Darius's POV
I couldn’t focus. My eyes were on the food in front of me, but my mind was far away, trapped in a cycle of thoughts that wouldn’t stop.
Does she like Rowon?
It was the only explanation I could come up with for why Jade was acting so cold toward me. She was hiding the fact that we were mates from everyone, pretending like there was nothing between us. No connection. No bond. But I felt it. I knew she felt it, too. So why the distance? Why keep it a secret?
Rowon’s image flashed through my mind—the way he looked at Jade, even as his mate delivered their child. His focus wasn’t on Kassandra or the newborn; it was on her. The way his eyes followed her every move, the way his breath seemed to hitch when she entered the room. It didn’t make sense.
It was like she had him under
