Chapter 38

Osborne I know what I’m capable of when anger blinds me. That’s why I dropped her, let her crash to the floor instead of letting my rage go any further. She stayed down for a beat, trembling, her pride more bruised than her body. Then she tilted her face up, eyes blazing with tears and fury. “How dare you? How dare you put your hands on me?” My jaw tightened, my voice sharp. “You’d do well to remember this, Bella. Next time you insult my mate, it won’t end with me simply dropping you.” Her hands shook as she pushed herself up, but her tongue didn’t falter. “I’ll make you pay for this, Osborne. You and that… that pig you’ve chosen. I cannot believe you stooped so low. Her? Over me?” She stormed to the shelf, grabbing and hurling whatever her hands touched. A vase shattered, books spilled, ornaments cracked against the floor. She knew she couldn’t lay a finger on me, so she tore into the room instead, venting her rage on lifeless objects. And I knew the truth—the real punishment would fall on her maids later. They’d pay for what she couldn’t take out on me. When she finally turned back, her chest rose and fell with fury. Her voice was venom. “Since you’ve chosen her, you’ll have no peace. Neither of you. And as for our packs? Whatever ties we shared, it’s finished.” As if that was a threat that could wound me. As if I had anything to lose. She stalked toward the door, hesitating just long enough to glance over her shoulder, maybe expecting me to call her back, to take it all back, to remind her she still mattered. But she got nothing. I gave her silence. She left. Moments later, the maids hurried in. Their eyes darted across the mess, shattered glass, broken shelves, chaos dripping off every corner of the room. Their lips pressed tight, fear keeping them from voicing the shock written on their faces. I dropped onto the chair, muscles taut, forcing myself to breathe evenly. Restraining myself had cost me, but Bella wasn’t worth my fury. “Clean this up. Quickly,” I ordered, voice cold. “I won’t have my mate walk in to see this.” I let my head sink back, trying to let the tension bleed out of me. And then it hit me. Her scent. Warm, undeniable. I didn’t need to lift my head to know—Aina was already here. I looked over at her and immediately stood, guilt twisting inside me. “I really hoped you wouldn't see this,” I told her apologetically. Her eyes widened, shock written all over her face, probably assuming I was the one who had wrecked the room. “What went wrong?” she asked, her gaze sweeping over the chaos. My Aina… so beautiful, so precious. Bella could never compare. The frown on her face deepened, and instead of giving her the answer directly, I gave her a clue. “How did it go with Bella?” She blinked at me in confusion, and then realization hit. The look on her face nearly made me chuckle. “Oh, she didn’t.” “Oh, yes, she did,” I confirmed. “Whatever you said to her, Aina, it must have driven her mad. I honestly don’t know how you’re standing here unscathed…” I trailed off as my eyes caught on her clothes—slightly damp, stained with a dark color. My nostrils flared. Tea. My entire body was still. My blood boiled, rage clawing to the surface. “Wait, did she pour tea on you?” The words left me before I even realized I’d spoken, my legs already moving toward her. If Bella had dared touch my Aina, I didn’t care what line I crossed, I would end her. Nobody set foot in my pack and harmed my mate while I still breathed. My hand clamped down on her shoulder, too firm, too tight. She could feel the fury radiating from me, the control slipping from my grasp. Her soft hand reached for my face, desperate to calm me. “It wasn’t hot,” she whispered, trying to protect the bitch who dared hurt her. But I wasn’t buying it. Not for a single second. How dare Bella. If I had known… if I’d even imagined she’d pour tea on Aina, I wouldn’t have just gripped her neck earlier. I would have slammed her into the wall, hurled her across the room, and torn her limb from limb. Still caught up in my thoughts of storming off to find Bella and tearing her world apart, Aina suddenly leaned in and kissed me. Her lips pressed against mine, soft yet firm, pulling me back from the edge. It was only then I realized how tightly I had been gripping her shoulders. Guilt rushed through me as I let go instantly, and she broke the kiss, her voice gentle but steady. “You should calm down, Osborne,” she said sweetly. Her words settled inside me, but my anger was still simmering. I hadn’t even noticed until then that the maids had long fled the bedroom. That was how far gone I had been, too blinded by rage to register anything else. I despised seeing my mate bullied, mocked, or treated as less. I’d hated it from the very first moment I saw it happen to her, and it has always pushed me to the brink. So, yes—permit me if I lose control whenever someone dares to touch her. “Besides, your mother was there, and she didn’t take it lightly with her,” Aina added with a small smile. Of course she wouldn’t. My mother never tolerated nonsense, especially not when it came to one of our own. My hand rose to cradle Aina’s face, thumb brushing her cheek as my chest tightened with remorse. “I am sorry that happened. I would have taken care of Bella's shenanigans before bringing you here,” I told her, and I meant every word. If only my father would stop entertaining Hamilton and their promises, this entire mess could have ended long ago. Aina held my gaze with quiet strength, grounding me in ways no one else ever could. “I know you would. But for now, Osborne, you need to calm down.” I nodded, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead. The simple contact anchored me completely. She was my mate, my heart, my entire world. No one else would ever come close to what she meant to me.