She is a fighter… and that's the damn problem. She took everything I dished out. Every harsh word, every cold shoulder, every brutal night when I tried to claim what was already mine. And she never flinched. Never broke. She held her head high every single day, acting like I was nothing more than a ghost in the room.
That's the only reason I even bothered to give that fake, clingy bitch, Odette, any attention tonight. I wanted to see something—just one flicker of emotion from Chloe. A frown. A single look of jealousy. Hell, I would have settled for a tear. Anything to tell me that she cared.
But Chloe? She sat there bored out of her mind, yawning through dinner, rolling her eyes at everything and everyone. She didn't even blink when Odette touched my arm, or when I let her laugh at jokes I wasn't even making funny. Chloe just… sat there.
Untouchable.
And the worst part? I could feel Kevin staring at her. His hungry eyes were crawling all over that blood-red dress my mother picked out for her, and every muscle in my body tensed at the thought of his filthy hands touching her.
Even my father—my own father—couldn't stop glancing at her like she was a piece of meat. And Alpha Wright? That old bastard's gaze was as filthy as his son's.
Odette. The other warrior women. Hell, every other woman in this pack. None of them can compare to Chloe. Not in her raw beauty. Not in the way she walks into a room and every wolf feels her strength, even when she says nothing. She is fire. Untamed, unapologetic fire.
I wanted her. I still want her. But I need her to want me first. Rome is right—I've done everything wrong. Rome has Cortina wrapped around his damn paw, but I can't get a single smile from Chloe. What does she want? For me to grovel at her feet? Beg for scraps of her affection? I am her Alpha. Her mate. I shouldn't have to earn what's already mine.
But maybe… maybe if I'd stopped trying to punish her for not loving me, she would have given me something more than hate.
She hates me. She's made that clear. Maybe Rome's right—I'm to blame for that.
But this?
This isn't my fault.
When she spat those words—I hate you. I fucking hate you.—it cut deeper than anything I've ever felt. The pain of it ripped through me like fire, forcing me to my knees. I couldn't breathe. I thought for one horrific moment that she'd rejected me.
By the time I came to, my mother was over me, demanding answers. My father was shouting something about what happened. Then Odette came in, crying her fake little crocodile tears, and said Chloe had "fallen."
Fallen?
No. Not her.
Chloe doesn't fall. She is the kind of woman who could cartwheel down those stairs in high heels if she wanted to.
No.
Either she did this to herself, or someone pushed her.
And the more I think about it, the more I can't believe a weak little bitch like Odette could take her down. Chloe would have ripped her throat out first. Which leaves only one option.
Chloe did this.
She did this to hurt me.
"She didn't," Rome snaps inside my head, his voice like a blade cutting through my thoughts. His growl is so strong it sends a headache shooting through my skull.
"Cortina called for me. She was scared. She didn't do this."
"She could have called for you because I did this," I argue back bitterly. "She might have hated me enough to take the risk if it meant she could get away from me."
"Chloe would never hurt Cortina like that," Rome snarls. "She loves her wolf. Respects her. She's not like you, Cameron. She's not cruel."
The words sting. I want to fight back, but I can't.
Rome and I… we don't trust each other anymore. Not when it comes to her. He retreats from me more and more now, especially when I do something he hates, like tonight—like Odette. He gave me nothing but threats while I let Odette cling to me, warnings that I ignored. And maybe this is my punishment.
Maybe I should have listened to him, just once.
Because now I'm staring at my mate's broken body, and the doctor's words feel like knives.
"She is no longer in danger of death," the doctor tells my father, "but her recovery will depend heavily on her wolf's ability to heal. I suggest keeping the bond strong. Talk to her. Touch her. Remind her of who she is. A mate's presence is powerful."
I flinch at that. What bond? We barely have one. If she could erase my mark from her neck, I'm sure she would.
But still… I can't stop myself.
I reach for her hand. Her bruised, fragile hand. And for the first time ever, she doesn't pull away. Her face remains still. Restful.
Peaceful.
Something inside me cracks.
Odette chooses that moment to touch me, her hand sliding onto my arm like she belongs there.
"I'm so sorry, Cam," she says sweetly. "If you need comfort… someone to talk to, I'm here."
"Sure you are," her brother Kevin mutters, earning a glare from her.
"Thanks," I grind out, my teeth nearly snapping in half from the effort of not throwing her out of the room.
And then my mother's voice cuts through it all. "To think this would happen on your anniversary…" she says, dabbing her dry eyes with a tissue.
Anniversary.
The word hits me like a punch to the chest.
One year. Today is one year since I made Chloe mine. Since I marked her. Since I swore I'd protect her.
I forgot.
I fucking forgot.
Guilt burns through me like wildfire. It twists, morphing into something darker, something monstrous.
Chloe needs to wake up. Because if she doesn't, I don't know what this thing inside me will become.