Chapter 319
Chapter 319
Paxton
The world seemed to tilt on its axis. My human form wavered for a moment as my wolf recoiled in shock.
"You're lying." But even as I said it, I knew Lyra wasn't.
"I've been lying for years!" Lyra laughed again, the sound sharp and brittle. "I let you believe it was me because it was useful. I let you build your whole romantic fantasy around the wrong person because it gave me power over you!"
My hands gripped the edge of my desk as the truth crashed over me. Images flashed through my memory—the small hands that had guided me to safety, the voice that had whispered reassurances in the dark, the promise made in desperation and hope.
"Why?" The word came out as barely more than a growl. "Why tell me now?"
Lyra expression turned vicious. "Because I want you to hurt the way I'm hurting! Because I want you to know that you've been torturing your actual savior for years while protecting me! Because even knowing the truth won't change anything—Freya will never forgive you now."
The cruelty of it stole my breath. I thought of every cold word I'd spoken to Freya, every time I'd chosen Lyra over her, every moment I'd made her feel worthless when she'd been the reason I'd survived.
"You destroyed us," I whispered. "You destroyed any chance I had with her."
"Good." Lyra's eyes were wild now, her Beta wolf fully surfaced. "At least now you'll understand what it feels like to lose everything you care about. At least now you'll know that your precious Freya will never look at you the same way again."
I pressed the emergency button under my desk. Within seconds, Sterling Group's security team entered the room.
"Escort Lyra to the Wolf Council," I ordered, my voice hollow.
As they moved to flank her, Lyra laughed one final time. "Enjoy your regrets, Pax. They're all you'll have left."
---
After she was gone, I sat alone in my office as the truth settled around me like broken glass. Every memory of my childhood now realigned itself—not Lyra's face in the forest, but Freya's. Not Lyra's voice promising we'd find each other again, but Freya's.
I thought of our marking ceremony, how Freya had looked at me with such hope in her eyes. Had she been waiting for me to remember? Or perhaps she might think that she saved me, yet I've only managed to hurt her deeper, time and time again.
I buried my face in my hands as the full weight of my failures crashed down on me. I'd marked my childhood savior, then systematically destroyed her faith in me. I'd protected the woman who'd been manipulating us both while punishing the one person who'd earned my loyalty years before I even knew what loyalty meant.
My wolf was howling inside me, a sound of pure anguish and regret. I had to find Freya. I had to try to explain, to apologize, to somehow begin making amends for years of blind cruelty.
I left Sterling Group in a daze, my driver taking me straight to the hospital where I knew she'd be staying close to Flynn.
Freya, I thought desperately as the city blurred past my window. I'm sorry. I'm so damn sorry. If there's any chance left, any possibility of forgiveness... I have to try.
---
I found Freya in the hospital corridor outside Flynn's room, her posture radiating exhaustion and worry. Even from behind, she looked like she was carrying the weight of the world.
"Freya." My voice came out rougher than I'd intended. "How is Flynn doing?"
She turned slowly, and when her amber eyes met mine, they flashed briefly gold—a warning. "What are you doing here, Paxton? This isn't your territory."
The cold distance in her voice—it all cut deeper than I'd expected.
"I wanted to talk to you." I kept myself carefully controlled, not wanting to cause a scene in hospital.
"About what?" Her voice was arctic. "If you're here to ask me to show mercy to Lyra, you can save your breath."
"No," I said firmly, taking a step closer but stopping when I saw her body tense. "I already turned Lyra over to the Council myself. She'll face justice for what she did to Flynn—and for everything else."
Surprise flickered across Freya's features, softening her guarded expression for just a moment. "You... turned her in?" Her voice was soft, but there was an edge of disbelief, as if she couldn't quite believe I'd done it.
I nodded, my chest tightening as I exhaled a shaky breath. "Freya, I know I've been wrong about so many things. I know I've hurt you in ways that might be unforgivable. But I owe you an explanation—and an apology that's years overdue."
Her eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping back into her gaze. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
I ran a hand through my hair, struggling to find the right words. "Freya, did you save a boy from an attack when you were a child and promise that you'd meet again?"
Freya went still, her eyes widening slightly as if caught off guard. The silence stretched between us, heavy and charged. Finally, she spoke, her voice quiet but steady. "Yes. I did. So what?"
"That boy was me," I admitted, my voice breaking. "And Lyra... she let me believe it was her. For all these years, I thought she was the one who saved my life."
Freya's breath hitched, and for a moment, she looked away, her jaw tightening as she fought to keep her composure. When she finally met my gaze again, there was a mix of anger, hurt, and something else I couldn't quite name.
"It was me. I was the one hurting you all along, Freya. While I was protecting the wrong person. And I'm sorry," I continued, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes, you hurt me, Paxton," Freya said, her voice trembling but firm. "You chose her over me, time and time again. You believed her lies, even when they were tearing me apart."
"I know," I whispered, the weight of my mistakes crushing me. "And I can't undo what I've done. But I'm here now, Freya. You're the one who saved me. You're the one I owe everything to. And if you'll let me, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it right."
Freya continued, "Even if what you're saying is true, what does that change, Paxton? That was a lifetime ago. It doesn't erase what you've done since. You broke our bond because of her. You dissolved our mark. And then..."
Her voice cracked, and for a moment, she looked away, her hands clenched into fists. "Then you killed our child because of her. We both know the truth. "
My chest tightened, every word she spoke a knife twisting deeper into my heart. "Freya, I—"
"Stop," she interrupted, her voice sharp and final. "You think these words—these apologies—can fix anything? They don't. Not for me. That little girl you're talking about, the one who saved you? She's gone, Paxton. You killed her. You killed everything we could have been, everything I believed we were. And now, no matter what you say or do, it's too late. It's all meaningless to me now."
Freya turned to leave, her shoulders set with a finality that made my chest ache. Before she stepped away, she looked back at me one last time, her voice low and unyielding. "Don't come after me, Paxton. Don't waste your time trying to fix this. Some things are beyond repair."