Page 25 of Awakened

He moves shockingly fast for someone so large. He rounds the table separating the couches, not stopping until the tips of his boots are pressing against the leather. He looms over them both, radiating menace. The room fills with the scent of burnt chestnut and stale pine.

He bends over until his face is mere inches away from Gav’s. “You’re keeping her prisoner because of that?”

Vae stands, moving to stand behind his friends like a sentry. Kane stands as well, sensing the tension getting thicker with pissed-off Alpha pheromones. He steps up to Soren and his face twists in disgust.

Daxen rolls his eyes, leaning back like he’s not affected at all by the two angry wolven mere inches from his throat. His expression is smug. Confident.

“That is not at all why we’re holding her prisoner.”

Soren’s eyes flash bright green, and a furious snarl tears up his throat. “Enough with the games, leech. Why is she here?”

Daxen’s eyes flick to me, then back to Soren. “It’s simple, really. Because her entire story is a bullshit lie.”

Somehow, despite everything, I’m still not prepared when Daxen’s gaze falls on me and his face hardens, eyes narrowing into a glare so full of disgust it sends chills skating down my spine.

“Since day one, I’ve known you were lying,” he says, eyes bright with triumph. “And now I have proof.”

Chapter 3

Daxen

The moment the Omega’s Bond with the wolven snapped into place, I finally had all the proof I needed to put an end to this farce.

Lying. She’s lying.

I expected to feel triumphant. Instead, an agonizing feeling of betrayal washed over me, burrowing into my chest and growing roots.

It’s fucking madness. As if that lying little slip of an Omega could ever possibly make me care enough for her actions to register as a betrayal. As if I’d ever be stupid enough to allow any Omega to hold that much power over me.

Especially a sheltered human whose father was too stupid to make sure his pawn had extensive knowledge of Fated Bonds before claiming to have one with my brother.

Careless. Careless and sloppy. Knowledge truly is power, and history has proven time and time again what Idril is about to learn.

I can’t believe this foolishness has gone on as long as it has. It’s almost impressive that she’s lasted as long as she has; I’ll give her that. Her dedication to her lie is almost believable. I’m sure many males out there would have fallen for it.

I think Gavran was honestly surprised when I pushed him to allow this little meet-and-greet, but the way I saw it—if she wasn’t the wolven’s Mate, then nothing changed.

But if she was⁠—

Well.

For almost an hour I’ve watched the faces of every Alpha in the room, waiting for the moment when the implications of her new Bond sank in for someone else. For forty-seven long, exhausting minutes, I fought to keep my attention off the Omega, growing more and more uncomfortable with her distress.

By the time she started to dissociate, my fucking chest was beginning to tighten painfully. At some point, her tears began to feel less and less like justice for her misdeeds.

And when she began recounting the moment when Caelan was shot, I couldn’t take any more. Couldn’t watch her face crumble and her fingers shake as she lost herself in a memory I thought I’d convinced myself was a lie.

I kept replaying that night in the library. The way she disappeared into herself, leaving behind nothing but a shell of a girl with dead eyes reflecting a single, dancing flame.

To distract myself, I ran through the evidence of the Omega’s deception, fact by fact.

Then I ran through them again.

And again.

And when the Omega broke down, I ran through them a fourth time. It was either that, or leave the room before my Alpha took over and I started fucking purring for her.

When the asshole got mouthy, demanding I do something to soothe her, I started again. And this time, I made him fucking listen.