Chapter 16
Calhoun’s pov
Carmela’s face drained of every trace of color. She looked like she’d seen death itself standing in front of her. Her lips trembled as she tried to form words, broken sounds spilling from her throat.
“C-Calhoun... p-please... y-you don’t m-mean it, do you? I-I’ll change. Please, have m-mercy—”
I raised my hand slowly, two fingers pressed against my mouth. Silence. The whimpering stopped instantly. My eyes locked on hers, murderously, deliberately, making sure she saw every ounce of hatred carved into my face. If hatred could bleed, it would’ve drenched the floor between us.
The urge to end her right there, to crush her throat and make her bleed ten times over for what she’d made Elodie suffer, it almost consumed me. My boots dragged against the floor as I took a step toward her. She scrambled backwards, crawling like a beaten animal, sobbing, whimpering, shaking all over.
But I wasn’t about to play nice. Not anymore.
For so long, I’d been blinded. As Alpha, as the heir, I should’ve judged matters fairly, weighed both sides before bringing my judgment. But because of her, because of Carmela, I had no morals. No fairness. I’d branded Elodie guilty again and again, never giving her the chance to breathe. My Gamma... my heart now... I’d damned Elodie because I was a fool who listened to this venomous woman in front of me.
Every trace of love, of warmth, of affection I’d once felt for Carmela was gone. Evaporated into nothing. What was left was filth in my chest, disgust crawling up my throat. I wanted her gone. Out of my sight. Out of my life. Forever.
I lifted a finger and pointed it straight at her. My voice cut through her sobs.
“You’re going to pay for every single thing you did to Elodie. Every lie, every setup, every misery you threw her way, you’ll answer for all of them. I swear it.”