Chapter 51

Hades’s Pov

The hallway outside Anita’s room felt colder than usual, the soft echo of my footsteps reminding me of the silence that lingered between us. I hadn’t expected the conversation to go the way it had, and now, as I stood there, my mind raced with the implications of everything we had discussed. Her admission that she still loved her mate had hit me harder than I cared to admit. But what unsettled me most was the fact that I could tell she wasn’t being entirely honest, not even with herself.

Before I could gather my thoughts any further, Beta Damian approached, his expression serious but tempered with a hint of unease. I could sense that he had something to say.

"Alpha," Damian began, his voice cautious, "I’ve managed to calm the elders for now. They weren’t happy with the way things unfolded at the ball, especially with Amara’s outburst."

I nodded, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "Let them be upset. It’s not their place to meddle in my personal affairs."