---- Chapter 7 "Jasmin... I finally found you," Yeats said, his voice hoarse. "I can't tell you how relieved I am that you're still alive." He knelt on the stone steps, trembling. "These past few weeks, I've searched every corner of the pack alliance. I haven't rested. Yelena refuses to go back to the academy- she cries day and night. Even in her sleep..." "T know I was wrong. I should never have lied to you. I should've trusted you. I've uncovered the truth-Lily orchestrated everything. She manipulated her fans to attack you... to force you into divorcing me." "Pm begging for your forgiveness. Eleven years ago, you saved me from silver poisoning... Now it's my turn to save you..." He kept speaking, his apologies pouring out in waves -raw, tearful, seemingly sincere. But to me, it all sounded the same. ---- The same tone he used when he lay in bed pretending to be paralyzed. The same promises he made when he first begged me to stay. I stared down at him. My voice was cold. "Yeats, what will it be this time? Will you fake being paralyzed again? Pretend you're no longer Alpha?" His face dropped, his expression stunned by my bitter calm. "No! Jasmin, I swear, I was a fool. I should never have lied. I regret everything-I swear I'll never deceive you again." I let out a humorless laugh. "Oh? Is that so? Just like when you promised to cherish me forever? When I was the one sucking silver poison from your wounds, and you swore you'd never let me cry afterwards?" Yeats looked away, unable to meet my gaze. "When I said those things... I meant them," he whispered. "I was grateful..." "Grateful?" I repeated. The word curdled in my ---- mouth. "You 'meant it'-just like you 'meant it' when you pretended you couldn't walk? When you hid the truth about Yelena sensing her wolf and shifting at her will during full moons?" "T worked five jobs a day. Slept three hours. Ate one bread a day-so I could raise our daughter and keep our home afloat while you and Lily played house behind my back." His hands balled into fists. More passersby had gathered now, overhearing every word. Yeats looked uncomfortable, but still he spoke. "Jasmin... I didn't mean to lie on purpose. I just... I just _» "You just thought I was too stubborn. That if I found out you were with Lily, I'd cause a scene. So you buried me in work, kept me exhausted, made sure I had no time or energy to find out the truth." "You even abandoned the phone number you'd had for dozens of years-just so I couldn't reach you." I stepped forward, voice rising. "When they