Chapter 12

Over the next few weeks, Silas and I acted like Kaelen didn't even exist.

Silas went out and found a job. "I'm an able-bodied man," he told me. "I can't let you shoulder the burden of providing for us all on your own. If we both work, our living situation will get better."

That was a total revelation to me—the idea that two people could actually share the heavy lifting of life together.

Meanwhile, Kaelen stubbornly camped out on the couch day in and day out, just watching us come and go.

The night before we moved out, he cornered me by the apartment gate.

"I wait at home for you every single day, but you never even look at me," he pleaded. "Clara, I know I messed up. Everyone makes mistakes. Why can't you forgive me just this once?"

I shook my head. "I don't blame you. I get it. You're an elite werebeast, and I'm a lower-class human. Buying your contract was pure luck on my part, and I completely understand why you were so miserable with me and the life we had."

A spark of hope lit up his eyes. "So you forgive me? I swear I'll treat you right this time. Tomorrow, we can go together and return that low-grade mutt—"

"No," I replied, my voice perfectly level. "Silas is staying. You're just confusing your feelings because you're terrified of being sent to the red-light district. Once the contract exchange goes through, your life will go back to normal."

Kaelen shook his head frantically. "No, I'm not confused! Clara, how can I make you believe me? I really do like you."

Watching him stand there crying and begging, I remembered how desperately I used to crave his love. Seeing it from the outside now, I realized just how pathetic that behavior looked. No wonder Kaelen had always found me so repulsive.

Kaelen sank to the pavement, burying his face in his hands. His words caught between sobs. "I realized a long time ago that I actually had feelings for you, but I just couldn't accept that you were a lower-class human. My pride made me lash out and say things I didn't mean. I thought that by treating you terribly, I was proving I hadn't stooped to your level by being with you. I got a sick sense of satisfaction out of insulting you and watching you bend over backward to prove your love. It gave me the upper hand in our relationship and made me feel like the admired, elite werebeast I was supposed to be. But I forgot how flawed and unwanted I actually am. Your love was the only thing that ever gave me value."

Tears slipped through his fingers, leaving small, dark spots on the concrete.

I finally understood his twisted logic. He simply couldn't stomach the fact that he liked a lower-class human. He had used my blind devotion to convince himself he was merely putting up with me.

Staring down at him, my stomach lurched. I physically gagged, overwhelmed by pure disgust.

Kaelen panicked, reaching out to soothe me. "What's wrong?" he asked.

I wiped my mouth and shoved his hand away.

"Kaelen, we're done."