Chapter 39
Trista's POV
The study felt like a sealed iron box.
The air smelled of old paper, mixed with the cold metallic sheen of Ironthorn's coat of arms.
Howard looked down at me. It was the gaze of a dominant Alpha, like a nail pressed against my throat.
"Is it your genuine will to terminate the mating contract with Cassian?"
My hand trembled slightly, but I raised my right hand. My knuckles were tight. The wind whistled through the spaces in my bones.
"I swear it. After the termination, I will not speak negatively about Ironthorn to anyone. If an external statement is required, I will go before The Elder Council and state—that I was unfit to be the Luna of Ironthorn, that I betrayed the Moon Goddess's oath, and that I insisted on ending the mateship."
I paused. My throat was d
