Chapter 174

Arthur

The bed feels wrong without Iris in it. Too big, too empty, too cold. Each time I shut my eyes, I’m acutely aware of her absence. The mattress doesn’t dip on her side. The sheets don’t rustle with her movements. Her scent lingers on the pillow, but it’s fading quickly.

I’ve barely slept since she left two days ago. Even exhausted as I am, sleep refuses to come. I roll over, glance at the clock on the nightstand: 2:15 AM. With a groan, I throw the covers aside and sit up, rubbing my face with both hands.

It’s like it was when we were broken up all over again. Sleepless nights without my mate by my side, with only one thing that manages to get me to doze off.

This is ridiculous. I should just go to her—make her understand that this isn’t what I want, that I love only her. Not Veronica, not anyone else. Just Iris.

Making my decision, I pull on jeans and a sweater, grab my keys, and head downstairs. Ezra will be pissed that I’m leaving without security, but I don’t care. This can’t wait until morning.

The drive to the Willford estate takes me thirty minutes, even with the roads nearly empty at this hour. The gates open automatically for my car—a privilege I’m still allowed, at least for now. As I pull up the circular driveway, I notice a light on in the main house. Someone’s still awake, which is something, at least. I wonder if Iris is up painting the night away, unable to sleep just like me.

But I’m only halfway to the front door when it swings open, spilling warm light onto the steps. Caleb stands in the doorway with his arms folded.

“Arthur,” he says flatly. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“I need to see Iris,” I reply, climbing the last few steps to reach him. “Just for a minute. Please.”

Caleb doesn’t move from the doorway. “She doesn’t want to see you right now.”

“Did she say that?” I challenge. “Or are you deciding for her?”

His jaw tightens. “She’s sleeping. Miles is sleeping. And frankly, you showing up at this hour won’t help anything.”

“I can’t sleep without her,” I admit, hating how pathetic it sounds. “I just need to explain—”

“You’ve already explained,” Caleb cuts me off. “She needs time and space. Respect that.”

“You don’t understand—”

“I understand perfectly well,” Caleb says, his voice hardening. “You’ve somehow acquired a second mate bond, and the rejection didn’t work. Now my sister is heartbroken. Again. Because of you.”

His words sting because they’re true. I’ve hurt Iris again, even though I swore I never would.

“Go home, Arthur.”

With that, he steps back and closes the door firmly in my face.

I stand there for a moment, staring at the door, tempted to pound on it until someone—anyone—lets me in. But that would only make things worse, and so, defeated, I trudge back to my car.

Driving back to an empty apartment holds zero appeal, so I head downtown instead. There’s a lounge I sometimes frequented back when I used to have sleepless nights like this, a place where people mind their own business and the bartenders don’t water down the drinks.

The Obsidian Lounge is tucked away on a quiet street, its entrance marked only by a small black sign. Inside, the lighting is dim, a woman in a red dress playing piano in the corner; I can’t see her face with her back to me. Despite the late hour, there are a few patrons scattered around.

I take a seat at the bar and order a whiskey, neat, ignoring the strange look from the bartender. As he’s pouring it, the piano music stops.

I’m halfway through my drink when a familiar scent wafts toward me, making my wolf stir. Before I can even turn around, I know who it is.

Veronica.

Of all the bars in all of Ordan, she had to walk into this one.

I consider leaving immediately. That would be the smart thing to do. But when I turn to go, that scent hits me again, stronger now that she’s closer, and my feet refuse to move.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Veronica says, sliding onto the stool beside mine. I chance a glance over at her and realize that she was the woman playing the piano. Is she playing at late-night lounges now? She’s got enough money to buy half of Ordan, doesn’t she? Why pick up gigs like this one?

But I don’t care. That’s none of my business, and frankly, I need to get away before her scent completely overwhelms me.

“I was just leaving,” I manage as I rifle through my wallet for some cash.

“Please don’t.” Her hand shoots out to grab my arm. “I’d like to talk, if that’s alright.”

My eyes flicker down to where she’s touching me. The heat radiating from her palm is nearly enough to make my wolf burst out of my skin. “Mate,” he growls. “Mate, mate, mate…”

My throat bobs. “What do you want, Veronica?”

She orders a martini, then turns to face me fully. “I want to apologize. I never meant to drive a wedge between you and Iris. That was never my intention.”

I scoff. “What exactly did you think would happen when you told me we were mates?”

“I didn’t tell you,” she points out. “You figured it out on your own. I’ve known for years, Arthur. When you chose Selina over me, I thought I was going to die.”

“You’ve known that long?”

She nods, taking a sip of her drink. Her red lips purse around the olive, the little green fruit sitting on the tip of her tongue for a moment before she sucks it off the skewer and chews. “I was always a little surprised you didn’t notice,” she says, swallowing the olive. “But I suppose you were… preoccupied.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Would it have mattered?” she asks, her gray eyes looking up at me through her long lashes. “You were already marked to Iris. You were happy. What good would it have done to complicate things?”

“No one knew about Iris,” I clarify. “Not at that time.”

She tilts her head and gives me a meaningful look that says, without words, that maybe more people knew than I thought.

I study her face for a moment, and I’m a little surprised by the pity that takes over me.

“It must have been difficult,” I find myself saying. “Watching your mate with someone else all these years.”

A small, sad smile curves her lips. “It wasn’t easy. Especially when you chose Selina as your contract bride. For a time, I thought you might choose me and I could at least be in your presence as your contract wife, but… no. And even then, you cast Selina aside for Iris. You always loved Iris the most.”

There’s a resignation in her voice that takes me by surprise. For all her beauty, her talent, her wealth… Veronica seems deeply lonely.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I didn’t know.”

“How could you?” she shrugs. “I’ve spent years perfecting the art of seeming perfectly content.”

We sit in silence for a moment, sipping our drinks. Despite myself, I feel a weird sort of sadness for her. If I were in her position—and I was, in a way, once, when Iris left me, even though she never saw anyone else during that time—I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”

“Can I ask you something?” I finally say.

“Of course.”

“The earrings. The blood diamonds. Did you know what they were when you gave them to Iris?”

Veronica’s eyes widen. “You still think that I deliberately sabotaged her?”

I don’t answer, which is answer enough.

“Arthur, no.” She shakes her head emphatically. “I would never do something so cruel. Those earrings were purchased one of the most reputable jewelers in Ordan. I had no reason to suspect they were blood diamonds.”

I want to believe her. But I’ve been fooled by beautiful, convincing women before.

“I mean it. I don’t want to stand between you and Iris,” Veronica continues. “Let me prove it. I’ll reject you right now and break our bond.”

“The rejection didn’t work when I tried it,” I remind her.

“Because your heart wasn’t in it,” she says simply. “But mine is. I won’t be the reason for your unhappiness, or hers.”

Before I can respond, she straightens on her stool, looks me directly in the eyes, and says clearly, “I reject you as my mate, Arthur. Be free to love another.”

The words should have an impact. I wait for something to change, anything.

Nothing happens.

Veronica’s face falls slightly. “Well.” She laughs wryly. “I guess neither of our hearts are truly in it.”

“That’s not possible,” I argue. “I love Iris. I want to be with Iris.”

“I believe you do,” Veronica says softly. “Consciously, deliberately, you choose her. But our wolves… they recognize something between us. Something neither of us can fully deny, it seems.”

“There has to be another explanation—”

“Maybe in another life,” she interrupts, rising from her seat, “we could have been happy together. Maybe in some parallel universe, you and I met first, and Iris was just someone you passed on the street.”

The thought makes me want to be sick, and yet her words twist something buried deep inside my heart.

“But that’s not this life,” Veronica sighs. “In this one, you love her. And I won’t stand in the way of that, mate bond or no mate bond.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’ll keep my distance. Remove myself from the equation entirely.” She stands, placing a few bills on the bar. “I’m leaving for Bo’Arrocan again in two weeks. I’ve been offered a twelve-month residency at the Bayside Music Academy. I was going to turn it down, but… I think I’ll accept.”

I don’t know what to say. “Thank you” seems inappropriate, but I am grateful for her decision.

“Be happy, Arthur,” she finishes.

Before I can respond, she leans in and places a soft kiss on my cheek. “Goodbye,” she whispers.

And then she’s gone.