Maël hesitated, unable to speak the truth aloud. What could he say? He couldn’t allow any of this to taint his reputation.
“I see,” Derek said, slowly prying the alpha’s grip off him. “Thank goodness I wasn’t given a mate like you. And I think I understand Perry better now. I suggest you forget about him. After all, you already abandoned him once.”
Maël stiffened, looking at the Kweo warrior with a wide gaze. He wondered what gave it away.
“Oh, please,” Derek snorted. “It’s pretty damn obvious to those who pay attention. I suggest you keep your distance unless you want the others to figure it out, which I don’t think you do.”
Freeing himself, Derek marched ahead and left the alpha to wallow in his regret. Reaching the end of the hall, he turned to see Perry, leaving against the wall.
