Chapter 129: Missing Link
Zane~
Michael’s words still lingered like smoke in the room, curling around the edges of my composure. I didn’t let it show, but Red stirred restlessly inside me, his presence sharp and watchful.
I gave a small smile, one that didn’t quite reach my eyes. "I’m still waiting, sir," I said casually, folding my arms, "why do you think I don’t have dignity?"
Michael’s eyes narrowed, his calm veneer slipping just enough to show the flash of distaste beneath it. Owen looked at him, then stepped forward.
"Because, child," he said like he was talking to a toddler, "a man with dignity wouldn’t take another man’s fated mate, no matter the circumstances."
Ah. So that’s what this was really about.
I paused for a moment, letting the weight of his words settle into the space between us. Then I tilted my head, still smiling, but the air around me had changed.
"If the man in question," I began slowly, "was foolish enough to reject what the Moon Goddess gave him freely... then someone else—someone who can see the beauty in the gift—has every right to cherish it."
Michael’s lips curled, but I didn’t give him the chance to respond.
"Love," I continued, my voice lower now, deliberate, "isn’t always about fate. Sometimes, it’s about who’s willing to stay. Who protects. Who heals. And Natalie..." I trailed off for just a second, her name a warm ember in my chest, "she deserves more than someone who turned his back on her when she needed him most."
Owen shook his head, exhaling a long, tired breath.