MI

sti

hovering over me in bed. Act

t his chest. "Is this

didn't move. Just kept staring at me with those

ions to me.

atly. "It smells like som

here without clothes or a toothbrush,

r. Inhaled at m

what ar

d breath and fear." His voice

hrough me. "Di

of distracting that makes me want to

eath

u still need to fix that breath situat

bout las

nt cold. "Oh, and I already sent your fa

wh

oor s

l

here, s

keep me in bed all day. Then

e actua

elled my

ight. I smell l

h the palace hallways wrapped in a b

oxic. And I remembered my grandmother's remed

s and flowers. And there-tunise

bbed them between my pa

when I

an

" I muttered. "What k

ard the sou

Nero had a maid bent over a st

is ankles. He was

ot thro

ft. Should've

ldn't sto

couldn't sto

ver that bench, his breath hot on my neck, his voice rough:

ding up my t

you wan

lenched. My

ing hungry in me. Something that want

ing th

d back t

urried away, adjusting her dress

rki

-I didn't

bel," he said. "Third-in-command. Ne

. "You look exa

And I actually know

. "Your whole family

e tilted his head. "Did Nero fuck you so hard you're walking around with no

n't-we

ly from what I heard." His eyes dragged over me. "And the wa

lea

opping. "My brother's an idiot, by the way. If you were mine

and pract

. "Nice ass, by the way!

to my door wh

my room. A handkerchi

id curtly when she

ast without

expected. Deep burgundy silk that looked expensive. I expected something

e attached: Wai

It smelled like laven

ust expens

elt amazing against my skin. I loo

was warming up

moned an

. At the head of the table sat

other Alphas. Including Alpha

far end-Ner

Wa

of

er hair. Same cold e

in

two? Which one left

landria

cut through

shford, my former bride. Her family is present." He gestured to

. "I thought-we're married

're not my mate. You're not the Luna of this pack." H

was everything. And now he was

my sister deliberately. To steal her place as Lun

an to-it was

ly's honor, and murdered our daughter. Alpha Nero will do what's right. Won't you

the room tu

alked towar

d inch

my life and I wondered if maybe you were different. If you could break the curse." He paused. "But you

. Don't cry. Don't giv

hands were all over me last night. Or was that

ne ga

t your mate or Luna, it's time to let us have her. As payment for killin

s sh

. Something flick

it wa

ake her. She was g

o

grabbed my arm. Ya

educe your way into the Alpha's bed..My b

r than I'd ever

he man's jaw. The crack e

. A slut." He looked at the rest of Priscilla's family. "Touch

one f

ple are watching. You have to cho

r. "I'm the Alpha of Alphas. Everyone her

d just-he'd defended me. A

oom starte

's voice sou

eat. Like my bl

nose. Came aw

eone whispered.

ero caught me befor

d. "Not yet. You're su

y eyes now. My ear

one," I heard Kade sa

I felt him mov

er's old room. He

ite," he whispered

it out. The dress. The taste of

ness was pul

es cl

art s

ing wen

and total

th bride

e had wo

or and stopped with h

last time at her

n l

r click

kne

es pa

h

ger tw

t o

e watching wou

ne was w

hest

e

e a

. Shallo

gasped awak

he sheets, moving, crawling, and carving runes t

s flew to my throat, claws

The runes pulsed once more on the sheet-then vanished

r creak

clutched in her hand. Her silver eyes widened in shock.

be dead," she said

red down the hal

ved. "But I