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It was a simple house, nothing special, and yet, those were my brother’s pillows from his old bed, set around the fire. One of his shawls was draped over the black curtains so that it shined blue instead. There was a familiarity everywhere I looked that told me this was his space.
“We had Zaba make the chairs for us,” he said. “Didn’t she do a lovely job?”
I nodded, barely looking at them. I was too overwhelmed, facing reality once and for all. Latif was mated. He had moved away from home. After what he had done, I should not miss him or be sad that he was gone, but I was.
It felt like I had lost him even while he stood before me.
And for that, I would never forgive him or his mate. The mention of Blaine’s name alone made fury broil within me.
“Addy.”
The tone of his voice told me the pleasantries were done with.
I met his gaze, my jaw already set.
“I know something is wrong. Can we talk about it?”
“There is nothing to say,” I said firmly. “I understand everything better than you, even.”
“Then explain it to me,” he pleaded.”Please, Addy. I've missed you.”
I snorted.
“All we ever did was bicker.”
“Yes, we butted heads, but you are my brother.”
“Not anymore.”
I hadn't meant to say such cruel words, but they were out now, and I meant them, even if Latif looked absolutely devastated.
“But why?” he demanded.
“You should know the answer to that!” I spat.
The fact that he couldn’t guess bothered me most of all. He had betrayed me. He had physically attacked me, and for what? For a human who could not even win him in the auctions.
“Look at what you did, at what you aredoing.”
“I am sorry that I lied to you about my actions with Blaine, but please understand, I already loved him. And we are mated now, so that should make it okay with you.”
At his ridiculous statement, I threw my hands in the air. It had been a mistake coming in here. I stormed toward the door and then stopped and spun around, unable to keep it to myself any longer.
“Your mating is a farce! You spat in the face of our culture by doing what you did. The alpha mustwinthe omega, not be rescued by them. You both make me sick!”
Latif stared, anger filtering through the hurt in his expression, his chest rising and falling fast.
“And look what you are doing now!” I couldn't resist adding, “Changing everything to suite your immoral behaviour.”
I shook my head, disgust rumbling through me.
“The council have gone mad to support you.” I stepped closer to him, my hands, no my entire body trembling with the hurt and rage I'd suppressed for months now. “After what happened, the laws should become even stricter, not more flexible.”
Latif stared up at me, his wide midnight blue eyes slowly narrowing, the sadness now entirely replaced by annoyance. That was a look I knew well from my brother. As he’d said, we had often butted heads.
“And to think, all this time, I thought this was over me and Blaine making love before mating, but no, that is not all. You do not agree with or support the very core of who I am. You don't even understand it.”
The way he said it as though it was an insult infuriated me.
