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So it is Christian.
What the—
Understanding dawns. It’s a fucking terrible understanding, and I’m praying to the Luna that I’m wrong when I guess, “Ryker’s here. In the district. Isn’t he?”
“Arrived this morning.”
“Where is he?” I demand. Forget being cool. I have visions of Ryker behind bars, Ryker being forced to challenge another wolf, Ryker being torn apart by Aleks if my sadistic father really wanted to destroy me… ah, Luna. He literally just said that Aleks is getting ready for his next training. No. “Where’s my mate?”
For the first time since I met him, the tiny jolt of pleasure I sense coming off of him seems genuine. I did the one thing I told myself not to: I let down my guard, proving that Ryker Wolfson is my true weakness. I’ve been able to play it as cool as possible until now, but the thought of losing my mate because of my bastard sperm donor?
It’s my breaking point—and I just made sure that Walker knows that.
He takes another couple of seconds to drink in my obvious terror before he says in a smug tone, “Another Alpha accepted my invitation to visit my territory. Of course I have to show him around, pay him the respect the shifter community has denied me for too long. I’m sure he’ll be by soon—unless he decides he’d rather go back east.”
Without you.
He doesn’t say that part out loud. He doesn’t have to. Whatever his reasons were, Ryker is known as the Alpha who rejected his fated mate. We might be fully bonded now, but if either one of us decides to sever our bond, Elizabeth could use her strange gift to break it.
Luna, I hate him. I hate him more than I’ve hated anyone in my life. The way my claws unsheathe inside of the fist I didn’t even realize I’d formed tells me that my wolf feels the same way.
The tips of my claws pierce the meat of my palm. Blood perfumes the air. Walker makes a display of breathing it in as I fantasize about going for his jugular.
If freaking only.
“Tell me, Ruby. Have you noticed the wolves hanging around your cabin?”
He deserves an extra slash for the way he accentuates that damn name as he suddenly changes the subject.
Walker wants to pretend he didn’t just make it obvious he intends to separate me and Ryker? Okay. Two can play that game.
“Uh, yeah. Can’t miss them.” It takes everything I have to keep my tone deceptively casual. “It’s obvious you have them watching me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, daughter. They’re not watching you. They’re waiting for you to invite them inside.”
Keep it casual?
Not anymore.
“What? Why?”
“Because they know what mating you will do for them. They’re lining up to be the consort to your queen. The father to your pups. Don’t fool yourself. They’d kill for that privilege, and it’s time you know that.”
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I thought he changed the subject, but I was wrong. And what he just told me is taking this whole thing way too damn far.
Keeping him in my sights, I cross the room, heading for the nearest window that looks out to the front of the cabin. Pulling the curtain back, I peek outside.
A familiar figure is leaning up against the same tree. He straightens as the curtain twitches, his head turned toward me.
Theo.
I let the curtain drop.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he’s the wolf out there waiting. How much do I want to bet that he’s the first stud Walker has in mind?
“It doesn’t have to be any of them, either.” His voice creeps up behind me—or maybe that’s just him. “You know that Janelle abandoned me before we could be fully bonded. That left me in a bit of a predicament. An Alpha without a mate. I’ve never lacked for bed partners”—Ew, ew, ew—“but it could be that it’s finally time I settled down for good.”
Disgust turns to fury in a heartbeat as I whirl on him. “You can’t have my mom—”
