Aurelia's POV
The elevator ride back to my apartment felt like an eternity, my heart pounding with rage and betrayal. I'd been so close to forgiving them—had actually brought homemade cookies as a peace offering—only to discover they saw me as nothing more than a survival tool.
"Just practical necessity."
The words echoed in my mind like poison.
I'd been such a fool.
Walking into my apartment, I collapsed onto my couch, the full weight of their betrayal crashing over me. They hadn't changed at all. The blood contract, the protection, the careful politeness—it had all been an act to keep me bound to them.
"We should have known," Luna said angrily in my mind. "Wolves like them don't change their nature."
But that wasn't what hurt the most.
What hurt was that despite everything they'd
