ARIA
Death.
My throat ran dry. I gaped at Elias to see if he was joking. But the serious look on his face told me otherwise. And it made no sense if he joked about death, but nine mates dying on Atlas?!
I'd have never guessed that. I had thought they were being chased off due to his cruelty. But now, hearing this from Elias had completely changed my thoughts about him.
"That's terrible," I murmured.
"It is, princess," Elias agreed, puffing out a breath.
Silence settled between us, and my thoughts wandered. Have I been too hard on him? I wondered. Moreover, the goddess…how could she watch him suffer this much? What was his offense? Did he wrong the goddess, and she had placed a curse on him?
I swallowed back lumps, shaking my head. I didn't think Atlas had done anything to wrong the goddess. He was still Alpha after all. Also, knowing how cruel the goddess Selene was, she must have cursed him without just cause.
