"Do you think I wanted this?" His voice softened slightly, though the edge remained. "Do you think any of this is easy for me?"
"You don’t get to play the victim here," I shot back, shaking my head.
My breaths came fast and shallow, and my chest tightened with every word. "You didn’t care when I was attacked, Alexander. You didn’t care when I called out for you. And now, you stand here defending her, as if—"
"I didn’t defend her," he interrupted sharply, his golden eyes narrowing.
His wolf surged for a split second, but he forced it back down, his aura pulsing faintly. "Did I tell Helena anything about her? Did I tell anyone about what happened last night? No. So don’t twist this into something it’s not."
"You don’t need to tell anyone," I countered bitterly, swallowing the lump
