Esther’s POV
The moment Nicholas stepped into the hallway, Amanda’s grip on my arm tightened until it ached. Her face was twisted with fury, but her voice came out with that sugary-sweet edge she used when she wanted him to see her as the perfect Luna-to-be.
“How shameless can you be?” She stood with perfect posture, her silk gown falling in waves of silver-blue around her. Her eyes were sharp, glittering with the satisfaction of having caught me in what she thought was the act.
“Climbing into Nicholas’s bed like some desperate wench… You really think being his fated mate means anything?”
The word mate dripped from her tongue like poison.
My chest tightened. “I didn’t—”
“Oh, save it,” she interrupted, waving her manicured hand in dismissal. “You’ve clung to him like a leech since th
