Chapter 47

• LYDIA
• Being rejected by your mate was the greatest pain in the universe. A suffering that had somehow managed to evade me. A mutual one was never written in the books because being denied was always one-sided. I was not sure what to expect. Heartbreak? Physical pain? Not that I cared. My heart was already broken. My body was already in pain. The proverbial rope that was tightening earlier loosened. I felt the alien emotions that were pungent in the air just a few moments ago vanish. It was successful. I wiped the tear off my face and dared to look into Alexios's eyes. He was dejected. Not quite what I was expecting. I had freed him. He could go back to hating me. A life where he did not have to make a choice that most probably led in my direction.
• "You can keep me here if you want," I told him.