Chapter 269. Sacrifice of the Heart

"I think you know," Selene—the Moon Goddess, or whatever she wanted to be called—clarified, her ethereal voice echoing softly in the grand room.

"No," I roared, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat. My face was mere inches from hers, eyes blazing with a fury that had been simmering beneath the surface for too long. "Chase, Adam, and I have been forced into this life—forced to serve others, to follow the rules, to never take a mate, to never settle down. To never love or care for anyone, not even each other, because the job comes first. The royals come first. We had no choice but to lead this life, to agree to do what we were promised and raised to do." I spat the words venomously, each one laced with years of pent-up resentment.

Selene nodded slowly, her eyes reflecting a deep well of sympathy that only stoked my anger further. A low growl rumbled in my chest. It was infuriating that she seemed to understand—that she could stand there, serene an