“What the hell were you thinking?” he snarled, his grip tightening painfully. “There should be a limit to your childishness, Daphne.”
His words echoed in my ears, and it drew my final straw. I shoved him away with all my might. “Childish?”
A red haze clouded my vision as pure, unfiltered hatred surged through me. “I’m not the childish one, Jasper. You are—with your perfect little Briana!”
“Daphne!” he growled, baring his fangs.
I scoffed, my heart hammering in my chest. This month had been a brutal wake-up call. I knew I didn’t matter to him. He'd made that clear when he left me at the altar. I knew for sure that he'd snap my neck in a heartbeat just to protect her. But for him to throw it in my face like this? It was too much, and I was too furious I couldn't even cry.
“Get out!” I screamed, the words ripping out of me. “I don’t give a damn if you’re the next Alpha or the moon goddess herself—get out before I tear you apart!”
“No.” His voice was ice, his Alpha arrogance dripping from every word. “We’re not done here.”
“Oh, we’re done.” I grabbed him by the collar and threw him out with every hatred in my fiber. He tumbled on the grass, looking stunned, his pride bruised. He moved to retaliate, but I slammed the door in his face before he could.
I'm an idiot to think a flimsy door could stand against his monstrous strength, but I wasn't in my right mind. I stood there, trembling, waiting for him to break it down, but to my relief, he left before things got even uglier between us.
Even with him gone, I couldn’t calm down. The walls felt like they were closing in, suffocating me. My chest tightened with every breath until I couldn’t take it anymore. Without a second thought, I bolted for the backyard, shifting into my wolf, and tore into the woods. I ran like a mad dog, my heart pounding, and lungs burning, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to stop.
What had I done to deserve this? Was it so wrong to dream of marrying my mate? How could the moon goddess be so damn cruel?
When I finally came to my senses, the sun was already high in the sky, its warmth mocking the cold, hollow ache in my chest. I blinked, looking around, and realized I was sprawled in the middle of a meadow, surrounded by pansies. Panic hit me like a slap. This wasn’t anywhere near our territory, and I’d been lying here, snoring like an idiot, without a care in the world.