LIANA’S POV

I stood up from my bed slowly when I heard Ryan knock. I wasn’t expecting to open the door and see anyone else but him. My head was pounding a little from all the crying I’d done, and honestly, I didn’t want to be bothered. But he was my baby. His voice sounded too soft, too sweet to ignore. So I pulled myself together, wiped my face real quick, and opened the door.

The second I did, I saw him..

Killian.

I mmed the door so fast and so hard it rattled the frame. My chest tightened immediatelyb, /band I felt my whole body heat up

b, /bnot from embrarrassment or nerves, but pure, full–blown anger.

“Ryan!” I snapped. “Why would you do that?”

From the other side of the door, his tiny voice came out as if he was a puppy. “Mommy… Daddy and I just wants to see you.”

b“/bbYou /bdon’t bring people to my door like that, Ryan! That’s not okay!”

“But you’re sad,” he said quietly. “Daddy brought flowers for you. and your favorite chocte.”

I didn’t say anything.

“Open the door pretty please…” he added. “Just take them. Please. You don’t have to talk to him.”

I rolled my eyes and let my head fall back against the door.

I was mad at Killian. I was furious. But not at the chocte. The chocte didn’t lie to me. The chocte didn’t disappear on me. The chocte didn’t make me cry like a fool. No. It was Killian I was mad at. Not the chocte. The chocte did

nothing wrong.

I could just open the doorb, /btake the flowers and the chocte, and pull Ryan inside. That’s it. That’s all I was going to do.

So I unlocked the door and pulled it open again.

But the moment I did, Killian shoved his foot right at the edge, and before I could m it again, he pushed his way in.

“Kiliian!” bI /byelled.

Ryan, that little bbetrayer/bb, /bbgave /bme the cheekiest grin and ran away down the hall like he hadn’t just set me up.

bThat /bboy!

“Babyb…/bb” /bKillian said, his voice lowb, /balmost careful, as he held out the chocte bag and flowers toward me like he was offering me his own heart in his hands.

I saw the chocte. I saw the flowers. And believe me, I wanted to collect it. God, I was dying to collect it. But instead, bI /b

folded my arms and pressed bmy /bblips /btogether in a tight frownb, /bmaking sure bmy /bface bgave /bbaway /bnothing.

b“/bWhat are you doing hereb?/bb” /bI basked/b, trying so hard to bkeep /bbmy /bvoice steadyb, /beven though my fingers were literally twitching to snatch that chocte right out of his hand.

Killian bsmiled/b. The kind of bsmile /bthat made it hard bto /bhate him even when byou /bwere mad as hell.

“Take bit/b,” he said b“/bbMy /bpeace offering.”

Then, like he had no shame, he dropped to his knees, right there in front of me, holding the bag and the flowers bup /blike I was some queen and he was just begging to be forgiven ifor /isome dumb shit

I let out a huff. A deep one. But I snatched the flowers anyway and brought them to my nose. They smelled really, really good. He knew what I liked. Then I took the bag too. And when I opened it, the second I saw the exact chocte I used to always sneak into my bag when I was having a bad day… I smiled. It just happened. Like my mouth forgot I was supposed to be mad.

But I caught myself.

I wiped the smile off and scowled. Then I cleared my throat, “You can go now. Take your flowers and your peace offering with you. I’m not ready to settle anything.”

Killian slowly stood back up. No arguing, no pleading, nothing. He turned and walked to the door.

And for a second, I was frozen. What? That’s it? He wasn’t even going to say anything? He wasn’t going to fight? My heart dropped.

But then, just as he reached for Cha

knocked the breath out of me.

the knob, he spun around, grabbed my waist, and yanked me to him so tight and so fast it

“Don’t do that again,” he said, his voice husky, and it felt as if his chest was vibrating against mine. “Don’t ever shut me out like that again. I missed you so damn much, Liana. Every fucking seconds. I can’t breathe right when you’re not with me.”

I froze. I didn’t know what to say. His hands were holding me as if he was scared I’d vanish if he let go. and his voice… it was doing something to my head.

“I’m a free man now,” he said. “I finally did it. I divorced Cynthia. She’s gone. I signed the papers. I walked away from

everything. For you. I chose you, Liana. I’ve always chosen you. and I’m telling you now, I love you. love you and no one else. You’re the only one who has ever mattered to me. Don’t let anyone, don’t let anything, make you doubt that.”

His head dipped a little like he was about to kiss me, but I pushed him back quickly, my handnding t on his chest.

=

“Do you really think you divorcing Cynthia will make me run back into your arms?” I asked, my voice bitter, almost cruel. You think I’ll be overjoyed and jumping happily? Really?”

He blinked as if he hadn’t expected that.

社

I kept going. “Killian… I don’t want to be the reason you lose your campaign. I don’t want you waking up one day and regretting this because you gave up byour /bclean, public image to be with someone who ruined everything. Cynthia made byou /blook like the perfect Alpha king–to–be. A strong, respected man with a proper Luna. Why would byou /bthrow that awayb? /bWhy would byou /bdo thatb, /bknowing what it meansb?/bb” /b

He tried to speak but bI /bbcut /bhim off.

b“/bbYou’re /bbjust /bmaking everyone hate me more, Killian. You shouldn’t have done it. bYou /bshouldn’t have divorced her. We can’t bhave /bbour /bbhappy /bending, okay? It’s not possible.”

bMy /bchest was tight as I spoke. The words were hard. They tasted like blood in my mouth.

b“/bYou should’ve just stayed with Cynthia. It would’ve been easier. It would’ve made more sense. Fine. I’m the whore who slept with her stepbrother and bgot /bpregnant for him. Fine. I ept it. I’ll carry it. But now you’ve gone and ruined your marriage, and bfor /bwhat? For me? That bjust /bmakes bme /bbfeel /bworseb./bb” /b

I stepped back a little, bmy /bvoice dropping

“There are so many things keeping us apart, Killian. bCan’t /bbyou /bsee thatb? /bIt’s not just the campaign. It’s everything. bIt’s /byour mom and my dad They’re married. You’re my stepbrother. People won’t ever look past that.”

I reached out and ced my hand on his chest again, but softer this time. “I think it’s time byou /blet bgo /bbof /bme. bGo /bback to Cynthia She’s strong. She knows how this world works. She’ll help you be alpha King. She fits into that life. I don’t. bI’m /bjust. I’m just a weak girl. A weak werewolf who didn’t even know I was one until a few days ago. I bdon’t /bbelong in your world I don’t belong next to you. Cynthia does She’s bperfect /bfor you.b” /b

I looked him in the eye. “Please, Killian. Call her. Fix this before it gets finalized. Go back to her and win your campaign. You’ll hate meter if you don’t. You’ll look at me one day and see everything you gave up. Don’t make that mistake.”

Killian went still.

Dead still…

And then his eyes went dark. So dark it was as if someone had sucked every bit of light out of them. There wasn’t an iota of light in it. It was just… dark. Deep and soulless and terrifying. My heart jumped.

He stared at me for what felt like forever, and I felt my breath hitch in my throat.

“Why are you pushing me to another woman,” he said, his voice low, almost too calm, “when I’ve told you a thousand times that I don’t want her? That I never wanted her? That it was always you?”

I didn’t answerb. /b

I turned to walk away, needing to breathe, needing space, but he grabbed my arm, fast and tight.

“You’re mine, Liana,” he said. “And I’m yours whether you like it or not. Isn’t it better you ept it willingly? Or do you always love it when I force it on you?”

“K–Killian-”

He wrapped his fingers around my throat, his eyes boring into mine.

“You belong to me, Liana. You. are. Mine. You can’t run away. You’re mine. Mine. Mine! Do you hear? Mine! I don’t give a fuck about what people bsay/bb? /bI don’t give a fuck about what the society says, Liana. I don’t fucking care…” His voice was cruel. His grip was tight. and his tone was obsessive. “… because you’re all mine, Liana. Every fucking inch of you is mine.”

be! Get that through your fucking head. Go back

I yanked away from him. b“/bI’m not yours, Killian! I never was! and I ne y

to Cynthia!”

And that was it. That was thest straw.

Killian’s entire body tensed. His jaw clenched. And before bI /bcould even blink.

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