Chapter 36

The morning was quiet, but it carried a strange, simmering tension in the air. Althea had barely slept the night before, her thoughts too loud and chaotic to give her any peace. Bianca’s voice still echoed in her mind, venomous and sharp. “She doesn’t belong here. Kaden will realize I’m the only one worthy of standing by his side.” She paced her room, running her fingers through her hair in frustration. She had spent most of her life holding her tongue, avoiding confrontation, but this wasn’t something she could ignore. Bianca was plotting, and Kaden needed to know. But she couldn’t stop the ache in her chest at the memory of his cryptic words to Bianca weeks ago. “Althea is my mate. Don’t question me again.” Those words had never sat right with her, had never soothed her the way she thought they would. They were authoritative, sure, but they lacked warmth, emotion, or any real defense of her. That doubt had been growing, festering, and now it had reached its boiling point. Taking a de