ry'

self around me like a human straightjacket, an

avoided looking at his face, not wanting to confirm what Gina told me: this

ed clothes, trying to cover myself with the torn fabri

damn bed," I hissed under my breath as I shoved the door open.

n. I thought, just for a second, I could maybe kill hi

y, dragging me back into that ho

ducked into a corner, I called

've heard my voice cracking because she im

up fast, sprinting out of the

er eyes full of worry, I c

e squatted down and hugged me tight, total

yes went wide as she got a be

k. Only when she frowned and gently helped me

fled and muttered, "Something awful...

She guided me to the elevator a

oing home much, so keeping a hotel

ged myself in silence while

drained, when we reached her door.

omething right now," she yelled,

ng to scrub that feeling off me. The smell lingered - faint booze mixed w

ick. She sat close, her voice urgent. "Perry, please, tell

, gripping the fabric of the shirt tightly

ed, staring at me like I'd grown

piraling, then suddenly stopped. "No. That can't

en in the room long when I bumped into Byron from the Bloodmoon Pack. He told me that

t through me. Panic gripped my chest. "The

"I'm so sorry, Perry. I have no clue. That top-floor suite's usually booked unde

face in my hands, feeling like the

to find out who he was

And once I'd calmed down a little,

Burning hot all over like someone had triggered it on purpose-just wai

ow and asked, "So... he's probably still in the room, right?

if I find out who he is, what am I

na-we'd smelled each other. That scent me

onestly, if I could, I'd walk right up to him and punch him in the fac

. Right then, my phone rang, dragging me back

Lake. Of

d boil. I hit 'decline' hard, lik

Richard. None of this would've happened. He'd completely screwe

lling again. Relentless, like an annoying fl

ally gave in, took a deep breath, and jabbed the screen. "What do you

you'd left the countryside. I've been waiting for you at the train station. Honestly, can't wa

s so hard it hurt. "And more importa

ll faux-concerned, he said, "Don't be like t

tay there, fine, stay there. Just

Scott's mate, so he could cozy up to the Bloodmoon Pack. No matter

ing. I knew he was trying to intimidate me. "I've set everything up with the Bloodmoon Pack. Tomorro

you even remember you have a daughter is when you need something. If you

ly. I hung up on him wi

er voice. "What are you going to do now?

lly after all this, I can't face him.

call with Francis, she finally understood where I was coming from. "Even so, you'l

she wa

f he already arranged things with the Bloodmoon Pack and I fl

ard there's someone else. That I'm already with another alpha. Maybe that'll m

n support. "There you g

ng off-there was always something going on at

her room, I

tossed around in a fight. That alpha I slept with-whoev

h force. There'd been pleasure too, intense