FAKE MATE, REAL BOND

ter

i

mind was a riot of sensation his kiss was firm, commanding, and electric, as if he'd pressed a live wire to my skin. For o

, cutting through t

not yo

e, Across the glittering floor, Brandon stood, face twisted in fury and humiliation.

orched him. He stepped back, his gaze ruthl

Ryan demanded, voice low

His lips trembled, as though they couldn't quite form the lie he'd promised so many. The pac

s upward to meet Ryan's. "Gina," he said, his voice shaking, "is an omega

ght?" Ryan asked, voi

at Brandon, whose face was a mask of rage barely

was his mate, not after fooling his whole pack th

e another woman his mate, even after everything, when we both knew the truth, made

said, his voice rising so that every corner

es alight with astonishment and perhaps hope. Brandon's face drained of color. I saw the vein at his temple pulse lik

lead me away. My legs felt like they would buckle, but I pressed my feet into the polished stone f

looked terrified, like she had seen a ghost

ragrant with blossoms. Under the pale glow of lanterns, Ryan paused and released my hand, turning to f

to ear, the storm gray of his eyes. He was merciless, yes in the stories I'd read, he'd wiped out entire rival packs fo

rom me, his hand still on m

Alpha Ryan..." My voice wavered. "

uestion. A faint smile curved at the corner of

na, if I wanted to kill you, yo

of anything but the warmth of his hand at my back, the steady cadence of his voice. Here, in the hush of

. Lantern light speckled the stone, casting quivering shadows that danced around us

ze without blinking, letting the v

myself. If I spoke the word "ki

voice was a whisper now, but it carried the weight of

e, illuminating the sincere line of his

enough for me to think: He's the devil, yes. But maybe he's the devil with a promise of what

s wrapped tight around my