Chapter 4
I had just finished washing the dirt off my face in the small bucket of rainwater I had collected when I heard footsteps approaching.
Heavy. Purposeful.
Him.
I didn’t turn around. I didn’t want to see his face, didn’t want to hear whatever poison he had come to spit at me this time.
But I had no choice.
Cedar always made sure I had no choice.
“You’re looking better.” His voice was smooth, almost amused.
I scoffed, not bothering to hide it. “If this is me looking better, I’d hate to see what you think looking worse is.”
I turned to face him, my arms crossed over my chest, my expression blank. He stood a few feet away, dressed in fine black leathers, his golden hair windswept, his piercing blue eyes locked onto me with an intensity that made my skin crawl.
He still looked like the man I had once loved.
But he wasn’t.
Not anymore.
He leaned against the wooden beam of the shed, his gaze sweeping over me in a way that made my stomach turn.
He didn’t look at me like he hated me.
He looked at me like I was still his.
“I’ve been thinking,” Cedar said, voice casual. “About you. About us.”
My fingers curled into fists. “There is no ‘us.’”
His lips twitched. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”
I narrowed my eyes, heart pounding. “What do you want, Cedar?”
He exhaled a slow breath, stepping closer. “You’re struggling here. I see it. Everyone sees it.”
I said nothing.
“There’s no need for you to keep suffering like this.” He tilted his head, voice almost gentle. “Come to me. Be mine again.”
My stomach churned.
“I already told you, there is no—”
“Not as my mate,” he cut in, his blue eyes gleaming. “That ship has sailed, and we both know why.”
A knife twisted in my chest, but I swallowed the pain.
“But you can still belong to me,” Cedar continued, his voice dropping to something silkier, darker. “You wouldn’t have to live like this. You wouldn’t have to starve.”
He reached out, running his fingers over my cheek. I wanted to rip his hand off.
“I could take care of you,” he murmured. “Like I used to. You wouldn’t have to be alone.”
I stepped back. “You’re asking me to be your mistress?”
Cedar didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed.
“You’d have everything you need. A place to sleep. Clothes that aren’t falling apart. Food—real food. Not the scraps you dig out of the trash.”
His words struck deep, shame curling in my stomach.
But I would rather rot than let him touch me.
I let out a hollow laugh. “You’re unbelievable.”
His lips curled, his confidence unwavering. “It’s better than what you have now.”
I looked him up and down, taking in the man who had once held my heart in his hands and crushed it without a second thought.
And then I smiled.
“Do you think I’d ever lower myself to that?” I asked, tilting my head. “Do you think I’d rather be your pathetic little mistress than die with my dignity?”
His jaw tightened. “You’re proud for someone who sleeps in a shed.”
I stepped closer, my voice sharp as a blade. “And you’re arrogant for someone who threw away his mate for a liar.”
His eyes darkened.
Good.
I leaned in, lowering my voice. “You disgust me.”
He grabbed my arm, squeezing tightly. “Watch your mouth.”
I didn’t flinch. Didn’t blink.
I wanted him to see it.
The utter lack of love I had left for him.
I wanted him to choke on it.
I smiled sweetly, my voice laced with venom. “Or what? You’ll throw me to the ground like you did the last time? Have me whipped again? Or maybe this time, you’ll finally do what you’ve been wanting to do and put a dagger through my throat.”
His grip tightened, his nostrils flaring.
And then—
The sound of approaching heels.
I knew who it was before I even turned around.
Ruby.
Of course.
She always had a way of showing up at the worst times.
She was dressed in an elegant lilac gown, her golden curls falling perfectly over her shoulders, her lips painted a soft pink. She looked like a goddess.
A goddess who had stolen everything from me.
Her eyes flickered between me and Cedar, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, her lips curved into a knowing smirk.
“Well, well,” she purred, stepping closer. “What do we have here?”
I tried to pull my arm free, but Cedar’s grip remained firm.
Ruby’s smile widened. “Oh dear,” she mused, voice dripping with false sympathy. “Were you throwing yourself at my mate again?”
I almost laughed.
Almost.
I turned to her, my patience hanging by a thread. “Are you serious?”
Ruby sighed dramatically, placing a hand over her chest. “It’s sad, really. You just can’t seem to accept that he chose me.”
She looked at Cedar then, blinking up at him with wide, innocent eyes. “I told you, my love. She’s still obsessed with you.”
I gaped at her, my blood boiling. “Are you insane?”
Cedar let go of my arm, his expression shifting.
I recognized that look.
It was the look he always gave Ruby when she played the victim.
He was going to believe her.
Again.
My mouth went dry. “Cedar—”
“She’s lying.” His voice was sharp.
I stilled.
But then he turned to me.
And I realized he hadn’t been talking to her.
Cedar’s gaze burned into me, his face twisting in disgust. “I can’t believe I ever thought you were worth anything.”
I inhaled sharply, but the pain that came with his words didn’t surprise me.
Not anymore.
“Stay away from me,” he ordered coldly. “Stay away from Ruby.”
I clenched my fists. “That’s rich, coming from the one who just asked me to be his personal wh—”
His hand flew before I could finish.
I braced myself for the impact—
But the slap never landed.
Ruby grabbed his wrist, her expression carefully composed. “No, my love,” she murmured, placing a gentle hand on his chest. “She’s not worth it.”
I let out a shaky breath, my cheek tingling with phantom pain.
Ruby turned back to me, her eyes gleaming with victory.
She had played him. Again.
And she had won.
Again.
I forced myself to stand tall, ignoring the ache in my chest.
I would not break.
Not here.
Not now.
Cedar turned and walked away, his arm slipping around Ruby’s waist as she giggled into his ear.