Chapter 70

Kingston

The moment I walked into the house, I knew something was amiss.

The air was heavy, made thick by a tension. Normally, Cora would have heard the door and come to greet me, but not today.

My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin, sensing distress. The house was quiet, but not in a peaceful way. No, this was the kind of quiet that came before a thunderstorm.

I found her in the living room, arms wrapped around herself like she was physically holding herself together. Cora didn’t look at me when I paused in the doorway.

She was staring out the window, the fading daylight casting gold hues across her face. Her jaw was tight. Her shoulders were rigid. My chest tightened as I cleared my throat.

“Cora?”

She didn’t respond.

“Cora,” I repeated, softer this time as I stepped closer. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Her head turned, finally, and when her eyes met mine, I felt it like a knife to the gut.

Betrayal. Anger. Pain. They were written all over her face.

“Amy was here,” she said, voice trembling.

I blinked. “What? Why?”

“She was stalking the house. Scoping us out. I caught her outside.” Her voice sharpened, trembling with something barely restrained. “Don’t worry, I chased her off. But she knows I’m alive now.”

I swore under my breath, already imagining the fallout. “Did she threaten you?”

Cora gave a bitter laugh, but there was no humor in it. “She did more than that. She taunted me. Told me she was going to tell everyone. And then she dropped some news on me.”

I stiffened. Whatever Amy had told her couldn’t have been good. It rarely was. “Dropped what?”

She turned fully toward me now, eyes blazing. “She told me about your date, Kingston. With Liana.”

My mouth opened, but no words came. I could practically feel the trap springing shut around me.

“I know what you’re going to say,” she continued. “That it doesn’t mean anything. That it was political. But you didn’t tell me. Even in your note the other day, you didn’t mention why you had gone to the luncheon. But you were seeing her, weren’t you?”

I wouldn’t lie to her. I respected her too much for that. “Yes,” I said. “But—”

“You didn’t even warn me. I had to hear it from Amy, of all people.”

“I was going to—”

“No, you weren’t,” she snapped. “You were never going to tell me, were you?”

“I was. But it doesn’t matter. It’s all an act, and I didn’t want to hurt you.”

Her laugh cracked like glass, sharp as it rattled around the room. “Well, too late for that.”

I took another step forward. “Cora, the date was a council obligation. You know that. They’re pushing for alliances and—”

“And you didn’t think I deserved to know?”

“I didn’t choose her. I chose you. Don’t you get it by now? I’m your mate. I’ll choose you every time.” My voice rose with frustration, trying to cut through her pain forcibly. “Every moment I’ve been with Liana, I’ve been thinking about how I could get out of this without risking you.”

“Then why hide it?” she whispered.

I lowered myself so that I was kneeling before her. “Because I thought I was protecting you.”

“Don’t do that,” she said sharply, shaking her head. “Don’t turn this into some noble lie. You promised me honesty, Kingston. You promised.”

I reached out, desperate to hold her hand, to bridge the space between us. “And I am being honest. I swear. Cora—”

“Don’t touch me,” she breathed, stepping back.

I moved to follow, instinct overriding reason. “Please, just listen—”

“No.” She stood abruptly and took a few steps away. I stood as well, following her. She couldn’t escape this conversation that easily. We needed to hash this out.

“You’re the only one. The date meant as much to me as any other boring pack meeting. You’re my mate, and—”

I reached for her again, and my hand was nearly on her shoulder, but she flinched back at the last moment, cutting me off as she raised her hand.

She shoved me.

It wasn’t a hard push. At least, it wasn’t meant to be. But it hit me like a wall of force, and I stumbled back several steps, bumping into the edge of the couch hard enough to bruise.

We both froze, eyes wide. Her mouth was agape in horror.

“Holy shit,” I murmured.

She looked down at her trembling hands, then back at me. “I— I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s your wolf,” I said quietly, straightening. “She’s coming into her full strength. Every day, she’s getting stronger since our mating bond was sealed.”

“I— I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t.” I took a breath, watching her. “But that wasn’t a normal push, Cora. You’re stronger than you were. A lot stronger. Probably more so than we even know.”

Her expression crumbled. “If that’s true, then… Then I can’t control it. She’s always just there now, just beneath the surface.”

I crossed the space between us, slower this time. When she didn’t pull away, I rested my hand gently on her shoulder.

“This doesn’t scare me,” I said. “You don’t scare me.”

She looked up at me, eyes filled with unshed tears. “But I scared myself. I won’t be able to hide this for much longer.”

“I’ll help you control it. We’ll figure it out together.”

Cora closed her eyes and leaned into my touch, letting herself breathe. I could feel the tension in her slowly start to unravel. I didn’t care how much strength she was unlocking. She was still her. Still the woman I loved. Still the one I had fought like hell to get back.

“Amy’s gone,” she said after a beat. “But she’s going to cause trouble. She’s going to tell the Silverfang pack. I just know it.”

“She won’t get the chance,” I growled. “I’ll fire her tomorrow. I’ll have her removed from the pack. She’s crossed too many lines, and now she’s a threat to your safety. I should’ve cut her out weeks ago. This is the perfect excuse.”

“Good,” Cora muttered, wiping at her eyes. “I want her gone.”

I nodded. “She will be. You have my word.”

There was a long silence then. One where the storm between us finally began to fade, but the damage lingered in the corners. I watched her bite her lip in thought and lifted her chin with my finger to meet my gaze.

“Cora…” I hesitated. “We can’t ignore this thing with Liana.”

She tensed again at the name, but didn’t argue.

“I know how it sounds and looks,” I continued. “But she’s not interested in me. And I’m not interested in her. We agreed to pretend, just to satisfy the pack. That’s it.”

“You’re pretending to date her?”

I nodded. “She’s into someone else. Ethan, actually. It worked out perfectly.”

Cora let out a breath. “Well, I guess I can’t really blame her. That makes two of us who are pretending lately.”

Her words stung, but she gave me a small, tired smile like she was intentionally trying to soften the blow. I knew that she was confused and worried. It was all a lot for her to take in at once.

“We could invite her over for dinner,” I said carefully. “Let you meet her. Maybe… clear the air?”

Cora raised a brow. “Are you serious?”

“I am. I think it’ll help. No more secrets. No more room for Amy or anyone else to twist the truth.”

She studied me for a long time. My heart pounded in the quiet so loudly that I feared she could hear it.

Eventually, she gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. One dinner. But if she so much as breathes in your direction wrong, I’m going to use it as an excuse to find out what my wolf can really do.”

A laugh burst from me, the first real one all evening. “Fair enough.”

Cora’s eyes softened. “I’m scared, Kingston.”

I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her tightly against my chest. “So am I. But we’re in this together. No matter how complicated it gets.”

Her fingers curled into my shirt, fisting the fabric.

“We have to be careful,” she whispered.

“I know.” I kissed her hair. “I’d rather risk everything with you than live another day pretending you’re gone.”

She didn’t answer, but her silence said everything I needed to hear.

I held her tighter.

And for the first time that day, we both allowed ourselves to hope.