PH

nd had begun

e things between Lyla and me had only

atter of time before I gave i

atter where I was, my mind remained divided. My body ached for her, craved her

pulled me from my thoughts.

the Jackmans' soiree

letely f

g high-society events, including fundraisers for orph

l-known werewolf pack overseas that had recently been hit h

for others, the first to offer help whenever it

to do something about it, bringing powerful and influential peop

hecking the time on my

ore adding, "Do you have a plus on

n would handle it. Not that I ever truly needed help...

e. I'll handl

curtly befo

dialed Celine, instruct

ould cause a major re

were eager to see her. It was time. Time to introduce her, to make it kn

d, and head out. I sat in the sitting room, waiting for Lyla. The event was black tie, so I'd opted for a da

st the floor drew my att

ovocative, deep-red satin dress t

frame before pooling

gly low, open-back design that left her smooth skin

nto a loose bun, with wispy tendrils

er and desire hit me simultaneously, ne

bottom, barely

d in a smooth, sultr

utfit, my voice coming out in a da

dress again. "What th

amond watch on her wrist. "What time did you

but I grabbed her wrist. "Cha

s letting her walk into a roo

No. If you're scared of all the attention, the

across her face as she

used in my life before, as I did

r me before sashayi

go, wondering how in God's name Nikolao

as a

stairs, bowing her head in gre

s event?" I gestured toward the door Lyla had just walked thr

for a black-tie affair, but it reve

ickly, her voice shaking. "She refused the

shit. Typ

ing her head lower. "I beg yo

hand through my hair. "It'

uickly and s

lready waiting in the limo, with Ant

ut and opened the door for me. I slid ins

ixed her with a hard stare. "You'd bet

s she turned to look out the win

in my seat,

ng to be a

††††††††††††††

anaged to meander our way around eager photographers, all clamoring to ca

pe it all, including the overl

ith Darius Smith, a well-known music mogul and

y absorbed in the orchestra's perfor

atest music genre when something, or rather, someone,

whatever he'd said, my possessive instincts kicked

ulled me back to reality.

ng a small smile. "You

-be-dead companion. They had moved to the dance floor, and his hands had wan

d mine. A wicked smirk burgeoned on her lips as she

red in my hand due to the pr

her, to fuck her senseless in that dress, rip it

t you so d

y line of sight before ra

ur human mate, everyon

ed in r

y dancing with her is obviously huma

hrough gritted t

mpagne and handed the empty

him," I swore

ed to me wi

l him. Just break a few

yr, everyone in this hall

ing my mate

s the one encouraging it." He gestured gently. "An

ht on, their gazes shifting between Ly

sts b

us,"

M

Lyla. Meanwhile, get that idiot to step outside, throu

"You're gonna

distracted. Don'

u're not gon

ady turning toward the

e exit, ignoring the flirtatious pur

e doors, I'd make him bleed in ways that'd m