Kaius’s breath came fast and hard, his jaw tightening as her words sank in, as the reality of what she was saying settled into his bones like ice. His heart pounded, his vision swimming with too many emotions, too much pain, too much everything.
"You expect me to just accept that?" he demanded, his voice breaking, his hands shaking at his sides.
Raya closed her eyes, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks. "I expect you to understand," she whispered. "I can’t take someone that isn’t mine."
Kaius inhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths, his mind warring between the truth and the unbearable pain it brought.
He turned away, his jaw locked, his breathing ragged as he forced himself to take a step back, then another.
Raya didn’t say anything.
Because there was no
