Chapter 174

Chapter 174

And then there was Keith. I knew we had no true bond, and the idea of severing a connection I had with Maxwell, Clay, and Lucian-connections that ran deeper than I could put into words felt just as painful as mourning a death. I knew what Keith had endured when his own mate was taken from him. Breaking this bond would be just as devastating, and somehow, even worse.

“I guess I’ll leave you to it, then,” Maxwell said, stepping back, his face calm, even serene. But I could feel the agony beneath that mask, feel his heart splintering as he tried to turn away, ready to walk out of my life.

Without thinking, I reached out, my hand finding his arm. He stopped and looked at me, and for a moment, there was a flicker of hope, tentative and raw is his eyes.

I took a deep breath, letting go of the walls I’d built, allowing myself to be vulnerable, if only for a moment.

“I don’t want Keith. Not… not in that sense,” I confessed, the words slipping out quietly. It was my truth, a piece of my heart laid bare.

Maxwell’s gaze softened, but the resignation didn’t fade entirely. He looked at me as though he understood, but as if he also knew it didn’t undo the damage we’d all suffered.