Chapter 111
Chapter 111:
“I have led armies, Adella. I have governed Packs and slaughtered enemies. I know the weight of duty better than any man alive,” he said, his thumb brushing over my lower lip. “You are many things to me. A responsibility is not one of them p>
The words hit me harder than any physical blow. They weren’t flowery. They weren’t poetic. They were absolute truth, forged in the fire of his gaze.
“You are mine,” he growled, leaning in until his forehead rested against mine. “Not because I have to be. Because I want to p>
A sob broke free from my throat — not from sadness, but from the sound of a wall crumbling. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t a mistake.
Braydon POV
уо𝘶𝗿 𝗱a𝗶𝘭𝗒 𝘥𝗼𝘴𝗲 𝘰𝗳 𝗇𝗈𝘷e𝗅s 𝗈𝘯
The door to my suite at Hyde Manor slammed open with enough force to rattle the windows.
“You pathetic, spineless fool p>
Katherine Parrish stormed in, still wearing her gala dress, though now it looked like a costume for a tragedy. She hurled her clutch bag at me. It struck my shoulder, right where the bruise from hitting the floor was already forming.
I sat on the edge of my bed, nursing a glass of scotch, trying to drown out the throbbing headache Adella had given me.
“Get out, Katherine,” I muttered, taking a swig. The burn of the alcohol did nothing to dull the humiliation.
“Get out?” She let out a shrill, incredulous laugh. “I should have never come in! Do you have any idea what you looked like today? Groveling on the floor with potting soil on your suit while a wolfless looked down at you? And then that monster threatens you, and you just lay there p>
“That monster is a Lycan King!” I roared, standing and hurling my glass against the wall. It shattered, amber liquid dripping down the expensive wallpaper like blood. “What did you expect me to do? Fight him p>
“I expected you to be an Alpha!” Katherine screamed back, her face contorted. “But you’re not, are you? You’re just a puppy chasing a tail that’s already been docked. Your obsession with her is disgusting p>
“This is your fault!” I advanced on her, my control snapping. “If you hadn’t fed her that silver-laced cake at the engagement party — if you hadn’t tried to kill her — she wouldn’t have run! She would be mine p>
Katherine sneered, her lip curling in disgust. “She was never yours, Braydon. And now she belongs to a King, and you are the laughingstock of the entire Pack.” She turned on her heel, golden hair whipping around her. “The engagement is off. My father won’t let me marry a coward p>
The door slammed shut, leaving me in the ringing silence of the suite.
I stood there, breathing heavily, the rage turning into something cold and sharp in my gut. I walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Rain hammered against the glass. Through the storm, across the city skyline, a massive digital billboard illuminated the night.
Marshall Enterprises.
The blue light from the sign washed over my room, mocking me. Dallas Marshall. The untouchable King.
“He’s not untouchable,” I whispered to the empty room. “Everyone bleeds p>