The drive back from Millbrook felt endless. Kieran's hands strangled the steering wheel, knuckles bone-white, as Mira's laughter with that teacher replayed in his mind on an endless, torturous loop.
She'd smiled at him. Actually smiled—warm and genuine, the way she used to look at Kieran before he'd systematically destroyed that warmth over five years of choosing Astrid over her.
Through the mate bond, he could still feel her—content, relaxed, happy. Without him.
His wolf snarled beneath his skin, furious and possessive.
"Mr. Ravencrest," Cassian ventured carefully from the passenger seat. "Perhaps we should discuss the donation paperwork—"
"Shut up." The words came out as a growl that made Cassian flinch.
The Beta wisely went silent.
Kieran's phone buzzed against th
