Naomi slowed down once she reached a quieter corner, a few steps away from the trial hall, far from all the watching eyes and judgment.
The tears came fast then, blurring everything in front of her. Her heart pounded hard against her ribs, like something ready to burst.
She couldn’t even tell what hurt worse, that Alpha Kaidan, the man she called her mate, had gone to celebrate with another woman right after telling her he was busy, or that he’d brought that woman here, right in front of her, like it was meant to humiliate her on purpose.
The sharp little smile on Serena’s face as she’d held out that gift stayed burned into her mind, replaying over and over with every breath she took. And worse, nobody else seemed to notice it. Nobody caught the mockery hiding underneath all that sweetness.
She stopped near the pool, staring out at the still, dark water. It looked peaceful on the surface. Inside her, everything felt like it was on fire.
"Well, if it isn’t the attention-seeking, pathetic little gold digger," a voice hissed from behind her. "You actually thought Alpha Kaidan would chase after you, didn’t you?" A bitter laugh followed. "Please. You’re not even worth chasing."
Naomi swallowed hard as Serena stepped closer. The warm, sugary smile she’d worn for the crowd inside was gone completely now.
What replaced it was ice, the same sharp look she always wore when no one else was watching, especially when Alpha Kaidan wasn’t around to see it.
"Next time you run off, don’t stop here. Make it permanent. Just vanish," Serena added, jaw tight.
She’d hated Naomi from day one, but tonight, seeing Alpha Kaidan actually try to follow her, that must have set something off in her. Naomi could hardly believe it herself. In four years, he’d never once done anything close to that.
"Just..." Naomi swallowed the lump rising in her throat. "Just stay away from me."
"Stay away from you?" Serena laughed like it was the most absurd thing she’d ever heard. "You can’t even leave my man alone!"
My man. That was what she’d always called him. And the worst part was, she wasn’t even wrong to say it. Naomi was his mate, and still, she couldn’t claim him with even half that confidence.
"Look at you. So miserable. Like some unwanted stray," Serena went on, dripping with mockery. "Must be exhausting, playing mate to someone who doesn’t even love you."
Naomi wanted to argue, wanted to tell her she was wrong. But nothing came out. The truth sat too heavy in her chest to push away.
Alpha Kaidan didn’t love her. Not even a little. And somehow that hurt worse than every insult combined.
"I figured you’d have left once I came back, but here you still are," Serena sneered. "Shameless. Still clinging to him for what, the money? The name?" Her eyes narrowed with disgust.
Alpha Kaidan hadn’t even brought up ending the bond since Serena’s return. Was he just waiting for her to catch on and ask for it herself?
"He doesn’t love you. You’re a toy, and sooner or later he’ll toss you out like you’re nothing," Serena said, drawing every word out slow, making sure each one landed.
Naomi’s fingers dug into the fabric of her dress as she fought to keep breathing evenly.
She couldn’t deny that Serena might be right, that she really might just be a toy to him. But she wasn’t about to let her see how deep that cut. So she lifted her chin and held her gaze.
"Guess we’ll find out then," she said, keeping her voice steady. "For now, I’m still his mate."
Serena’s smile dropped, her whole face twisting into fury. She hated being talked back to, hated even more being reminded that Naomi still held that title.
"You little..." she snapped, raising her hand like she meant to strike her.
But she stopped, hand frozen in the air for a beat before she slowly lowered it.
"Looks like you’ve forgotten who actually matters here," she said softly, a cruel little smile curling at her lips. "Let me remind you."
Naomi blinked, caught off guard. Serena stepped in closer, her fingers digging hard into Naomi’s arm.
Before she could even process what was happening, Serena shoved her, hard.
Everything blurred together after that. Her balance gave out, and the next second she was falling backward into the pool.
Her back hit the water first. A loud splash rang in her ears. Cold water rushed up her nose and into her eyes, and for a second she couldn’t see anything at all. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think straight.
The water pulled her under fast. The deeper she sank, the quieter everything got. The surface above looked far away and wavering, like something from a dream.
Then her foot slammed into the bottom of the pool, and pain shot straight up through her ankle, sharp and blinding. She’d twisted it badly.
She tried pushing herself upward, but the second she moved her foot, pain exploded through her leg all over again. It was almost too much to bear.
She couldn’t kick. Couldn’t swim properly. Panic slammed into her all at once.
She tried to claw her way to the surface, but without her leg to help push her, her body felt heavy, off balance, impossible to control.
She fought with just her arms, pulling as hard as she could, but it wasn’t enough. The surface stayed just out of reach.
Her chest tightened painfully. She needed air, now.
She opened her mouth to scream and only water rushed in instead. Her strength was fading fast. She was drowning.
Please, she begged silently, not even sure who she was praying to. Please, someone help me.
She didn’t want to die like this. Not here. Not because of her.
Then, right as she thought it was over, strong arms caught her from behind. Someone wrapped their hands firmly around her waist and pulled her upward with startling strength.
A second later she broke through the surface, gasping and coughing, air burning back into her lungs.
He held her steady against his chest, keeping her above water as he moved fast toward the edge of the pool.