Chapter 98: Chapter 98 

~ NYSSA

“A pack member?” Rowan asked but the guard shook his head.

“It is the Alpha from yesterday, sir. Should we throw him out again or…”

All the happiness I felt from earlier bled out of me as if drained.

I had such a great night with Rowan that I’d forgotten what made it happen in the first place. I’d forgotten all about Henry and his tryst with Aria.

The guilt came flooding back, and with it came an onslaught of shame so thick, I couldn’t breathe.

“I will handle this,” Rowan said finally, rising to his feet.

His jaw was set stubbornly, his hands fisted by his sides.

“I should come with—” I began but he shook my head.

“Stay here.”

He glanced at Aria then back to me. The meaning was clear.

I said nothing as he walked out of the room, murmuring curses under his breath as he did.

The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Aria and I in thick silence.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The air grew terser, my palms growing sweaty as I tried to wipe them against my pants.

I didn’t know where to start or what to say.

“You know, don’t you?” she asked suddenly.

I risked a glance at her expecting to find something on her face but it was carefully blank.

She’d lowered herself back into the chair, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched me intensely.

I nodded. “Rowan told me yesterday. I swear I didn’t—”

“I know,” she cut me off. “It was painstakingly obvious the first time we met. You seemed so confused.”

“But you knew me.”

She smiled tightly. “I did, and I wanted to hate you, trust me. I wanted you gone.”

I remembered our first conversation, how she had told me that Rowan would not see us and it would be best if we left. I assumed then that she just hated our pack, I would never have known that I was the one she had a real problem with.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked softly and she shrugged.

“To what end? I would only have succeeded in making you feel guilty like you do now. Henry and I have not been together in a while. I have moved on. I still hate him, don’t get me wrong, but… it’s not worth it anymore.”

“I’m sorry, I truly am.”

She waved me off. “It is not your mistake to apologize for. You are a good person, Nyssa, and he did not deserve you.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

She made her way over to me, wrapping her arms around my shoulder.

My body sagged against hers, my arms wrapping around her in turn and holding her tightly. I hadn’t realized how much I needed to be held until she touched me.

“I’m going to pull back now because you smell so much like Rowan and it makes me want to throw up,” she grumbled.

An uncontrollable laugh burst out of me, making my stomach clench from the force. “Fair enough.”

For a second, we just stayed there and I glanced at the door Rowan had disappeared through. I began to rise when Aria stopped me.

“Rowan can handle it,” she told me.

“I know, but I need to see him. I need to talk to him… Henry.”

“He’s not going to have an answer for you.”

I smiled sadly. “I know. I want to do this for me… not him.”

She stared at me for a minute, eyes searching mine for something. She must have found it because she nodded and rose to her feet. “Come on. I know where they probably are.”

She led me towards the throne room and I couldn’t help but note that there were no guards around.

As we got closer though, I heard voices echoing through the hall and they did not sound happy.

I pushed the doors open and both men went silent.

Rowan had Henry pinned to the wall by his throat, his eyes flashing with anger.

As soon as he saw me, he released Henry, letting him fall to the ground, gasping for breath. I ignored Henry and made my way straight towards Rowan who frowned upon seeing me.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he murmured. “I can deal with this.”

“I know, and you will.” I turned to Henry. “Why are you here?”

“To get you back, Nys. This… man… he’s a monster. He is not what you think he is.”

“And you are?” I asked, brow raised in amusement. “You never told me about you and Aria. I shouldn’t be surprised though, seeing as you were with Alisa as well.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “How did you—”

“It doesn’t matter how I know. I cannot trust you, Henry. I never will. Our entire relationship was built on a lie. I want nothing to do with you.”

He stepped closer but Rowan cut him off with a growl.

Thankfully, he was smart enough to stop moving. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do. I want you to leave, and I don’t ever want to see you again. I renounce my ties to the pack, and to you.”

It felt like a weight had lifted itself off my shoulders.

I felt free for the first time in forever. Nothing was holding me back from being mated to Rowan. I could finally look forward and—

“You think he is much better than me?” Henry snarled. “Well I have some news for you, Nyssa, he is just as bad a liar as I am.”

I ignored him, heading for the door. “I don’t care what you have to say.”

“Do you care what he has to say?” he asked.

I turned to him, brows knitted in confusion when he reached for the bag on the floor and pulled a leather bound journal.

Rowan blanched, as did Aria.

“What is that?” I asked slowly, looking between the three of them.

It was Henry who answered. “Proof that your mate is even worse a liar than I am.”

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