Chapter 23
Lily's POV.
I fought my way through the crowded living room, the thrum of music vibrating up through my heels. Wherever Sonia was, I needed to find her, but I felt too unmoored to care. My wolf snarled in my chest, furious at me for rejecting my true mate.
"You need to calm the fuck down," I whispered under my breath as I finally broke through the bodies and into the balcony's cooler air. The silence is bliss, but my thoughts are anything but quiet.
"You can't keep pushing him away," my wolf growls back.
"You mean Joe," I answer bitterly, my hands gripping the railing. "Mark is my mate."
I slipped out onto the balcony. The night air hit me coolly, and I pressed my forehead against the railing, trying to steady my racing heart. Stars flickered above the city skyline, but I felt anything but calm.
A muffled stumble behind me made me turn. Mark, his face flushed, his shirt untucked, he leaned against the doorframe.
"Hey baby!" he slurred, stepping forward. "There you are!" He wrapped his arms around me, tugging me close. "I was looking everywhere."
I forced a smile and hugged him back. He smelled of whiskey and cologne. My wolf snarled again.
I forced a smile and turned around. "Hey," I said, hoping my unease wouldn't show. "I needed some air," I lied. My hands tightened on his shoulders.
Mark pressed his forehead to mine. "Are you okay?" His voice was tender, worry replacing the tipsy bravado.
I shook my head. "I'm fine."
He sighed and brushed a strand of hair from my face. "I love you, Lil. More than anything. I…" He hiccupped. "I'm so grateful you're mine."
"You're drunk," I murmur, brushing his face.
Mark only laughed and pulled me against him. "That's not all. I mean it. I want this forever."
He leaned closer, his lips brushing my ear. "I'm going to marry you one day. Have kids. Everything," he whispered, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
My heart twists. I can barely register what he's saying before his mouth is on mine. I kissed him back out of habit, my hands landing on his chest.
But there's no spark. Nothing like what I felt that night with Joe.
"Mark," I said softly, pulling back enough to look into his eyes. "You mean so much to me, but…"
My Wolf growled. "She's wrong!"
I clenched my jaw. "But it's late. Let's just… let me rest."
He blinked, then nodded, pressing his lips to mine. His kiss was earnest, hungry for connection, but I felt repulsed.
"Stop," my wolf howled. "This isn't right!"
Still, I kissed him back, desperate to prove I could love him. In the dim glow, he grinned and pressed closer.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Joe retreating into the crowd. The sight ripped at me. He froze when he saw us, watching. I felt his gaze like a punch to the gut.
I blinked tears away, straightened, and linked my arm with Mark's.
"Let's go inside," I said. He took my hand, beaming, and led me through the door. My wolf snarled in disgust, but I shoved the feeling down and let Mark guide me to a quiet guest room down the hall.
Joe's POV.
That was the last straw.
My hands balled into fists as I watched them disappear into one of the back rooms. It feels like someone's crushing my chest, each heartbeat a sharp stab.
I stagger outside to my car and slump into the driver's seat.
"Get a grip," I mutter to myself, rubbing my face, exhaustion washing over me like a tide.
If I could undo this… this damn bond, I would do it in a heartbeat.
I closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the seat. My wolf is pacing inside me too. Restless.
"You had her," my wolf growls. "And you pushed her away."
"Shut up," I whispered into the dark car.
It doesn't matter. Nothing matters tonight.
When I finally drive home, my bones feel heavier with every mile.
***
At the front doors, I took a deep breath, steeling myself to face my father. He'd expected me home hours ago.
The palace halls were silent and cavernous. I found him in his study, his shoulders slumped over a desk strewn with papers and… blood-stained tissues. My breath caught.
"Father?" I stepped inside.
He looked up, surprise flickering in his eyes. "Joe." He straightened, pushing papers aside. "You're late."
I closed the door behind me. "I…there was… a party."
He studied me, expression unreadable. "You should learn discipline. Being heir means more than games and girls." He tapped the desk. "Responsibility."
I nodded, eyes flicking to the dark stains on the papers. "What… happened here?"
His jaw tightened. "A servant fell ill. I… tried to help." He rubbed his temple. "But you…" He paused, sighing. "You need to become a man, Joe, before life forces you into it."
I swallowed. "I understand."
He stood, towering over the desk. "Good night, then." His voice softened. "Remember: you're not just Joe Wellington. You're the heir of this great pack. A lot is expected of you."
I saluted, then slipped out of the study, my mind whirling. The tissues haunted me, the blood and the messiness. I trudged up the grand staircase to my room.
***
Morning came with a harsh, insistent alarm. I blinked blearily at the gilded clock on my nightstand. Confused, I threw myself out of bed and followed the sound into the hallway.
A servant rushed past me, eyes wide and tearful.
"What's going on?" I demand.
Her lips tremble as she looks up at me. "Your father… he's not waking up."
"What?"
Where is Father?
I raced down the hallway, pounding on the study door. "Father! Open up!"
Silence.
I tried the knob, but it was locked. My panic bloomed. I shoved at the door. "Father!"
Down the corridor, I heard muffled groans. I burst into the antechamber and rushed to the grand doors of the throne room, flinging them open.
Inside were empty chairs, ribbons of silk draped over the dais, and a single gilded cushion tilted on the floor. But no Alpha.
I froze. My pulse raced as dread settled in my bones.
Then I heard it, a faint rasp, coming from behind the throne.
I crept forward, heart hammering. The ornate curtains parted, revealing my father slumped in a chamber chair, eyes half-closed, lips parted in a silent breath.
His skin was pale, and at his side lay more of those bloody tissues, stained with deeper crimson.
"Father?" My voice shook. I dropped to my knees. "Wake up."
Silence. The only sound was the distant echo of the palace bells.
And in that moment, I realized, the kingdom stood at the brink, without an Alpha.