Chapter 19

Elise’s POV

“Is it Rygan who marked you, Elise?” Kaide’s dark voice asked sternly. It felt like the ground under my feet had turned unsteady with the strength leaving my legs.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Kaide had found out I was marked by Rygan, a sign of shame without a mate to claim me. Was he going to see me as a shameless, dirty secret of his alpha now? Was he going to believe that I was shameless enough to be marked but not mated to a male? Now that I’m left with only a half-bond, I could do nothing but hide.

“Elise?” I heard his voice break through the dark void of my thoughts as my eyes glazed over to his now-worrying ones. My vision is blurry with tears.

“Kaide.” I tried to talk, but I stuttered as I pushed him away from me, my hands unconsciously touching my nape as I tried to stop myself from trembling. “Yes, it’s Rygan’s mark; you must see me as a pathetic person now,” I said softly, not having the courage to look at Kaide.