"Why would you do that? Ho

uld join

"What could you possibly gain f

heal

"There

a proposition for you. I th

, just a little stronger. If after our conversation you decide to decline my offer, I'll ask you to t

to drug m

ad asked you to come to my packhouse,

t taken. What's this

a, but my dad, my uncle and some of the other males had banded together to banish me. I was just a juvenile; I couldn't take them all on so I left, along with some of the pack who disagreed with what had happened. We formed our own pack, which we called the Lunar Pack.

arently, that's not enough for him. He has applied to the council for his pack and mine to be united again as one with him as Alpha. Personally, I think its because he wants our terr

lence. Italia didn't like it much either, but it has always been shifter culture. The agreement made with humans was that th

e months had to pass before either could act on the challenge – the councils way of givin

k down or officially challenge me. I know him well enough to know he'll never back down. An agreement won't be reached within twelve weeks. Not in this case. There will be a battle between

are shitty, but unless you're interested in a sarcastic comment I don'

ing a mate... and you needing

surely he wasn't suggestin

him, I'd have a link to his alliances and then I would have plenty of wolves to call on for this ba

han an alliance with my dad, to mate with a guy who has exactly the same motive?" Italia

ns weakness and leaped on it. He would see how much Cassian needed him and would exploit it. Probably by demanding s

ce between mating with m

ich

o be permanent." And he woul

hook her head. "Wol

g the kind of emotions needed to keep a mating alive. "Of course, we'd have to make it believable for everyone, they need to think t

ed me to mate with you, you just need

eed to mark you. The second I do, you'll be classed as my m

as a short-term thing. It still would be difficult to break the mating link, because her and

en have already signed the contracts, and my dad i

e that we're true mates. If it's believed that we are

mple as that. Because her chance came in the form of another big, bad Alpha who had a price for help. Hell, two wolves – two Alpha wolves – wante

hing. Mates are all touchy-feely, they don't spend a minute apart, they wear each other's mark, a

round, and that won't be often. Knowing your freedom from

thing, grumbled Italia. "My dad isn't stup

ng' each other. Maybe at one of the shifter cubs. No

the details or problems, she was only interested in whether Cassian was a potential mate. She liked his confidence, his determination, his

I'm not your true mate, and he may understand that this isn't permanent to you, but those details w

ealous and crazily protective." Cassian

her response. His wolf approved of Cassian's choice. He identified her as a worthy mate. He lik

ia, I'm offering you a way out. If I were you, I'd take it. Un

ge that Rayden will no doubt bring here once you claim me?

firmly. "I need this mating as

rm her, and although they had never let her down before, that wasn't to

weekend. The meeting with my uncle and mediator is in a wee

"I go to Viper

t this, Italia, not even your best friends. Espec

ncluding her two best friends, Aria and Ivy. They would do everything they could to stop her mati

n it, I

m anyone, especially not you. So don't bark at me unless you're happy to be ignored." Shit, that wasn't very... subm

ver, tied up and begging him to take her. He cou