Sloane POV
The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by Finn’s ragged breathing. The sickening, chaotic blend of his rain-soaked grass scent and Delilah’s sweet orchid perfume clung to the walls, a physical manifestation of their betrayal.
"Sloane, I—" Finn started, his voice cracking as he took a step toward me, his eyes wide with a pathetic, desperate panic.
"Don't," I cut him off, my voice devoid of any warmth. The ten years of loyalty, the humiliating flight across the country—it all turned to ash in my mouth. "You dragged me here because you were losing your mind over her Mating Ceremony. A ceremony that is happening in two days, Finn."
Delilah let out a soft, mocking laugh. She casually adjusted the heavy diamond on her finger—the symbol of her alliance with the Crimson Fang Pack. Her cold eyes swept over my sensible clothes. "Oh, honey. This is between wolves. You can't even smell the truth, can you?"
Her words were designed to exclude me, to reduce me to a defective outsider.
Finn ignored her jab at me, turning to Delilah with a sickening, delusional hope lighting up his handsome face. "Tell her," he pleaded, grabbing Delilah's hand. "Tell her what that kiss meant. You're not going through with it. You're leaving Hunter for me."
Delilah’s amused expression vanished, replaced by a mask of absolute ice. She snatched her hand back. "The Mating Ceremony is in two days. It's a treaty, Finn. It's about the future of my Pack. It's happening."
Finn looked as if she had just plunged a silver blade into his chest. His Inner Wolf let out a phantom whine that I couldn't hear, but I could see it in the way his shoulders collapsed.
A fresh wave of fury ignited in my veins. "You're sick," I spat at Delilah. "You're just playing with him. You're torturing him for fun."
Delilah smirked, her gaze raking over me with pure venom. "He needs a she-wolf who can meet his Shift, whose howl can answer his. Not a silent, broken little thing who makes his Inner Wolf feel nothing."
*Broken.*
The word snapped the last thread of my restraint. A feral, entirely human roar tore from my throat. I lunged at her, my hands raised, ready to claw that smug look off her face.
I didn't even make it two steps.
A band of steel wrapped around my waist, jerking me backward so violently my feet left the floor. I crashed against a wall of solid muscle, instantly engulfed by the suffocating, terrifying scent of a violent thunderstorm and spent gunpowder.
"That's enough," Knox rumbles right next to my ear.
It wasn't just a command; it was an *Alpha's Command*. The sheer, crushing weight of his authority flooded the room, freezing Finn and Delilah in their tracks. He effortlessly hauled me out of the room, dragging me down the corridor and into the Great Hall.
He dropped me onto a leather sofa in front of the massive, unlit fireplace. I scrambled to my feet, my chest heaving, ready to scream at him. But Knox just stood there, casually crossing his arms over his broad chest. His dark eyes pinned me in place, stripping away every defense I had left.
"You love him," Knox stated. It wasn't a question. It was a clinical observation.
My heart stopped. "No, I—" I started to deny it, the heat of shame rushing to my cheeks.
Knox’s lips curved into a cruel, knowing smirk. "And I think, little one, he's always known."
The world tilted on its axis. My breath caught in my throat as the horrific realization washed over me. Ten years. Finn hadn't just been oblivious; he had weaponized my pathetic, one-sided devotion. He kept me around as a safe, *wolfless* emotional sponge, knowing exactly how I felt.
Before I could even process the devastation, heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs. Finn and Delilah burst into the Great Hall, their voices raised in another toxic argument. They didn't even look at us as they shoved past the heavy oak front doors, spilling out onto the dark terrace.
My body moved on pure, stupid instinct. I took a step toward the door, the ingrained need to save Finn flaring to life.
Knox stepped directly into my path.
"Move," I demanded, my voice shaking. "You're his Alpha. You're just going to let her destroy him?" I glared up at his granite profile. "And what about Hunter? You're a terrible friend. You should be Mind-Linking him right now. Tell him his fiancé is a cheating bitch."
Knox didn't flinch. He reached out, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the massive window overlooking the terrace. He pointed to the shadows where Finn and Delilah were still tearing each other apart.
"Hunter has known. For months," Knox said, his voice a dark, emotionless rumble.
I stared at him, my jaw dropping. "What? Then why—"
"They're a sickness they call fate," Knox interrupted, his eyes locked on the chaotic scene outside. "A toxic loop that never ends. I'd rather watch her burn her life down with my brother, so my friend can finally be free."
