“That’s not true,” I said, standing, the chair scraping against the floor.
“Isn’t it?” she snapped, stepping closer. “You were in love with a monster, Adeline. And because of that, we buried our family in ash.”
Mathias rose quietly beside me, placing himself just enough between us to draw her glare. “Watch your tone,” he said evenly. “This isn’t the place.”
Evelyn’s eyes darted to him. “Oh, I see. You’ve found another man to defend you. You always find someone, don’t you? First an Alpha, now an elf pretending to care. How long until you destroy him too?”
I felt the sting of it deep in my chest, but I refused to let her see it. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I know exactly what I’m talking about,” she hissed. “You ruin everything you touch. You ruined our home. Our fa
