PARIS'S POV

"That's unkind, Paris," she said and I leaned back on my chair and faced the screen, but in truth, I wasn't watching it. My mind was in a whole lot of different places. One of them, and the core center was the fact that Ember and Jean had made up.


I didn't want Ember to spend the rest of the time swimming in anger, but how was it that she managed to flip between anger for him, for me, then love and light on him, then angry with Kate, all in a span of a couple of hours? I guess that was a woman who had a high intelligence quotient. Or how did they say these things?

"you're unkind." I sighed and got up. I suppose that was the end of watching the movie. Then she and I stood toe to toe. It was the mate bind, I realized. The way Ember had so easily forgiven Jean? It was the mate bind. It was the reason why, even with every terrible thing Kate had done, that I knew she had done, I still couldn't do the things I knew I was meant to do. I still could not actually toss her out and leave her for dead. It was why I still tolerated her.

"I'm tired of trying to explain to you that I did what I did because of my love for you because, in the end, my choices were terribly misguided. But, you won't throw me out, will you? I get to stay?" I looked at her for the longest time, before slowly nodding my head,


"Yes, Kate. You can stay." I said and hated myself for making that choice. Hated myself, because once again, this bind bested me.

I walked away from her without another word, and I was thankful when she didn't try to keep up with me with anything else. Perhaps she would try tomorrow, but at least, I was free today.


Well, maybe not entirely, because I had my mother to contend with as I made my way to my room, and I wondered if there was going to be any peace for me after all.

"Paris, just the one I wanted to see," she said, stopping in front of me, and I scowled,

"How about your husband?" I asked, and she smiled at me,

"I see him every other time. But this is a matter meant for you," she said, and I lifted a brow,

"I'm all ears."

"don’t you think it's high time you released my daughter?" she asked, without preamble. No beating about the bush, just outright asking that her nutcase of a daughter be released, and I scowled even more,

"That girl needs to learn that there is retribution for every misdeed. You people spoiled her, you most especially." I said angrily and she rubbed at her head,

"she's been in there for close to a month. That Is no place fit for any child of mine, Paris."

"She is a problem to herself and society at large. Why can't you see that?"

"See what? See nothing. I want my daughter out of there, Paris, and I want her out of there right now. I have respected and tolerated your decision for far too long, and I have had enough. A mother needs her daughter, and a daughter needs her mother."

This wouldn't be the end of it. I could tell her no again and again, and this would not be the end of it. But I liked Christina where she was, free from society, unable to cause it any harm,

"She's a social risk, mother."

"Then let me take responsibility for her." my mother said, and it had been far too long since I saw her look so.. Mellow,

"What?"

"You claim my child Is a social risk, and part of me agrees. Let me take care of her, let me take responsibility for her. She is my child after all."

"she is. She really is." I said, and this time, it was my turn to rub at my head, "I will hold you very much accountable if things go south." I said and my mother nodded slowly,

"I want you too. And you don't have to worry so much. I speak to Christina every day. If she had her way, she would leave this place and never return. But those weeks when she escaped were the worst for me, but I quieted myself with the knowledge that wherever she was, she was at peace, and she was happy. That was all that had to matter."

I never tried to think about what the situation with Ember was doing to my mother, because I was too focused on keeping Christina locked away from society. Even now, with it right in front of me, forcing me to look at it, I still did not want to deal with it.

I hated to think about all of the things that could go wrong when I released Christina.

But I conceded. Knowing fully well that if the scales tipped in the wrong direction, we were all bound to be doomed, I conceded,

"fine. "

"fine?" Mother asked, somewhat hopeful and I nodded,

"Ask the maid to fix up her room, I'll make the release in the evening." I really needed to rest.

I think my mother caught the point because she slowly nodded,

"in the evening then. Meanwhile, I'll work on banquet preparations."

"banquet-" I started to comment, but shook my head. This didn't have to be my problem. "do as you please." I said and went straight to my room.

In the evening, when I felt a bit rested, I made my way to the prison yard, where my sister sat, primed up, and made over, and it didn't take being a genius to know that my mother had spoken to her,

"Hello brother," she said, ring to her feet and I glowered,

"one bad situation just one, and you get back in here, do I make myself clear?"

"pipe down, alpha. You didn't even say hello back."

"I don't have to," I said and gestured to one of the guards, to set her free. When the gates were unlocked, she stepped outside, smiling like she had won at life,

"It's good to be out there, to be honest." she said, beaming at me, "it almost makes me want to hug you."

"Please don't." I said, and waited till we were outside before I spoke to her, "Did you find out about your brooch?"

"my brooch?" she asked, taken aback and slowly shook my head, "I asked Kate to search for it, now that I think about it, she hasn't said a word back. I really don't know. And to be honest, that is really the least of my worries, to be very honest."

"it shouldn't be, as this is a case you should treat as important," I said and she narrowed her eyes as she turned to me,

"Then, I'll treat it as important tomorrow. Because I'm not about to spend the first day of my freedom worrying about a damn brooch, Paris."

"that damn brooch is going to be your pass to freedom when I'm ready to start dealing with it."

"dealing with what?" she asked, looking the most serious I had seen her look in ages,

"it," I repeated and looked away,

"Well, like I said, I'll start caring tomorrow. Today, I want to celebrate freedom."

"You do that. Otherwise, when I'm ready to shake this pack to its very core, I won't spare you. Not even you, sissy."

"no." she shook her head, "Far be it from me to ever think that you would."

Luna Lara didn't play about the banquet preparations, because by noon of the next day, the preparations had come a very long way, and by evening guests were slowly trooping in.

I asked my mother what she told people that they were celebrating and she winked and said, "My daughter's return home of course."

"Of course," I muttered as she wandered away to speak to some caterers. There was no way Lua Lara was going to tell anyone that her daughter had been imprisoned.

It was nearly midnight when the party became wilder, a lot of people were boozed and I still asked myself why I was there. Perhaps because I had nowhere else to be, I decided as I took my second shot for the night.

I promised myself I would not be getting drunk at this particular party.

But I began to rethink that though when I saw Ember walking through the front doors. Not with Jean this time around, but the very annoying one. She walked in with William.

"Oh, brother."