Chapter 23
Chapter 23:
His touch was like a brand of shame, searing through the fabric of my dress. I didn’t think—I reacted. With a surge of adrenaline that surprised even me, I shoved Braydon hard against his chest. He stumbled back on the slick wooden planks, his grip breaking with a tear of silk.
“Don’t you dare touch me,” I hissed, scrubbing my arm as if I could wipe away the feel of him. “You lost that right the moment you chose Katherine p>
Braydon didn’t lunge again immediately. Instead, a slow, cruel smile spread across his grime-streaked face. He regarded me with the particular pity one reserves for an animal that doesn’t yet understand its fate.
“You really believe it, don’t you?” he chuckled, the sound grating against the stillness of the lake. “You think the Alpha King—the most powerful man on the continent—swooped in to save a wolfless girl because of what? Your charm? Your beauty p>
𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗻
“He cares about me,” I said, though my voice wavered on the last word.
“He cares about the ground you’re standing on, Adelia!” Braydon shouted, gesturing wildly at the darkening forest surrounding us. “Why do you think I fought so hard to keep you? Why do you think the Hydes wanted guardianship? It wasn’t charity p>
He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that slithered into my ear. “Beneath this estate lies one of the largest Moonstone Lodes in the country. It’s a power amplifier for Alphas—but the ancient blood magic of your family requires the heir to unlock it. You are the key, Adelia. You aren’t his mate. You’re just the combination to a safe p>
The world tilted on its axis. The contract. The sudden kindness. The urgency to sign the papers today. It was never mine to give, Dallas had said. It was always yours. Was he simply making sure the key was already in the lock?
“Liar,” I breathed—but the word felt hollow even as I said it. The logic was too clean, too precise. A King didn’t need a broken mate. He needed power.
“I’m the only one telling you the truth!” Braydon roared, his composure fracturing entirely. “He’s using you! Come home, Adelia. I can forgive your little rebellion. We can forget this ever happened p>
“Home?” A sharp, humorless laugh escaped me. I looked at this man—this sweating, desperate creature who had spent years grinding me down—and felt something harden in my chest. “You are a coward, Braydon. You aren’t fit to polish Dallas Marshall’s boots. Even if he is using me, I would rather be his pawn than your Queen p>
The pity vanished from Braydon’s face, replaced by a contorted mask of raw, unadulterated fury. “You ungrateful p>
He lunged—faster this time. His fingers locked into my hair and wrenched my head back with a force that blurred my vision. I screamed, and his other hand slammed over my mouth before the sound could carry.
“You belong to me!” he snarled, his hot, sour breath flooding my face. “I will break you until you remember that p>