Faye's words hit me like a physical blow. I stood frozen in Orion's foyer, trying to process what she'd just revealed. Orion was her mate? The same Orion who had been my rock, my confidant, my closest friend for the past four years?
"You're lying," I whispered, though deep down I knew she wasn't. The devastation in her eyes was too raw, too genuine.
"Why would I lie about something like this?" Faye laughed bitterly, gesturing to her disheveled appearance. "Look at me. You think I want anyone to see me like this? To know I was used and discarded by my own fated mate?"
I felt sick. All this time, Orion had a mate—and he'd never mentioned her. Not once in four years.
"How long have you known?" I asked.
"We've known since we were teenagers," Faye said, her voice cracking. "Our families were thrilled. The perfect match—two powerful bloodlines united by fate."