42
Mauve’s POV
My breath hitched, my chest tightening like a vice. I wanted to deny it, to push the truth away, but the words refused to come. My throat felt dry, my pulse hammering in my ears. Finally, I whispered, “Please don’t tell Elias. I didn’t know until two weeks after I left. I swear, I didn’t know…”
Magnolia’s expression turned sad. “But he deserved it. He’s your mate too
your mate to
“No.” I said quickly, shaking my head. “How can someone love two people? Having two mates is nothing but
pain. That’s why I left–I couldn’t stay and watch someone get hurt.” I gripped Magnolia’s hand. “Please, promise me you won’t tell Elias.”
Magnolia hesitated, then nodded. “If that’s what you want.”
I exhaled, but the weight of my secret didn’t lift.
A sudden roar from the crowd made my head snap back to the fight. My heart dropped as I saw Joshua’s wolf lying unconscious on the ground. Elias’s wolf loomed over him. Before I could react, Joshua stirred and struck back.
landing a blow that wounded Elias. The battle intensified, with both wolves evenly matched. Joshua was strong.
.but
Elias fought with ruthless precision.
Then, in a swift move, Elias pinned Joshua down and bit his neck before throwing him into a tree. My heart
ceased to beat.
“No!” I screamed, running toward them. Magnolia tried to grab me, but I was too fast, my fear driving me forward
The crowd’s shouts blurred around me.
I fell to my knees beside Joshua’s motionless form. “Joshua, please, wake up!” I whispered. “Open your eyes Don’t leave me. Don’t leave your daughters ”
“Elias, stop! Mauve is there!”
I didn’t notice the incoming attack until Magnolia’s voice rang out. Then I felt an ominous shift in the air, a dark presence looming behind me. Instinct screamed at me to move, but before I could react, a deep, guttural growl cut through the chaos.
“Mauve.”
I turned my head slowly, my breath catching in my throat when I met Elias’s eyes. His gaze was wild and feral.
His claws, still mid–swing, froze in place, inches from me. His entire body trembled, as if his muscles were straining against something inside him that he couldn’t control.
“Mauve What the fuck are you doing here!”
His claws retracted, his breathing coming out in ragged bursts. He had almost-
No. He wouldn’t have. Would he?
Suddenly, I felt my knees buckle, the strength draining from my legs. But before I could hit the ground, arms, strong and familiar, caught me, steadying me. I gasped, my vision swimming as I blinked hard. It was Joshua.
“Joshua…” My voice cracked as tears welled up, fingers trembling as I gripped his arms. “You’re alive…”
His weak yet persistent smile was enough to break the barrier containing my emotions. “You think I’d leave you so easily?”
I sobbed, relief and disbelief flooding through me, but then the anger flared again. I turned my gaze towards Elias, and my expression hardened like a wall of stone. My body shook, but not from fear–no, it was fury.
“Is this really what you want? To use your power to make those you hate suffer? What kind of king are you
you again? You are no longer the Elias that I know!”
Elias stood frozen, his golden eyes still filled with the remnants of his wolf form, wild and untamed. His ch heaved with every breath, and his fists clenched at his sides, fighting against the beast that still clawed at him from within
I couldn’t stop the tremble in my body, the rapid beat of my heart in my chest. I’d seen him ruthless before. I’d seen his brutality in battle. But never had I been the one in his path.
Joshua kept me steady, his grip firm on my arm as he whispered, “Mauve, don’t waste your breath. He’s already chosen what kind of king he wants to be.”
Elias flinched at his words, as if struck. His eyes darted between Joshua and me before dropping to his bloodstained hands: The crowd that had once roared with anticipation stood still now, eerily silent, watching us,
Waiting
I took a sharp breath, attempting to soothe the turmoil within me “Tell me, Elias. Are you still not going to release me from the bond that I didn’t want in the first place? Are you feeling amused and hurting those people who don’t favor you? Tell me!”
Elias’s face darkened, and his lips parted as if he had something to say, but no words came
His eyes flickered to Joshua, who still held me close. The sight of us, so close, made Elias’s claws twitch, and for a moment, I could see the fury flash in his gaze. But then, his eyes locked onto my face–tear–streaked, furious. “Fine,” he finally said. He straightened, but his hands stayed clenched at his sides. “I accept your rejection.” My breath hitched in my chest. I had prepared for this. I had told myself this was what I wanted–that this moment would bring the closure I needed. But still, my chest ached as if something inside me had shattered into pieces.
Elias took a slow, deliberate step back. His eyes locked onto mine one last time.
Then his words came.
“Now both of you, leave.”