Page 4 of Abel

“Why in the hell are you even here, then?”Abel demanded, his anger flaring.

Her response was quiet but resolute.“Because your sister-in-law and stepmother are trying to convince me not to go through with it.”She paused, her gaze never leaving his.“Isn’t that how you found out I’d be here tonight?”

Abel shook his head.“Lily and Ella didn’t say anything to me, but that explains how my father found out.They wouldn’t have set you up like that, but my father, on the other hand—”

“Your father is why you’re here?”She leaned in, her eyes locked onto his, searching for a sign of understanding.

“Yeah, we need you back at the Chalice,” Abel muttered dismissively, his wave of the hand suggesting his mission was an afterthought at this point.His nonchalant demeanor faded quickly.“You’re getting married?To whom?”

“Remus Carsidious,” Esme replied, her tone tinged with resignation.

“The Warlord?”Abel’s shock was palpable, his brows furrowing deeply.But beneath his astonishment, his wolf seethed with a furious rage.Remus, the wolf warlord of the north, was more than a monster; he was pure malevolence incarnate.Esme would be defenseless against his cruelty and unpredictable temper, and that realization ignited a fierce anger within Abel.

Her face drained of all color, and he noticed a bead of sweat forming on her brow.“That’s him.”

Instinct kicked in and Abel grabbed her hand.“You can’t marry him.”

Her eyes widened at his abrupt one-eighty, and she yanked her hand back.“It’s really none of your concern.I return home tomorrow for preparations.”

“Talk to Nyctimus, maybe he can reason with your father.”Abel was well aware he was begging at this point.

Esme shocked him even more when she offered up a sincere smile.“I already signed the marriage contract.My father can’t change things now.Nyctimus can’t help me.No one can.”

“You don’t want to marry him, do you?”Was it a question, or did he mean to word it as a statement?He needed to hear her say she didn’t want this outcome.

“Of course not, Abel.But I have a duty to my family.”

His nostrils flared.“Fuck family.”

“You, of all people, don’t mean that.”She countered.

Abel exhaled heavily, the weight of truth sinking in.Esme’s words struck a chord within him.He was willing to go to great lengths for the sake of his family, but he couldn’t deny that King Lycaon had crossed a line by making this demand of his own daughter.

A daughter Lycaon had hidden and then had to watch a vengeful god kill once she’d been discovered, a daughter that he’d bound the soul of a wolf to in order to save her and turn her into a one-of-a-kind shifter known as a Phantom Wolf.And the daughter who he’d bound Abel to with the same fate so that they could be together forever as soulmates.Making them the only two of their kind.

The question that gnawed at him was, why was King Lycaon going to such lengths, investing in this intricate web of magic, only to seemingly jeopardize his daughter’s future?Why would he risk everything by marrying her off to a wolf notorious for killing his own mates on their wedding nights due to his savage violence?The puzzling actions of an insane king gnawed at the edges of his understanding.

“There has to be a way.”He finally managed to say.

Esme sighed and rested her chin in her hand.“Abel, why do you care?”

“That wolf is a monster and…” he stared at the table, refusing to meet her gaze.“You already have a mate, Esmeralda,” Abel whispered.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but my mate rejected me.Our bond was never secured, you don’t have any commitments to me, and I gave up on committing to you a long time ago.”

“You…gave up?”He finally looked up to see her eyes shimmer with unshed tears.A tearing pain shot through him, feeling like something had ripped apart his wolf spirit and stapled it back together.Abel covered his chest, his body trembling in waves of pure, elicit pain.“You severed the bond completely…”

“Yes, I did.You’re free of me, Abel.But tell your father that I will come back to work after the wedding.I only want the best for you...and your wolf.”

* * *

Without another word,Esme pushed her chair back and held her head high as she exited the building, leaving Abel alone staring at an empty seat.She’d given up on him.He should be happy, hell, that’s what he’s wanted for hundreds of years.With the last remnants of their bond broken, he was free to find a new mate.She was free to marry Carsidious, and she could live her life however she wanted.With whomever she wanted.

So why wasn’t he happy or at the very least relieved?His wolf whimpered in his head.Pain wracked his body.Abel buried his head in his hands.He’d accomplished what he’d come to do, he’d gotten his way once and for all, but the pain echoing through his body told him one thing he hadn’t counted on.He’d never truly given up on her.Sure, he’d said he did, but he never had the conviction to sever the tie.Esme just ended things permanently between them, and it was a pain he could not have comprehended.

“Hurts, doesn’t it?”Zap whispered as she reached out and softly touched his arm.“I’m sorry, Abel.”

“It’s okay, Zap.”he muttered.“I got what I wanted.”

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