Patricia.
"Darren, can you co to your senses?"
My voice ca out strained as I stared at him from across the room. My fingers curled anxiously at my sides as I tried to keep my emotions steady.
"Forget about the competition," I continued, shaking my head slightly. "There is no need for it anymore."
Everything that had happened today still hung heavily in the air. The attack, the chaos, the fear that had spread through the pack, it was impossible to ignore.
Nothing felt normal anymore.
But Darren stood there as if none of it mattered.
As if nothing had changed.
"And why should I forget, Patricia?"
His voice was calm at first, but there was an edge to it I didn’t recognize.
He took a slow step closer to .
"Answer ."
The sudden sharpness in his voice made my heart skip.
He was closer now, his eyes fixed on mine with an intensity that made my chest tighten.
"Why should I forget?"
The last words ca out louder.
A yell.
I flinched instinctively.
The reaction surprised even .
In all the ti I had known Darren, he had never raised his voice at before.
Not once.
He had always been patient, steady... soone I could talk to without feeling afraid.
But right now, the man standing in front of didn’t feel like the sa Darren.
"Darren..." I said slowly, my voice softer now. "What’s wrong with you?" My brows drew together as I searched his face. "You’re yelling at ."
He exhaled sharply, running a frustrated hand through his hair before turning away for a mont like he was trying to gather himself.
"Patricia," he muttered, his shoulders tense. "Can you just stop all this?" He turned back to face again. "I’m tired."
The exhaustion in his voice caught off guard but the worry in my chest didn’t ease.
"I still don’t understand," I said carefully, trying to keep my tone calm. "Why are you so hell bent on taking part in this competition?" My hands lifted slightly as if trying to make him see reason. "Can’t you see it’s no longer safe here?"
The image of the attack earlier flashed in my mind again.
Soone had been bold enough to attempt an assassination in the middle of the arena.
That wasn’t sothing we could just ignore.
Yet Darren was acting like the competition was still the most important thing in the world.
His lips curled slightly into sothing that wasn’t quite a smile.
"Oh really?"
The words ca out slowly.
His gaze sharpened as he looked at .
"I was about to ask you sothing myself."
A strange uneasiness crept into my stomach.
"What do you an?"
He paused for a mont, studying my expression carefully.
Then he spoke again.
"Are you behind the incident that happened today?"
The question landed like a sudden slap.
My eyes widened.
For a second, I wasn’t even sure I had heard him correctly.
"What?" the word slipped from my lips in disbelief. "What do you an?" I stared at him, completely stunned.
The idea that he would even think sothing like that... felt unreal.
But Darren’s expression didn’t soften.
If anything, he looked more serious than ever.
"Co on, you know what I an, Patricia."
Darren’s voice was low, but the sharp accusation in it cut straight through .
"You can do anything to have your way," he continued, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at . "I know that."
He paused for a brief second, almost like he was asuring the effect his words were having on .
"Because that’s exactly how I ended up getting mated to you."
I froze.
The words struck harder than I expected.
For a mont, I couldn’t even breathe properly.
My body felt stiff, my chest tight as the weight of what he had just said settled painfully inside .
I really couldn’t take it anymore.
Yes, I had done things in the past that people didn’t approve of. I knew that. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe that everyone saw as innocent.
I could be manipulative.
I could be ruthless when I needed sothing.
But taking soone’s life?
The thought made my stomach twist violently.
I had never crossed that line.
Never.
My jaw tightened as anger and frustration built inside .
Damn you, Maria.
Everything had been fine before we saw her again in this pack, before she started turning everything upside down.
"I don’t know what you are talking about, Darren," I said quickly, turning my face away from him so he couldn’t see the storm of emotions rising in my eyes.
I refused to let him see how much his words had shaken .
The silence that followed felt suffocating.
I could still feel his gaze on .
Heavy.
Suspicious.
"You better be telling the truth, Patricia," Darren said after a mont.
His tone was colder now.
I heard his footsteps as he moved past .
"Because I get impatient recently."
My heart clenched painfully at the distance in his voice. By the ti I looked back, he was already walking toward the door.
He didn’t hesitate.
Didn’t slow down.
It was like he couldn’t leave the room fast enough.
Sothing inside snapped.
"Darren..." The word slipped out before I could stop it.
He paused just as his hand reached the door.
My throat felt tight, but the question forced its way out anyway.
"Did you actually ever love ?"
For a brief mont, the room went completely still.
Darren stood there with his back turned to .
Then he scoffed. "Loved you?"
The word sounded almost mocking when he repeated it. He didn’t even bother turning around to face .
Instead, he pulled the door open roughly, the hinges creaked loudly as he stepped out.
And just like that...He was gone.
The door slamd shut behind him, the sound echoed through the room like a final answer.
For several seconds, I just stood there.
Frozen.
The silence felt unbearable.
Then suddenly the frustration inside exploded.
"Arrrghhhhhhhhhhhh!"
The scream tore out of my throat as I grabbed the nearest object on the table and threw it across the room.
It crashed loudly against the wall before falling to the floor. My chest rose and fell rapidly as anger burned through .
Everything had gone wrong.
Everything.
And there was only one person responsible for it.
Maria.
My nails dug into my palms as hatred twisted deep inside my chest.
It was all her fault.....If she hadn’t been here...If she hadn’t interfered with everything...None of this would have happened.
My breathing grew heavier as the bitter thought filled my mind.
Why didn’t she just die?
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