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“It felt amazing.”
“Whatever. But that’s all it was. Lust. Hormones. Need. To be my mate, there needs to be love.”
And, though I’m pretty sure I murmured I love you, I love you, I love you more times than I can count while he was pounding away inside of me, the most I heard from Ryker was my name, his grunts, and a repeated refrain of mine.
But not once, I’m realizing now, did he say I love you in return.
Why would he? To Ryker, a mate is an arrangement. Someone to have at his side, and someone to keep in his bed. Love didn’t figure, did it?
“Look. We got it out of our system.” I give him a wry smile that has him scowling. “Congrats, Ryker. You said you’d get me in the end and you did. We had sex. Whoo!” I wave my free hand around. “But if you think that changes anything...”
“Oh, sweetheart. It changes everything.”
Quick as a flash, he lunges for me. But if I thought I was aware of Ryker before this? Still revving from the orgasms he gave me, this male is a part of me. I know what he’s going to do a split second before he does it. I dodge him easily, jumping to my feet and whirling around in time to see him crouching in front of me.
For just a heartbeat, my eyes dip down to his dick. That sucker is rock hard, pointing right at me as Ryker growls softly, eyes tracking my every movement.
Damn it. I feel myself growing wet again, getting ready for him, my wolf scratching away at the inside of my chest, desperate to worship this male with everything she has.
But not me. Not when I’ve given Ryker everything I am, and it’s still not enough for him.
“Stop it,” I snap, holding my ground. “It’s gone far enough. Get the hint. What just happened was sex, but I’m not your mate. You can have anyone. Just because the moon picked me for you, that doesn’t mean we have to listen.”
His eyes flash. “You think I’m going through all this because the moon told me to? I chose. My wolf chose.”
“Yeah. Trish.”
“Fuck Trish,” he snarls.
“No, thanks. But feel free to go to Accalia and do that again if you like.”
His mouth falls open before he quickly rearranges his features into that same old emotionless mask. “You really believe that. You really think that I picked her over you.”
“I don’t have to think so. I was there.” I gesture at the marks in his chest. “Remember?”
He slowly rises up from the crouch.
In an instant, I can see it playing out. He’ll move toward me, I’ll stubbornly stay where I am because only an alpha will back down, and then he’ll do whatever he can to distract me. It’s what he’s always done when we get too close to the night I walked out on him. For all the talking he wants to do, he never once made it seem like he actually cares about me. About Gemma Swann. The woman, not the alpha.
Fuck him. Let him keep his secrets.
Ryker’s body shifts, putting all of his weight on the balls of his feet. Just like I expected, he’s preparing to leap at me.
Not if I can help it.
I drop my gaze. I fold my fingers, hiding my claws, then clasp my hands together. I shudder out a breath that, unless you know better, sounds suspiciously like a sob.
He just about stops breathing.
Gotcha.
I have a lifetime of experience playing the omega. Doesn’t matter that Ryker knows that I’m an alpha. With the right posture, and just a hint of salty tears, I can play his damn wolf like it’s a piano.
“Gemma, no. Don’t cry. I—”
—never should’ve underestimated me.
My head flies up, hand already swinging as I throw all of my body weight into the punch. Luna damn, does he have a hard face. It’s like pummeling rock, I swear, but I get three good hits in before he realizes that I’ve attacked.
