tina'

ed to

m-as if he were announcing the fridge had broken, n

a

es. Talk about what? A debrief? A review? Was he pro

being fuck buddies was honestly a tempting option. Oh god,

f thing only happens in soap operas writte

ried I'd c

was me who

ho dragged him

who opened t

inned him down with

tone I could muster, "last night was a mistake. A reck

ter droplets sliding down his collarbone, tracing over sculpted muscl

ibility. I won't call you crying about em

slightly annoyed, like I was the one who'd slept w

e door-aiming for a graceful exit,

the doorknob, a warm, wet pa

owly, I tur

ssion I couldn't place,somewhere b

member me?" h

red quickly, almost defensively. "Of

true. Tota

,was that even without those triv

was unfo

in just a white towel, with water dripping down thos

llowe

t look directly at

trategy had co

he was practically naked, somehow, under his gaze

ay something, anythin

there, watching me, as if waiting for the

ence st

"It's fine. Do

nked.

sked dryly. His han

gain, then said,"

.

at

ious." I finall

arterly financial report. "I've just returned from Europe. I've bee

energy radiating power that

and cubs?" A cold smile touched his lips. "People see us as grounde

ll s

I'd bring home someo

ve enough to sil

ent an answer-just with

I

houldn't b

through a lovele

lence, hollow intimacy, and a slow

my mouth

moment, my

cut through the q

and felt like a bomb h

lin V

fat

t pack, whose word was a

amiliar yet distant, th

said the words,

hotel suite, the rin

ause I wanted to, b

ry."Your actions reflect on this entire pack. Do yo

okay?" but "how have you dama

hanging up before he could start calc

and collapsed into the backseat, like

s get this

one-night stand, w

t in my blood. The old Christina, desperate for pack

nclave that didn't welcome anyone who couldn't trace their bloodline back three gener

felt like a boxer entering the ring. Shoulders s

the living room, I co

e in his leather chair, wearing the same expression

ir and perfectly aligned pearl necklace, smiled the

l solemn and brooding, as if waiting for

n the

ce, ob

was a silver stake

was a

the de

ct had alread

struc

pack doesn't run on your sc

ic," I

towel-clad Alpha proposing marriage,

here?" My tone

e ans

od, a bandage still

aguely wounded brought me

ouse," he said slowly, nudging a small su

red a

, and all I had to show for it was luggage small eno

r for my import

y throat, but

flatly. "That's

iculous little suitca

just to return a suitcase. I knew better. This w

e the re

, tolerated only when the

my fat

Didn't t

his arms a

since you and Niall have broken up, we ne

. Turned around slowly, letting

u want. It's not like you've ev

ck when you were still the sensible

pped c

aranoid-accusing Niall, trying to control him. You rejected

ds were

t in

ss in

o the other packs. Tell them you fell for someon

fr

my chest, like they'd torn it

ll of them-my paren

. So de

they'd rehea

done to d

d I gone

A shred of decency? A moment of courage? But there was nothing. Just

absolutel

aused me unbearable pain, weakened my wolf. Akira and I can barely sense scents a

ady to s

en my father

reparing to re

ut finding someone new," he

As long as you're still part of th