Chapter 49 After the fall
DARIAN
The night’s weight sits heavy in my chest, tangled thoughts swirling like a storm inside me. Iris. That name flickers relentlessly in my mind. The way she looked at me. The way I couldn't look away. The pull between us, dangerous, like chasing a flame you’re never meant to catch. But part of me wonders if I should chase it anyway.
I step into the courtyard, muscles tense, thoughts spinning. Then I spot Adira, waiting. Arms crossed, eyes sharp like daggers.
“Where the hell have you been all night?” she asks, voice low but sharp enough to cut through the morning silence.
I hesitate, then shrug it off. “Out.”
She stares at me, incredulous. “Out?” Her arms cross, brows arching like she’s trying to make sense of a bad joke. “That’s it? You left your own birthday dinner. Walk out on your guests. Didn’t say a word. And now you’re standing here like ‘out’ is a valid explanation?”
I exhale slowly. “I needed air.”
She scoffs. “You needed air? Are you serious, Darian? You had diplomats at that party. Elders. Alphas from other territories. And you just—what? Wandered off into the night without telling anyone? That's not ‘air,’ that’s stupid.”
My jaw tightens. “Watch it, Adira.”
“No,” she snaps, stepping in closer, her perfume hitting me like a wall. “You watch it. Because I’ve spent the past twelve hours cleaning up your mess, making excuses for your absence. Do you know how many people asked me where the future Alpha disappeared to?”
I clench my fists. “You didn’t have to.”
“Yes, I did!” she bites back. “Because I’m the one you’re supposed to be building a future with. Remember?”
I’m tired of this. Tired of dancing around explanations I don’t owe. “Look, Adira, I don’t owe you shit. This whole alliance? It’s business. Convenience. Nothing more. Don’t push your luck by acting like you have any claim on me.”
Her eyes flash, anger and hurt tangled in them. “Is that what you think this is? Just business? What about the promises? The future we’re supposed to build?”
I shake my head, voice colder than I intend. “Promises are words, Adira. We’re shackled by expectations, not feelings.”
She steps in closer, voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Then were you with her?”
I sigh, the question burning into my skin. “I don’t have to answer that.”
Her eyes flash with fire. “Don’t act like you can dodge this. I saw the way you looked when you thought no one was watching.”
I sidestep her, heart pounding, muscles tight. “Enough.”
But as I make my way toward the stairs, I freeze. Standing there, framed by the dim light of the hallway, are my father and Alpha Conan.
My father’s face is set in a mask of cold disapproval, eyes shadowed with disappointment.
Beside him, Alpha Conan’s expression is raw, wounded, like a father watching his daughter bleed from words she never deserved.
The air shifts, thick with unspoken judgment.
“Darian,” my father says, voice low but heavy with authority.
I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat as I approach.
“Walk with us,” he commands, and I follow silently.
We enter the study, the walls lined with old books and portraits of ancestors who demanded loyalty and strength. My father’s gaze cuts into me, expectant and unforgiving.
“Your actions last night,” he begins, voice icy, “were unbecoming of a future leader.”
I keep my head down, anger simmering beneath my skin. “I did what I had to.”
“You did what you wanted,” he counters sharply.
Alpha Conan’s eyes meet mine, pain shining through the surface. “Adira is my daughter. You don’t get to treat her like she’s expendable.”
I grit my teeth, fighting the urge to lash out. “I don’t disrespect her.”
My father steps closer, voice lowering but no less fierce. “Intentions don’t matter if your actions say otherwise. This alliance isn’t just politics, it’s a bond that should command respect. Are you capable of that?”
The question hits harder than any blow.
“I understand the stakes,” I say, voice tight.
“Do you?” he snaps. “Because your reckless behavior suggests otherwise.”
I meet his glare, fire kindling in my chest. “I need time.”
Alpha Conan’s jaw tightens. “Time to what? To play with my daughter’s heart?”
“No,” I say quickly. “Time to figure myself out.”
My father exhales sharply. “You’ve had enough time. The wedding will proceed as planned. No more games.”
Instead of speaking, my father simply lifts a hand, wordless and final.
Dismissed.
Just like that.
I grind my teeth, the tension crawling up the back of my neck. Alpha Conan won’t even look at me. His eyes are fixed somewhere past my shoulder, like if he looks at me, he’ll break. I turn without another word and head upstairs.
I pull the door shut behind me and shrug off my jacket. My shirt comes next, the fabric clinging slightly from the heat and the lingering scent of Iris still on my skin. My fingers hesitate for half a second.
Then the door creaks.
I don’t need to turn. I know it’s her.
“Get out, Adira.”
“You’re angry,” she says, voice soft, almost sweet. “Let me help you… relax.”
She crosses the room like she owns it, like she belongs here. Her hands skim over my bare back. I flinch.
“I didn’t mean to get you in trouble,” she adds, her hands lightly brushing against my arm. “I didn’t think your father would overhear. Or that it would get… that tense.”
My jaw tightens.
“It wasn’t about you,” I mutter.
“Still,” she murmurs, stepping closer, “I hate that it played out like that. I hate seeing you like this.”
“I said,” I begin, but she presses herself against me, lips brushing my shoulder.
“You left me,” she whispers. “At your own party. You embarrassed me. Don’t I deserve something for that?”
I twist out of her grip, but she grabs at me again, desperate fingers curling against my chest. “Darian…”
I shove her.
Hard.
She stumbles back, heels catching on the rug, and hits the floor with a sharp cry.
I don’t stop.
I don’t look.
I walk out.
Her scream follows me, echoing down the hall, but I don’t turn back.