Defy The Alpha(s)-Chapter 782: People In Love

Hannah halted on the spot, the breath whooshing out of her lungs as if she’d been physically struck. For a moment, she genuinely thought she had heard him wrong.

Slowly, she turned to face Taryn, horror bleeding into her expression, her face draining until she looked pale as a sheet.

"What did you just say?"

But Taryn didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

Not with the raw, pained look in his eyes that made it hard for her to breathe. The walls he always kept so firmly in place were gone.

Right now, her usually tough as nut bargain-bin Mufasa looked vulnerable as hell.

That realization unsettled her more than the words themselves.

Hannah didn’t speak. She simply crossed the room and sat back down on the edge of the bed, her movements slow, as if any sudden motion might shatter this fragile moment between them. Her hands clasped together in her lap, fingers twisting unconsciously.

The room fell into a silence that was thick, awkward, and suffocating.

Taryn still had his back to her, frozen in the same position he’d been in when he dropped the truth like a bomb.

Hannah shifted on the bed, discomfort crawling under her skin.

"So..." she cleared her throat, the sound too loud in the quiet. "She was your first mate?"

The question lingered between them, and for a moment, Hannah thought he wouldn’t answer at all.

Then he finally spoke, his voice low, grave with emotion.

"No. We were not mated," Taryn said. "But she was my wife. And I loved her. Until—"

"My father took her from you," Hannah finished, the words tasting bitter in her mouth.

Hannah had always known her father was not a good man. She’d grown up with that awareness tucked neatly away in the back of her mind. Angus was simply Angus. Ruthless. Ambitious. Dangerous. But he was her father.

And like any child raised under a man like that, she had learned to justify him.

He was building a new world.

A world where supernaturals ruled.

A world that demanded sacrifices.

At least, that was what they told her each time she had to hurt someone upon his instruction.

But standing here, in front of the Fae who had lost someone important because of her father, it dawned on her then, slowly, and painfully, just how deeply he — they, her family — had hurt people.

For the first time, the destruction was no longer distant or theoretical. It had a face, and it was her mate.

The guilt crawled up her throat, choking her. Hannah had never felt so ashamed and disgusted of the blood running through her veins.

She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper.

"How did it happen?"

She needed to know not out of curiosity or morbid interest, but because the truth mattered now. Her life depended on it.

Finally, Taryn turned, pinning her in place with blue orbs burning with grief so raw it made her chest ache. His loss was laid bare for her to see and suddenly, everything made sense.

The bond aside, there were times it felt like Taryn specially hated her. The moments where his jaw had clenched, and his eyes darkened as if he wanted to wrap his hands around her throat —and yet never did.

It had never been about her being human, but who she was.

Angus’s daughter.

The daughter of the man who murdered his wife.

The realization crashed into her like a tidal wave. Goddess, how was she ever supposed to make up for something like that?

Her chest tightened painfully. Hannah lowered her gaze to the floor, suddenly unable to look him in the eye. Shame washed over her.

Hannah didn’t even notice him moving until the mattress dipped beside her. Startled, she lifted her head.

Taryn was sitting on the edge of the bed now. He looked calmer but grief was not something that could be hidden. It lingered in the set of his shoulders, and in the heaviness of his gaze. This pain had sat with him for far too long.

Taryn said to her, "Most people believe the goddess could never be wrong when it comes to creating matebonds. But for once, I think she was."

Hannah’s face fell instantly. For a heartbeat, she thought he was talking about them.

But Taryn went on.

"Angus should never have been given one," he said angrily. "If he hadn’t, Queen Seraphira would never have fallen for him. And my wife, Poppy, would still be alive."

Oh. It was about Angus. That strangely sent relief through her.

"I don’t understand," she finally found her voice, rough and unsteady. "How did it happen?"

How did my father kill your wife?

She had never heard of this. And Angus was not the type to hide his victories. He boasted about them.

"My wife was Queen Seraphira’s closest friend," Taryn said. "Before she became queen, Seraphira was different. She was fascinated by the outside world. Curious. Restless."

His lips curved without humor. "The Fae saw her as strange. Even Queen Elawon, her mother, made no effort to hide her displeasure."

Taryn’s gaze drifted, memories stirring.

"When Seraphira sneaked into the human realm, the Queen sent Lila to retrieve her. Poppy volunteered to go as well. She knew knew how stubborn and naïve Seraphira could be. If Lila failed, Poppy believed she could reach her, after all, seraphira would never turn away a friend."

Hannah listened in silence, dread pooling in her chest. She already knew where this headed.

Taryn’s eyes darkened. "But none of them expected what they found."

He looked at Hannah then, his gaze sharp and unforgiving. "Seraphira was already mated to Angus. And while a mate bond is meant to be a blessing, in this case, it was a curse."

"And unfortunately," Taryn drew a breath, "while it’s hard enough to advise someone who is in love—when it comes to a mate bond?" His lips twisted bitterly. "They are better left alone."

He closed his eyes, pain flickering openly across his face before he forced them open again.

"But my wife didn’t."