Chapter 16 16

Chapter 16 16

Odette

"Is this her?" the former Luna asked, her voice trembling with emotion. "Is this my new daughter?"

I froze. Daughter. Martha had called me that right before she fed me to the wolves.

But as I stepped forward and carefully took her frail hand in mine, I looked into her eyes. There was no deception there. There was no calculation or hidden agenda. I could feel the purity of her soul. She was a mother who was dying, and she was simply grateful that her son was no longer alone.

"I am Odette," I whispered softly, dropping my defensive walls completely. I couldn't help it. My heart, which had been so hardened all day, suddenly cracked open.

"You are so beautiful, Odette," she murmured, her thumb weakly stroking my knuckles. "I have worried about my boy for so long. He carries so many scars, both on his face and in his heart. The war made him hard. But seeing you here... I know the Moon Goddess has finally blessed him with light."

A lump formed in my throat. I knelt down beside the bed, bringing myself to eye level with her.

"He is very strong," I said gently, offering her a genuine, watery smile. "You raised a wonderful Alpha."

"I am so glad he found his fated mate," she breathed, a tear slipping down her pale cheek. "Please, promise me you will take care of him when I am gone. He pushes people away when he hurts. Do not let him push you away, Odette."

"I promise," I whispered, my voice breaking slightly. And in that moment, I actually meant it. Not as a wife, not as a schemer, but as one human being offering comfort to a dying mother. I felt a sudden emotional connection to this woman. It was the kind of maternal love I had craved my entire life but had never been given.

We stayed for nearly an hour. I held her hand, softly answering her questions about my life, keeping my tone light and sweet to make her smile. I didn't play the villain. I didn't act like a fearless opportunist. I was just Odette.

Kael stood in the corner of the room the entire time. He did not speak. He just watched me with a dark unreadable expression.

When the nurses finally came in to say she needed to rest, I gently kissed the former Luna's forehead and said a soft goodbye.

The moment the double doors of the medical wing closed behind us, plunging us back into the empty hallway, the atmosphere suddenly shifted.

Before I could even take a step toward the elevator, Kael moved.

He lunged forward, grabbing my upper arm with a grip so tight it bruised. He slammed my back hard against the cold hospital wall.

"Kael!" I gasped, my eyes widening in terror as his frame caged me in.

His face was inches from mine, his eyes blazing with a rage.

"Listen to me very carefully, you wicked little snake," Kael snarled, "I know exactly what you are."

"I didn't do anything!" I cried, trying to pull my arm free, but he was like a stone wall.

"You did," he spat, his chest heaving. "I have borne your antics for days. I have watched you play the shameless opportunist. I have watched you manipulate my warriors, humiliate the elders, and threaten my mistresses. I have let you play your little games with me because you amuse me in bed."

Tears of frustration sprang to my eyes. "Kael, please—"

"But if you ever—ever—use your fake acting to manipulate my dying mother again, I will snap your neck with my bare hands," he threatened, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper.

My breath stopped.

"I saw you in there," Kael sneered, disgust twisting his scarred features. "Playing the sweet, innocent, loving bride. Pretending to care about her. Pretending you give a damn about me or my scars. You lied to her face."

"I wasn't lying to her!" I shouted, a sob tearing from my throat. "I meant it! She is a good woman!"

"You don't know how to be genuine!" Kael roared, slamming his fist into the wall right beside my head. I flinched violently, closing my eyes.

"You are a liar, Odette," Kael whispered harshly, his breath hot against my cheek. "You only care about power. You only care about survival. You can play your sick, twisted games with me all you want. But my mother is off-limits. Do not try to win her over. Do not try to make her love you. Because when she finds out what a monster you truly are, it will break her heart. And I will not let you break her."

He released my arm, shoving himself away from me in disgust.

He turned his back and walked down the hallway, leaving me completely alone and pressed against the cold wall.

A single tear slipped down my cheek.

My mate hates me.