Thalia’s POV”I said call off your tropes.” My nostrils flared as I fought to keep my voice from shaking.
I stood on my toes and glared at him, wanting to make myself appear intimidating even though he still very much towered over me.
“I said no!” he repeated, letting that disgusting word ring out again.
And to think I had actually dragged myself to his room just to talk to someone as destructive as him.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“No?”
”They attacked my men first, and they’ve been lurking around my borders for days,” Dion argued, his posture stiffening.
“That alone is enough reason to invade that village.”
”Are you out of your fucking mind?!” I shouted.
“Are you trying to destroy my pack?”
”Your pack?” Dion growled.
“The same pack where the Alpha ripped your wolf from your chest?
The same pack where their members hunted you and nearly killed you?
Do you honestly believe you would have survived if not for my intervention?”
My breath hitched, cold dread pooling in my stomach.
“Ripped my wolf?
What are you talking about…?”
”You think I don’t know about the whole thing?
About how your Adonis stole your wolf from you to save his own miserable life?
Why on earth do you still care what happens to a monster like him?!”
I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing.
Where had he gotten that information?
I didn’t remember telling him or anyone here about the blood ritual.
“Because those are my people!” I yelled back, tears burning the back of my eyes.
“And I will not stand by and let you butcher them!”
”Even when they’re threatening to invade my pack?
To kill my own people?
Your people?!” he yelled in my face.
I stood in silence, carefully filtering my next words.
“There is always another way out…
a peaceful resolution—”
”Not this time.” Dion shut me down instantly.
“I told you a while ago that I would do whatever it took to make sure my pack is protected no matter what, and if that includes attacking your people, then I’m sorry for your loss.”
He turned to leave, reaching for the door.
“No…” I dragged him back by the shirt.
“You will do no such thing.
I won’t let you hurt innocent people because of your pride.”
”This has absolutely nothing to do with my pride, Thalia.” He chuckled bitterly.
“Because if I wanted to act based on my pride, then his head would be hanging on my fucking wall.”
He attempted to walk out of the room again, but I quickly jumped in front of him, blocking the door.
“You will do no such thing.”
He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath.
“Move, Thalia…” he warned, his voice sounding dangerously low.
“No…I’m not going anywhere.” I stood my ground. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“Thalia, I beg you, get out of my path.
Or so help me Moon Goddess, I will throw you into that room and tie you up…”
”Go ahead then, do it,” I challenged, stepping closer.
“Discard me like how you discard every fragile emotion you’re too terrified to feel!”
I was calling his bluff.
I knew how deeply Dion cared for me; hell, everyone in the pack knew about it, and as selfish and manipulative as it might sound right now, I was going to use that to my advantage.
It worked.
His shoulders fell immediately.
The anger behind his eyes that had fueled him instantly melted away.
He stared at me like I had stabbed him in his chest.
“Why would you still care about a man who took your own soul, your wolf, and left you for dead?” his voice came out broken, almost as if he knew my response to the question and feared me confirming it.
I wanted to lie about it, twist my words.
But with everything we’ve been through, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“Adonis…is my mate.”
”Is or was?”
”Is…”
The whole room fell silent.
I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, so I just stared at his feet.
I could hear him swallow hard, and I involuntarily did the same thing.
“But you don’t have his mark on you…I don’t smell his claim over you, not even right now.”
”That’s because he claimed someone else.
Eris.” The mention of Eris’ name left a bitter taste on my tongue.
“That must have been hell for you,” Dion said softly.
“And despite that…
you still gave him your wolf?
Willingly?”
I shook my head.
“I was desperate to save his life; I didn’t know my wolf would be the price I would pay… and it happened two years before that.
The night of our attack.
The first time you saved me.” I finally lifted my eyes from the ground to stare at him.
“If I had known this would happen, I would have left him to die.”
”Then leave him to die now.” He walked closer toward me, his eyes searching mine.
“Let that anger be my permission to end him.”
I looked away again, but this time he grabbed my face and turned it towards him.
“Don’t let your emotions lie to you.”
”But I still love him!” I finally confessed, the truth tearing out of me.
“I despise myself for it, but I still do.
My mind screams every once in a while with thoughts of him.”
I had tried to forget Adonis, to ignore the burning pain inside of me craving for him.
I still cared for him more than I wanted to.
I didn’t understand why.
I sighed heavily once I finally got it off my chest.
The guilt of holding something so heavy away from Dion ate me inside every day.
“This…
this wasn’t how I wanted you to find out,” I murmured.
“I was going to tell you myself, when I was more comfortable…”
Dion looked down at me, his expression unreadable.
“I understand.” He whispered.
“I understand how much you love him and care about him; I understand that your heart still wants a man like that, and I understand how hard it is to let go of your first mate.”
I nodded my head, finally glad that we had reached an understanding.
“But…” he continued, his tone instantly shifting.
“That doesn’t change my decision.”
”What?!”
”My men will go into the borderlands and wipe out every single warrior from BlackFang lurking around my border.”
”You said you understood!
You said you understood me, Dion.”
His slouched shoulders came back to their normal raised form, making him appear even taller than he already was.
His eyes got back their fire, and he looked straight ahead as he spoke.
“Yes, I do.
I understand you, Thalia, I really do, but that doesn’t mean I’ll change my mind.
It doesn’t justify the fact that he crossed a line he shouldn’t have.”
”Dion…” I begged, but he didn’t even spare me a single look.
“My men will proceed as planned; they will go into the borderlands and wipe out any threat to this pack.” He finally looked down to stare at me.
“But because of whatever you think I feel for you, I won’t invade your pack.
I’ll let them off with this warning.” He finally moved away from me and stopped at the slightly ajar door.
“But if for any reason, and I mean any fucking reason at all, they come into my territory, I will wipe out every single one of them…”
He pointed toward the door, ushering me out.
“This isn’t me threatening you, Thalia.
It’s a promise.”
I stood rooted to the ground, unable to find my voice.
“I don’t want a war, Dion…” I pleaded with him one last time.
“Innocent people are going to die.”
”Then pray to the Moon Goddess that he isn’t stupid enough to test me again.
Now leave.” He pointed toward the hallway.
I didn’t dare object or speak again.
With how his jaw ticked, I could tell I was already on thin ice.
I just walked out quietly.
As I exited the room, I couldn’t help but think about how he’d have reacted if he’d known there was someone other than Adonis.
The white-haired man with the striking blue eyes.
Caspian.