"Don't do it, Ivy." Cole gripped my shoulder, his large hand steady and warm.
But the agony was tearing me apart from the inside out. My legs gave out, and I slowly sank toward the floor.
Rayne saw me falling and the corner of his mouth ticked up. "You see? She knows better than any of you. Without me, she's nothing."
I caught myself on my hands and knees, my blood dripping onto the temple's ancient stone floor.
Eli's voice was strained with panic. "Rayne, if you cut any deeper, you'll permanently damage her heart!"
Rayne looked down at me from his dais. "Then tell her to drop the trial."
Nasha leaned against the throne, her confidence returning as she watched me suffer. "Just give up, sister. Weren't you so deeply in love with Alpha Rayne? Kneel to him. He'll soften his heart."
I f
