sylvia, my wolf, chided in my mind. ‘Stop rubbing it.’ “What’s wrong, Luna?” With my other eye, I saw Luke approaching. After what happened last night, he was alert to any sign of danger. “I pricked my eye.” “Allow me to check.” I lowered my hand and tilted my face up. He hesitated for a second—touching an Alpha’s mate, even a rejected one, was risky—but finally cupped my chin to examine my eye. “It’s reddish now. Should I call the pack doctor?” I laughed at his concern. “I just pricked my eye. It’s nothing serious, Luke.Do you want to summon the entire medical team to come here?” My forehead creased when I caught sight of Alpha Nathan storming past my office, his expression angry. Even with my blurry vision, I recognized the rigid set of his shoulders—the way they tensed when he was furious. ‘What’s his problem now?’ Sylvia growled. I shrugged and turned back to my phone, checking my reflection in the camera. Before I could focus, my assistant knocked and entered, carrying a glass of juice and pasta. I asked for it because I suddenly craved pasta. As soon as the food was put on my table and its aroma reached my nose, I suddenly felt sick. I cupped my stomach and ran to the comfort room. I retch as soon as I get in front of the sink. I didn’t throw up anything but I suddenly felt weak. When I lifted my head, Luke stood behind me in the mirror’s reflection. I rinsed my mouth quickly, avoiding his gaze. I’m relieved because he didn’t say anything. I accepted his hand and he accompanied me to sit on the couch Then the door slammed open. Nathan stood there, his brown eyes burning with fury, his wolf’s presence pressing against my senses like a storm. “Is this your plan, Kyra?” His voice was a low snarl. “To humiliate me in my own territory?” I blinked. “What the hell are you talking about?” He jabbed a finger toward Luke. “I saw you two. Don’t lie to me—I saw you kissing him!” My jaw dropped. “Are you serious?” ‘He’s lost his damn mind,’ Sylvia hissed. I balled my fists as I gritted my teeth. I don’t know why he thinks that way but he must’ve seen Luke checking my eye and he misunderstood it. “Don’t play innocent!” Nathan’s eyes glowed, a sign of his wolf’s agitation. “You think I wouldn’t notice my own mate—” He cut himself off, jaw clenching. “Ex-mate. You think I wouldn’t notice you throwing yourself at another wolf in my company?” Luke cleared his throat. “I should wait outside.” Nathan watched Luke with sharp eyes as he left while I watched him with sarcasm. He thought I would do that just because he did that to me. I couldn’t believe he thought so low of me. The man I love was vanishing. I felt like he was becoming a different person. I couldn’t understand him anymore. I couldn’t understand the way he thought and acted now. I felt like he was losing his trust in me even when I should be the one acting like that. He betrayed me. I should be the one confronting him about doing something immoral. He even brought Sophia to the house where we used to live. How shameless was that? He took a step closer and angrily pointed his finger at the door. “Was it necessary to do this here? In front of the whole company? What if my parents had seen? What would they think?” I scoffed. “They’d assume it’s normal. After all, you rejected me.” “Goddess damn it, Kyra! They don’t know that!” “Then I’ll tell them.” His face paled. “Do you have any idea what my father would do if he found out? He’d strip me of my title. He'd make sure I suffered for daring to reject an Alpha of the Raven pack. You know our two families have always been close.” “So what?” I crossed my arms. “Scared of losing your precious Alpha status?” “I don’t give a damn about the title!” he roared. “I’m scared of what he might do to you for disobeying him!” I was taken aback by what he said. I stared at his handsome and angry face. He still cared about me. He was scared that his control-freak father would do something to me. The raw fear in his voice stunned me. Even now, after everything, he was still trying to protect me—from his own family. ‘Pathetic,’ Sylvia muttered. ‘He doesn’t get to play the hero after breaking the mate bond.’ I straightened, meeting his glare head-on. “I’m not scared of your father, Nathan. And you know that your grandparents won’t allow him to do something bad to me. Is that how you see your father? An evil man?” He gritted his teeth. “He was never good to me, Kyra. I’ve been through hell because of him. “Then you can get away with this again.” I moved to leave, but he angrily grabbed my wrist. “You can’t tell them.” His grip was firm but not painful—an Alpha restraining his ex-mate, not an enemy. I looked at him with exhaustion. “We can’t hide this forever. Your sister’s already carrying the guilt of lying for us. Don’t make her suffer longer.” He shook his head. “You’ll leave completely once they learn about this…” “Of course.” “I don’t want you to go.” A bitter laugh escaped me. “What did you expect? That I’d stick around after you chose Sophia over me?” “We just ended our romantic relationship, not our friendship. Please, Kyra…” “Friends?” I echoed, incredulous. “You sever our bond, Nathan. You don’t get to call me ‘friend’ now.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Why does every argument end with me being the villain?I’m always the one apologizing.” ‘Because he is,’ Sylvia supplied unhelpfully. “I’m sorry?” “Kyra!” Probably because of my pregnancy, I was losing my cool whenever he was around. I felt irritated whenever I saw him but when he was not around, I was longing for him. This was crazy. He sucked his breath and licked his lips. He clenched his jaws and looked at me with tired eyes. I felt hurt. He was tired of me. Of course, I knew that. I understood where he was coming from. He was angry because he thought I betrayed him. He was angry because I never listened to him. I understood. I completely understood. I exhaled slowly, exhaustion weighing me down. “I’m telling your grandparents the day after tomorrow. Be there—or don’t. But I won’t lie for you anymore.” His eyes darkened. “You’re really leaving me?” “I need time to heal. You hurt me. You hurt me even though you’re saying that I’m your best friend. I’m just asking for a year. After that, we can be friends again.” ‘A lie,’ Sylvia whispered. ‘You’re never coming back.’ I didn’t correct her.Because she was right. Once I left, I’d make sure Nathan Anderson never found me again.