PARIS'S POV

"I didn't play any role in anything my uncle might have done, Paris. He's a full-grown man and I'm not responsible for the choices he makes. " I narrowed my eyes on her, and she froze.


"you aren't responsible for the choices he makes. A full-grown man. And yet, you're the one who is funding that full-grown man, you're the first person he came to see the moment he got out of jail. In my pack land, Kate!" I roared and she cowered,

"I'm not refuting the fact that my uncle came here to see me. Neither I'm refuting the fact that he asked me for money. But none of that has anything to do with Ember. And if he went out of his way to hurt her, it's possibly because he felt he had some scores to settle with her. I have nothing to do with any of that, Paris."

"And you know?"


"Excuse me?"

"Did you know he would go after Ember? " she didn’t say anything and her silence was all the response I needed, "you knew, didn’t you? All this while, you knew that bastard devised evil against Ember and you stayed quiet!"


"What was I supposed to do?!" she yelled, tears forming in her eyes, "he felt he had scores to settle with her. He blamed her for the fact that he and Sebastian ended up in jail. So what did you expect me to say when he had vengeance in his mind already.' Oh, please, don't hurt her?' you don't know my uncle. He is mad as a hatter. Even now, he is blackmailing me for a lot of money. Why do you think I've been so out of it these past couple of days? I've been dealing with so much, and it's all because of him."

"so, now I'm supposed to feel sorry for you?"

"you might not feel sorry for me, and that's completely fine. I get it. But you, coming out here to raise your voice at me, and blame me for what I have no part in, is seriously not helping matters."

"you're not free of guilt, Kate. You allowed man to live on this packed ground. You allowed that man to bury my prisoner in my land! My land, Kate! You might not have partaken in all of the weird things that have been going on in this place, but you're surely an accomplice to a good number of them."

She shook her head rapidly, "No. no, you can't just stand there and accuse me, Paris. It's not okay. Because I haven't done anything."

"you just haven't been caught." I said plainly, still glaring at her, "And also, you housed that man in my cabin, Kate. You knew of his wrongdoings and said nothing. Why else would he be blackmailing you? Except for the fact that you have a hand in the things he's done. You're not innocent, Kate. You shouldn't act like you are."

"I'm not acting like anything." She was crying now, but I was used to this by now. I had gone out of my way to steel myself against the crocodile tears so that this had no effect on me. Plus, I was still upset about Ember. Too upset to be put under because of a couple of tears.

"you know, Kate." I said, turning away from her, "Our deranged uncle locked Ember up in a room full of wolfsbane. You, of course, know what wolfsbane does to a werewolf. I don't know what he had in mind, perhaps you do, but I doubt you're going to tell me, so I'm not going to push it. " I said and turned back to her, "but seeing her that way made me think of all she might have endured in the name of loving me. In the name of a relationship with me. I'm beginning to doubt that it's been easy on her." I said and sighed. Simply thinking about it was somewhat overwhelming, but I continued, "She didn't deserve any of that. But you see, like every other man, I've only been subjected to the demands of fate. Cruel fate. And sometimes, the demands of fate are too much for a man. And I'm only just a man, who has to succumb. And I suppose that was exactly what happened with you, Kate. I succumbed and pushed Ember to the side, and broke her heart countless number of times. And every time she forgave me, I only broke her all the more. For you, Kate. But I won’t let you take all the blame. So I blame myself as well."

"Paris, why are you saying all of this?"

"because these were the things I was forced to think about while I held her unconscious body today. Clarity can be hard. But it can also be peaceful. I let Ember go today because a woman as beautiful as that deserves to be happy." just hearing myself say it drove a knife through my heart.

"and so, while she finds happiness, I'm going to try and find peace, because perhaps happiness isn't really in the cards for all of us," I said and drew to my full height, I was now done with the sad parts,

"All I've ever done since I met you was try to make you happy, but for some reason, you never seemed to act like my actions were enough like I was enough."

"because every time you tried to present yourself as everything I was supposed to need, you did it while trying to make Ember look bad. I finally see that now. I finally see you now. Although, I suppose it's all too late." I sighed and glared at Kate again.

"I'm sorry I was never able to make you happy. I'm sorry I was never enough for you."

"oh, enough with the manipulations."

"I'm not trying to manipulate you."

"Of course you aren't. you’re just trying to make sure I see you as a sweetheart, even though we both know that you are full of ill intent. Well, in any case, you can leave Ember alone now. She's out of my life. " I said and pressed my hands to my eyes. Of course, I was not going to become emotional about losing Ember in front of Kate.

"And hypothetically speaking, so are you."

"You don't mean that." she blurted out, but I was already turning away,

"Paris, you can't possibly mean that," she called out, grabbing my hand, and, making me pause,

"Let me go, Kate. Have you not done enough?" I questioned.

"What do you mean by saying I'm out of your life."

"Just what I said. It's none of my concern what relationship you have with my mother that keeps her fighting for you. So, you leaving this house is out of the question, but I'm hoping you can stay out of my way. Life is bound to be much smoother that way." I said, and tugged my hand free of her grip, before walking away from her completely.

"three months. "I whispered to myself, and dear God, I prayed, I didn't lose my life to grief, between now and the end of them. Or even right after.