Stella POV
Fools, the lot of them. They were completely buying my pathetic weakling act as I played the damsel in distress. The emotionally wrought female who needed a male to step in and protect her. Yes, I was distraught over Maxwell’s death but I was also bloody angry that the i***t had decided to fight to the death rather than face banishment and rebuild a life with me as our mate bond held us together. I hadn’t been lying when I said the pain of losing my mate as the bond severed completely was excruciating. It had brought me to my knees, sending me sprawling as I felt a tearing sensation inside of me and then it felt like my heart had been ripped in two. Tears had trailed down my cheeks. I knew without needing to be told that he was gone. The bastard had been so determined to insist
