na's

before the clock. The mating

oose for me? Would it be some

this moment for so long, but now that it was here, doubt crept i

the moment. When the clock struck midnig

my room and heade

uld it feel like magic? Would I lose myse

-warm, addictive, but gone too fast. It

lose. My eyes darted ar

I saw

ch

e was

nched in the gut, my br

me with him? I stood there, frozen, my eyes locked

oddess, trusted her... and

an Omega, and now she'd paired me w

amed down

hoose me. I wasn't ev

fear, a part of me still couldn't help but hope-maybe, just maybe, Richard might see something in me

ered, my voice shakin

I wouldn't give him that power. I would reje

en I could run no longer, I stopped, my

myself, my voice almost trembling. "What's t

sharp pain hit my legs, and I fell to the ground, gasping

nd my heart dropped. It was Pen

well. All I could think was: w

rd?" she snapped, raising the stick high

my head

ou think!" I pleaded, bu

she scoffed. "You couldn't take your eyes off him in class! And n

Penny, please, it's

idn't

stick again-but instead of st

, I thought

she l

shoulders. I struggled, but she was too strong

re, Ross stormed in, his broad back

me and didn't care what happened to me. But at that moment, he stepped in betwe

as he stood between us, his body

rowled, his voice low and dange

oss stood his ground, his eyes locked on hers. Finally,

xpression softening when

s voice soft as he brushed a

Ross's eyes moved over me, t

, holding me tight as I trembled from the shock and fear. After a moment, he p

-the first kindness anyone had shown me in a long time. But I f

ard his house, my legs

felt like I was leaning on a stranger-someone offeri

ered. The only person I wanted to lean on was Richa

he bed. I collapsed onto it, exhausted, my body a

him, taken by how carefully he cleaned and bandaged my cuts. His touch was gentle b

rd-what he was doing, whether he kne

f it when Ross

s voice was

, and his words ca

my w