Chapter 29
The room went completely silent after Cressida had spoken. I was fuming and I wanted nothing more than to drag her out by her hair and throw her out. It had all been a game to her- telling me about my father and now dropping the bombshell.
The pieces were finally coming together and I couldn’t help but feel completely stupid. She came to see how Jaxon was treating me and when she saw that he was treating me kindly, she decided she wanted her daughter to be mated to him. I honestly thought she had changed or at least she was a better person but I was wrong.
Cressida had a cruel smile on her face as she stared at me and I knew she felt like she had won. I glanced at Jaxon but he stayed completely silent as if he hadn’t just heard what had happened. I wondered if he was considering it. Dana was younger than me and I knew that a lot of men preferred younger men. Was he going to reject me for her?
“Dana is nineteen years old,” Cressida began. “She is skilled at the piano and she is very beautiful, I can show you a picture-
“Get out,” I cut her off. “How could you even think about doing this? Why wait all these years before finally deciding to do the right thing? Does it give you some kind of sick pleasure to ruin my life?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about Freya,” she shrugged dismissively. “I’m just trying to do the right thing. Your father would have wanted me to honor his promises.”
“Don’t you dare talk about my father.”
“Enough!”
I was shocked to hear Jaxon speak. Since Cressida began, he hadn’t said a word and his expression had not switched from neutral. Even after speaking in such a firm tone that had both Cressida and I going completely quiet, he still had a neutral expression.
“I have heard enough of your banter. It is exhausting at best and irritating at worst.”
As he spoke, I couldn’t help the feeling of hurt that cut through me.
Even though he hadn’t said it, I knew he was going to choose Dana. I knew he was going to go for the younger and better person. It hurt and I felt like my insides were being rung through. It felt like someone took a hot knife and tried to flay me alive. I felt like I was burning from shame and humiliation.
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Cressida was trying and failing to hide her smile and all I could think about was Kiara. How was I going to explain to her that we had to leave and go back to the horrible life we lived before? The good part was that I had shifted and could get a better paying job amongst the wolves. I hoped that would count for something.
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” Cressida said with a small smile gracing her lips. “I can have Dana here within the next two days. I also happen to have ties to a witch coven who would be more than happy to help break the bond as long as you’re the one who asks. Within a week at most, everything should be.”
“I never said I was going to break the bond.”
The shock that went through the room was palpable. I stared at Jaxon in complete shock wondering if I had heard properly. I couldn’t believe it and I didn’t want to
get my hopes up in case I had misheard. I blinked twice but he didn’t move and he didn’t say anything else.
I glanced over at Cressida who looked like someone had just punched her in the gut. She was in complete and utter disbelief and if she were a comic book character, I knew for a fact that there would be steam coming out of her ears.
“What do you mean by you don’t want to break the bond?” she asked suddenly. “I’m trying to do the right thing and give you the mate you deserved. It was a mistake giving you Freya and I understand it now. She is wolf less and you deserve the best.”
I should have been used to hearing Cressida talk about me that way but it still hurt. I think what made it hurt more was that she said it in front of Jaxon. It hurt that she was so comfortable speaking about me like that towards someone who wasn’t even a member of our family. She was willing to throw me under the bus just so she could give her daughter a life that she thought I didn’t deserve.
“What I deserve is none of your concern,” Jaxon said plainly and he leaned forward. “If anything, I can have your entire family executed for cheating me out of a deal, including your precious daughter, Dana.”
“That isn’t necessary,” Cressida chuckled awkwardly. “We can just remedy the situation and give Dana to you.”
“I don’t want your daughter Cressida. The fact that you are willing to throw Freya under the bus to give your daughter a good life is clearly a red flag in my opinion, I am happy with Freya and I do not wish to change her. I
have a child with her and that is all that matters.”
Cressida was furious, it was obvious. She was not used to being told no and she was not used to people picking me over her children. I knew that if Jaxon was anyone else, she would have lashed out at him but he was the lycan king and he could kill her within seconds. Her pride was not worth her life.
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“I am glad that you are making the best out of the mistake you were given.”
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I felt the physical impact of her words like a blow. She knew she couldn’t directly hurt me so she decided to use her words and it had the impact she desired. I sucked in a sharp breath and Jaxon’s eyes turned to me sharply as if he could tell what I was thinking.
“I think you should leave, Cressida,” Jaxon said suddenly and both Cressida and I were shocked by his words because we turned to him. “Your aim was to correct your mistake and I have told you that I do not wish for it to be corrected. I believe that your work here is done.”
I was shocked to my core and so was Cressida. In the span of ten minutes Jaxon had shocked me up to three different times. Cressida closed and opened her m*uth repeatedly like a fish out of water but no words could *come out. Before she could say anything, the door to the room opened and Aiden poked his head in.
He immediately knew that there was tension brewing but in true Aiden fashion, he didn’t care. He walked right into the room and leaned down to whisper in Jaxon’s ear. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about but it seemed serious because Jaxon nodded and stood to his feet.
“I believe this conversation is over,” he said finally then turned to Cressida. “Aiden will help you gather your things so that you can be on your way first thing tomorrow morning.”
It was a clear dismissal and there was nothing she could say or do about it. In that moment, I could feel my heart. threatening to fly out of my chest because of how fast it was beating. I wanted to throw my hands around his neck and kiss him senseless because in my entire life, not one person had stood up for me before.
My
ther had never done it and neither had my first mate but yet, Jaxon did. Even when he was presented with a better and more attractive alternative, he still took my side and for me, there was nothing more attractive. I knew in that moment that I was falling for Jaxon Eaton and I was falling hard.
He glanced at me, almost as if he could read my mind and his mask cracked for a split second so I could see the assurance hiding in his eyes. He showed me that I could count on him and before I could say another word, his mask was back in place and he was leaving with Aiden.
I watched them leave together still in shock. I had forgotten where I was and that Cressida was still in the room until I heard her clear her throat. When I turned to her, gone was her annoyed expression and in its place was a look of pure hatred and spite and it was directed at me.
“You think you’ve won, haven’t you?” she began and when I opened my m*uth to speak, she cut me off. “He might have chosen you now but sweetheart that man will leave you quicker than you can say your name.”
“Now you just sound pathetic,” I said to her and she raised her brow. “You can go home now Cressida, you are not needed or wanted here.”
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I started to leave but she grabbed my arm and dropped her voice to a very low whisper.
“I will make sure that he leaves you for Dana. It worked with Noxian and it will work with him too. Men are fickle creatures and everyone has a price tag.
Before I could say anything, she let me go and stormed out of the room.
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