ri

ing bond-to claim it or to toss it aside. The moon goddess

n't spare

control of my emotions, and h

h my pride. I blinked back my tears,

if I were a desperate admirer beggi

her by announcing our bond or react during a public festival whe

ter Snubbed b

lf Reduced to W

nvied me would laugh that the mighty Marissa had been put in her place. Even the elders, who suppose

less toasts to nothing important. I faded into the backgrou

al from falling apart. As the future Alpha, Brian had more

e, then spotted me. He pa

ou okay? You

he words came

ldn't tell him. Not when I knew exactly what he'd

an had no love for them. To him, they were nothing bu

ely made it out. I turned be

r. I had to brace for Justin's rejection. I wouldn't be the first or th

waiting, this

my feet sank into the grass. The evening ai

f cedar and rain. My breath h

as coming to

ar between his fingers, and took a slow

ag of an attitude, I couldn't look away.

to him in all the right places. His sleeves were rolled up just enough to show off forea

om, eager for just one night of erotic climax. Then, the following day, they'd leav

ed thought

en? Is that why he

d by my thoughts, h

y.

hat I had been thinking. The corners of his lips

u staring,

up. My throat tightened, and suddenly, I became

rickled down my neck, slipping to my n

nside me, scream

ard. But at least you're not groveling like

h

h

o be some twisted a

w it up with something resembling a proper greetin

stood there, dar

something more mesmerizing. It was a particularly satisfying pile of garbage I saw bei

oser, closing the space between us. His gaze raked over me, a slow inspec

ould claim me and whisper the w

skimmed across my w

ves could be my type, bu

ly, like I was something he c

d, and I might be

eyes flickered gold, then hazel, like a warning. Hypnotic. Impossible to ignore. His o

a night you won't forget. Just one, though. No strings. My famil

ot just at his insult but

ke it was some cheap trinket he coul

t? Didn't he understand that mar

il, and the self-proclaimed

king with fate to ignore a b

or are you always this

ed, waving frantically and standing beside the shru

r yourself. There are hundreds of willin

d as shock fro

gloat. He just turned li

ay and never

humiliation, I'd be sitting right

cruelty and humiliation weren't indifference. It w