Aidan.
I had never seen Noah look at me the way he did today.
Not once in all the years I had known him, guided him, commanded him, had he ever walked away from me with such defiance burning in his eyes. Noah had always been disciplined, respectful. He listened. He obeyed. Even when he disagreed, he never crossed the invisible line between disagreement and rebellion.
Until now.
Until Maria.
I stood alone in Davian's study long after the doors had slammed shut behind him, the echo of his departure still ringing in the walls like an accusation. My fingers curled slowly at my side as I replayed the scene in my head, every word he had thrown at us, every look that said he was no longer willing to bend.
Because of her.
Maria.
The name tasted bitter on my tongue.
She was my mate.
