a

mpletely stil

sucked out of it. I could feel his heartbea

came out rough. "Wha

, suddenly very aware of how naked and

k at the doo

as Mason's beta-his right hand, his best friend since childhood. He never i

h

mach d

right now, Blackburn? I'm with my wife.

nd I could hear the strain in his voice. "She

Mason and me h

ng. "Go deal with your guest, Al

nreadable. Then he climbed off the bed and grabbed his rob

he door and lo

aya," he said, his voice like ste

slamming behind him hard

ce, my heart pounding so hard I

hell just

the woman he'd actually chosen, the woman he'd begged to s

k at me like I'd

face, trying to think thr

ave to think

he child once it was born. Just give up my baby

do that. Not

raphina playing stepmother, probably erasing every trac

solute

mind, desperate and half-fo

s settled down, then I'd leave. Disappear. Start over somewhere

d be hard, maybe impossible, but

dressed and slipped

he never came back. Whatever his "urgent

t avoiding me, I

ack to my own room where I cou

wn from the Alpha's wing, my mind spin

into someone at th

ckward, catching my

e Seraphina standing in fro

been there a year ago. Her dress was red and tight and left almost nothing to t

one to remember what

lickered across her face, something that looked a lot like

ce dripping with fake sweetness. She even gav

t completely off guard

t used to being called 'Luna' yet?" Her smile turned sharp. "Or maybe it's

my face neutral. I wouldn't give her

d smell her perfume, something expensive and cloying.

na, a small, cruel voic

st slightly, at the corner of her mouth, like s

that smudge. I c

he reached up and touched her lips, a sa

little... enthusiastic when he saw me. Couldn't keep his hands to himself.

er voice dropping to a

t, Luna." She drew out the title like an ins

inside m

ight. I stuck out my hand. "Since this is our first offic

tstretched hand lik

ot pretend, Maya. We both hate this. We both hate ea

aid, and I was surprise

ve spent a whole year playing house with a man who doesn't belong to you. You sleep next to him every nigh

could stop myself. My pa

made or desired. Fate bound us together, it is not my fault that fate did not choose you. If you

n Seraphina's eyes bef

ng on fate. Pretend you're just an innocent victi

s," I said tiredly. "It's nobody's fault. We'

smile turn

Like it's this sacred, unbreakable thing." She tilted her head, stu

ed. "What are yo

of yours. If it's really so powerful, if it really means Mason is bound to you..." She paused

what she was saying, be

herself backward

down the staircase, her limbs flailing, her scream echoing off

the bottom, cr

airs, my hand still outstretched li

d? Did she just-d

ackhouse explo

from doorways. And Mason came sprinting d

s knees beside S

when I

ba

ybe six months old, cradled against his che

it. Where had the baby come fr

un

cut through my s

the other reaching toward the crowd that had gathere

in them, just for a spl

d, her voice trembling. "Why would you as

to her chest, tears g

inued, her voice breaking beautifully. "Yes, I came unex

car award but since I was the pawn in this, the only qu