Emily's POV
The air in the room tasted like copper and old lies.
Every snarled word, every guttural, wolf-drenched confession vibrated in my bones. "I own you, Alina." "After I marry Emily, I'm taking you back." "I love her… but I love you, too."
The words looped in my mind, jagged and sharp. Inside me, my wolf whimpered, tucking her tail and curling into a shivering ball. She had sensed the shadow he carried, the cold gap between us that no amount of wedding planning could fill. I had blamed the pack, the stress of his title, the weight of the crown.
I was a fool. My fingernails bit into my palms, drawing blood.
"Aiden!"
The scream tore out of my throat. He spun, and for a heartbeat, raw panic shattered his Alpha mask. His stormy gray eyes widened, darting toward the door as if looking for an escape.
"Emily—" He took a step forward, the soles of his boots grinding broken glass into the floor. "This isn't… It's not what it looks like."
