Chapter 14

Nicole stood frozen, her body paralyzed by disbelief. The words she had just heard echoed in her mind, and she clung tightly to the hem of her dress, desperately seeking a sense of grounding. Had this really happened? The thousand voices inside her head intensified, as though she had been plunged into a pot of hot oil. No words could capture the turmoil she felt. The man she thought was destined to be her mate, her protector, had shattered her heart with his abandonment. Her mouth hung slightly open, but she couldn't find the words to express the pain she was experiencing. It was worse than any physical or mental torment she had endured in Crimson. She stood there, utterly bewildered. How could her mate do this to her? Weren't mates meant to be inseparable, bound together forever? Wasn't he supposed to stand up to the Alpha of the Dark Moon and refute the lies that Alpha Liam had spread? Mates were supposed to be an unbreakable bond. Throughout her time in Crimson, Nicole had witnessed