I barely noticed the hall emptying. My hands were still pressed against the cold stone floor, trembling. Every nerve in my body screamed, but my mind refused to let me cry properly. Not here. Not with all those eyes still staring, judging, whispering.
I wanted to vanish. Just sink into the cracks between the stones and disappear. But even as I thought it, a soft, mocking voice cut through my panic.
"You look ridiculous."
I froze. My head snapped up. Lyra—high-ranked omega everyone believed would be Kael's mate—leaned against a pillar, one eyebrow raised, lips curling with amusement.
I wanted to tell her to shut up. To leave. To die. Instead, I whispered, hoarse and shaky, "I—"
She laughed softly, like she was enjoying my humiliation. "You really think that scowl of his will protect you? That he'll even notice you beyond the bond?"
My stomach sank. I had no words. She was right. Everyone thought I was nothing. And maybe I was.
I swallowed my panic, trying to make my voice steadier than it felt. "I don't care what anyone thinks."
Lyra tilted her head, mockingly sweet. "Brave words from someone about to be eaten alive by fate."
I wanted to hit her. I wanted to run. I wanted to scream. Instead, I turned away, each step heavy, my legs shaking like they might give out at any second.
Outside the hall, the wind was sharp, biting at my cheeks. I pressed my arms to my chest, trying to calm the storm in my veins. The bond still throbbed, constant and relentless. Every time I took a breath, I could feel Kael—his anger, his pride, the force he tried to hide behind that cold mask.
He had rejected me, yes. But the bond… the bond didn't care.
A thought struck me, frightening and undeniable: If he refuses me, if he pushes me away, what will happen when the bond forces me into things I'm not ready for?
I clenched my fists. I had always survived by being small, invisible, careful. But I couldn't disappear from this. Not now.
And deep inside, buried under the fear and humiliation, a spark of something unfamiliar stirred—anger. Not childish anger, not the kind that makes you scream. A cold, hard fire that whispered, No one decides my fate but me.
Somewhere far away, Alpha Kael stormed through the hall, armor clanking, guards flanking him. I didn't want to look, but I couldn't help it.
For a brief moment, his golden eyes flicked toward me. I caught it—the flicker of something almost human: hesitation. Confusion. Regret, maybe.
And just like that, I knew: this wasn't over. Not for him, not for me.
The bond throbbed again, relentless, unforgiving. Fate had chosen, and it didn't care if I was ready—or if he was.