To Wake Him Up

"Liam is dead."

"He is dead, and you are still alive because you are just a replacement."

The old man screamed at her.

"You are never his real mate!"

Rayleigh stared straight into her eyes and said, "I chose you because you are not his mate. It was so that when he dies, you will still be here, raising your children you had with him. Because I, too, will soon..."

Harriet's eyes faltered as the words struck her like stones flung from a catapult straight to her chest. She blinked back tears of pain to stare up into Rayleigh's face.

He looked down on her with an expression that made no sense to her—sadness but not for himself; grief was written in every line of his wrinkles. It pained him more than the words pained her.

And yet...

She could only shake her head and gaze around at all these people staring at them both, "Just let me...!"

"No!" Rayleigh said fiercely, pulling her arm away even harder.