Octavia turns her gaze in my direction. “I have no use for your mother. Once she gave me your hair for my potion, she was dead to me.”
Before I can process that my mother is dead, Adonis materializes in front of me, sauntering over to Octavia. He doesn’t even look at me.
“Adonis…”
Nothing.
“Adonis! Adonis, look at me!” His eyes shift to me for just a second.
“I told you, Dani, he does not belong to you.” Octavia grabs his jaw and pulls his body to hers.
“Don’t you fucking touch him!” I scream.
Octavia scowls at me. “Now, now, Dani,” her voice is condescending. “You are not in charge here… killing everyone you love with your own two hands was going to be my special little trick. Unfortunately, you’ve ruined my plan and now I don’t really care to walk a second in your shoes,” her wicked laugh fills the air as she turns back to Adonis. “Now that he is willingly mine, I don’t have to trick him into loving me by being you.” She grips his jaw and pulls his mouth to hers, kissing him.
He kisses her back.
He fucking kisses her back.
“You bitch!” A sob breaks free from my lips, a raw sound that reflects the ache within me as my heart splinters into a thousand fragile pieces. A sharp sting radiates from my hand, drawing my gaze downward. There, in a hauntingdisplay, I witness the faded rune of Adonis gradually slip away from my skin, its ethereal glow dimming as it departs, leaving behind a sense of loss that wraps around me like a shroud.
My eyes widen with horror. A scream rips from my throat, “No! No! You can’t do this! Adonis, stop! You are mine! You are my mate,” desperation laces my voice.
I glance over at Dax and Killian, but they remain rooted to the ground. Their eyes are filled with dread and concern as they follow my every movement. Tears stream down Killian’s face, glimmering like fragile crystals in the dim light.
I press my trembling hand to my chest, trying to steady the frantic beats of my broken heart, which feels as though it might totally shatter at any moment. Each thump is like a drum of despair, a constant reminder of the pain that threatens to overwhelm me.
Please, Adonis, just look at me. Just look at me, and I’ll know this isn’t real!I scream silently in my head.
Not a single glance in my direction.
Octavia rubs his chest and adjusts the necklace around her neck.
She catches my scowl with a sly grin; her eyes shine with spite. “Oh, you foolish girl. Did you really think you were in possession of his true necklace all this time?” Her dark and melodious laughter sends an unsettling chill down my spine. A sharp clicking sound escapes her tongue as if mocking my ignorance. “You see, from the very beginning, you were holding the twin necklace. My necklace. I crafted it to mirror the original perfectly, but instead of Adonis’ soul, I infused it with a fragment of my own essence. Suzanna told me a foolish human like you would stumble upon it eventually—though I must admit, I expected it would happen much sooner than five centuries… that dumb bitch always gave me wrong information.” Her words hang in the air, heavy with a sense of foreboding. She leans in, her voice lowering conspiratorially. “But here’s the kicker: while you were reciting the spell that you believed would set him free, you were actually releasing me. I’ve had Adonis in my grasp all along.”
“You’re going to die for this!” Without thinking, I lunge at her, clawing at her face like a wild animal. Her skin tears underneath my nails, and she screams. I rake them down her cheeks, and then I tightly grip her throat. Octavia brings her hands up to her bloodied face, “You filthy little brat!”
Before she can do anything to me, I am lifted to my feet by my throat. My feet kick in the air as Adonis holds me.
He has no emotion in his eyes. No soul. No feelings. Nothing. He is empty.
“Adonis...pl-please,” I choke out, but he squeezes my neck tighter.
Octavia gets up from the ground, incredibly pissed off. She grabs Elaine’s knife off the couch and jams it into my side.
I scream in pain, along with Dax and Killian, as I fall to the ground with the knife sticking out of my side.
Adonis remains utterly composed, portraying not a hint of surprise or concern. With a swift, almost practiced motion, he casts a cool glance toward Killian and Dax; his sharp and unyielding eyes reveal nothing beneath the surface.
I crawl across the ground, getting closer to Killian and Dax, but Adonis walks over and kicks me. I go flying past them into a side table.
“Enough!” Adonis’ voice booms. I hold my side, gasping for air, as I try to crawl towards Dax and Killian.
I am so close to them that I can almost touch them. But Adonis’ words stop me.
“I am not your mate.”
My body freezes, and I look up at him.
