Chapter 21
The entire courtyard turned toward me.
Hundreds of eyes.
Pack warriors.
Servants.
Elders.
My mate.
And the Alpha king standing beyond the gates.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Draven’s words still hung in the freezing air.
If she tells me to.
My pulse thundered painfully.
I stared at him.
His expression hadn’t changed.
No pressure.
No challenge.
No manipulation.
Just certainty.
Like if I asked him to leave—
he actually would.
And somehow that made this harder.
Kael stood beside me so still he looked carved from stone.
But through the bond—
I felt him.
Fear.
Hope.
Heartbreak.
Because after everything—
he was waiting too.
Waiting to see if I would choose him.
My chest tightened sharply.
I hated this.
Hated standing between them.
Hated being the ce
