ya

draw a breath. Marry him? The absurdity of it clawed at my throat. He was the Alpha King of the

lming scent. I couldn't do this. I couldn't be a pawn in his g

g over each other. My hands clenched into f

in the room plum

ine and ozone spiked, turning acrid and freezing, like a blizzard tearing through a for

ading my personal space wi

nd, heavy with Alpha author

now that. I couldn't let him see how pathetic and available I truly was. I ope

orless scoff. The sound wa

e murmured, his voice dropping an octave, rumbling with

strangely cold. He walked to the desk, snatched up a thick document, and t

he is," he said, his back to me. His tone was final, brooking

my fingers shaking unc

corridor offered no sanctuary. I leaned against the wall, trying to s

e you

manager, storming down the hallway. His face was flushed with ang

red, pushing off the

d nervous sweat. "You've caused enough trouble tonight. Where are the Shadow Creek files? I need to sa

, glancing nervously at the door to R

into my flesh painfully. "You little bitch, don't play games with me! You're going ba

ng to wrench my arm free, b

to vibrate through the very walls of the hotel. It didn't sound human. It

r. Hands.

le. It wasn't a shout; it was a death sentence spoken in a whispe

m as if I were burning hot, stumbling back so fast he nearly tripped over his own feet. He lo

and scrambled down the hallway

mering against my ribs. Declan had heard. He had intervened. But why? He

as I made my way out of the

temporary room. The neon sign outside flickered, casting long, dancing shadows acr

to hear a friendly voice. I neede

" Camryn's voice was high with worr

wl. I didn't tell her about the Mate pull I felt, or the way his scent made my

n the other end. Then, Cam

oing this to secure a placeholder before he officially announces his union with Kristin Larsen! Think about it. The Alpha King's daughter? That's a polit

me like a buck

aceh

Blackwood want a wolfless girl like me? I wasn't his chosen one;

spered, tears pricki

ifted to the lock screen of my phone-a picture of my mother, smi

for his true Luna. But as I looked at my mother's face, I realized the trap had already snappe