For a heartbeat it felt like I didn’t hear what he just said. I blinked as I looked at him in both confusion and disbelief.

“Did you just say you had a mate?” I asked, wanting him to confirm what I just heard.

“Yes,” he said, his voice giving no emotion, it was just blank.

“And she’s dead?”

“I didn’t say it for you to question me Emilia,” He said, his voice cold and hard, filled with warning.

“But I need to—“

“Need to know what? That I wasn’t able to protect her and let those filthy rogues tear into her like she was nothing.” He spat, voice filled with...