"You actually think that dress hides your stomach?"

My fingers were trembling as I smoothed down my dark red gown.

Marie was leaning against my bedroom doorframe, her arms crossed, a nasty, mocking smile playing on her lips. My step-sister had a sixth sense for my happiness, always showing up exactly when I felt good just to tear me back down to nothing.

"I’m not doing this with you today, Marie."

She let out a dry laugh and walked fully into my room, looking me up and down with disgust.

"I’m genuinely trying to save you the embarrassment, Calista. Look at yourself. Do you honestly believe Eric is going to stand on that stage tonight and name a fat, clumsy pig as his Luna?"

"What Eric and I share is non of your business, Eric and I have an understanding.” "He knows what I did for him."

"Oh, right. The grand sacrifice," Marie sneered, rolling her perfectly lined eyes. "You gave him some of your spinal fluid when his Lycan-cells were deteriorating. So what? You want a medal? You think being a medical donor automatically buys you a mate mark? Keep

dreaming. You are completely delusional if you think an Alpha like Eric would actually claim a girl who looks like you."

"We are mates, Marie," I snapped, finally turning to face her. "The bond snapped during the Summer Solstice run. He felt it. I felt it. He is going to announce me tonight. Now get out of my room."

Marie just smirked. It was a cold, cruel little smile that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "Keep wishing for things that are way out of your league, Calista. Just remember to grab a mop later. The pack house is going to need a deep cleaning after the ceremony, and we all know that’s the only job you’re actually fit for."

She turned and walked out, leaving my door wide open.

I took a deep, shaky breath, closing my eyes and forcing my heart rate to slow down. I wasn't going to let her ruin tonight. For the past eight months, Eric had been dying. He had a rare case of Silver-marrow disease, and his wolf was literally decaying from the inside out.

The pack doctors had given up. But I was a match.

I spent weeks in agony, undergoing the bone marrow extractions without any wolfsbane sedatives, because the painkillers would have ruined the stem cells. I felt every needle. I felt every cut. I did it willingly. I did it because he was my childhood friend, because I loved him, and because he held my hand through the hospital bars and promised me that as soon as he was healed, we would rule the Crimson Shadow pack together.

I grabbed my shawl and stepped out of my room, making my way down to the pack square.

The territory was buzzing. Lanterns were strung up between the ancient pines, and the smell of roasted venison and champagne filled the night air. I kept my head down as I walked through the crowd. I knew exactly what they thought of me. The whispers followed me everywhere I went.

She’s so heavy. Not fast enough to hunt. An embarrassment to the Alpha bloodline.

But Eric had always been there for me. When the pack mocked my plus-sized body, he was the one who stood by my side. Tonight, he was going to prove them all wrong.

I spotted him near the front of the stage. He looked incredibly handsome in a Triperill sweat pant, the color completely back in his cheeks. He was laughing with his younger brother and his cousin, Jax.

I caught Eric's eye and offered a warm, hopeful smile.

Eric looked away quickly, but Jax didn't. Jax, who had made it his mission to make my entire existence a living hell, locked eyes with me and smirked.

The ceremonial drums started beating.

The crowd immediately fell silent. Eric stepped up onto the platform, radiating power and Alpha authority. My heart was beating so fast. This was it. The end of my misery.

"My pack," Eric started.

"The last few months have been the darkest of my life. As you all know, I was at death's door. I didn't think I would be standing here tonight."

A murmur of sympathy rippled through the crowd. I stepped a little closer to the front, my hands clamped tightly together.

"But I survived," Eric continued, a bright smile spreading across his face. "And I didn't do it alone. Through my lowest moments, there was someone standing by my side. Someone who gave me a reason to keep fighting. Someone whose elegance, beauty, and grace pulled me out of the dark."

Tears pricked my eyes. He was talking about me. He was actually saying it in front of everyone.

"She is everything I have ever wished for in a woman," Eric said, his eyes scanning the crowd. "And I thank the Moon Goddess every single day for bringing her into my life. I cannot lead this pack without her."

I took a half-step forward, ready to climb the wooden stairs.

"Please," Eric called out, his voice ringing with pride. "Marie, come up here and let everyone see the face of your new Luna!"

The world stopped.

The breath was violently punched out of my lungs. I froze, my foot hovering over the bottom step, as the crowd erupted into cheers.

Through the blur of my tears, I watched Marie brush right past me. She climbed the stairs, her sheer designer dress flowing behind her, and threw her arms around Eric's neck. He caught her by the waist, pulling her closer, and kissed her deeply in front of the entire pack.

My heart felt like it was being physically ripped out.

No.

This was a mistake. A sick, twisted nightmare. I gave him my marrow. I nearly died on that operating table for him. He promised me.

The crowd howled their approval, but I couldn't hear them anymore. It was just a loud, high-pitched ringing in my ears. I didn't realize I was moving until I was pushing my way up the side steps of the stage, ignoring the hands of the guards that tried to pull me back.

I walked straight into the Alpha's private pavilion behind the curtain, where Eric and Marie had just stepped away from the cheering crowd to grab their champagne glasses.

"Eric," I choked out, my voice cracking so badly I barely recognized it.

He turned around, his smile dropping instantly. He let out a loud, deeply annoyed sigh and set his glass down on the table.

"Calista. You shouldn't be back here. Security!"

"What did you just do?" I asked, my hands shaking so hard I had to ball them into tight fists. "What did you just say out there?"

Eric scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked at me with irritation. "What? Did you expect me to call your name out there?"

"Yes!" I screamed, the raw betrayal burning my throat. "You promised me! I saved your life, Eric! I gave you my blood, my marrow, my health! You said we would rule together!"

Eric threw his head back and laughed.

"Are you completely out of your mind?" "You expected me to be with you? Like you actually wanted to be my Luna? With that plus-sized body of yours? What were you thinking?"

"What?" I whispered, my legs suddenly feeling like they were made of lead. "What do you mean?"

"I mean look at yourself, Calista," he sneered, gesturing up and down my body with a look of total disgust.

"You're heavy. You're slow. You look terrible in that dress. Did you seriously believe an Alpha would tie himself to a pig? An Alpha needs a Luna who commands respect. Someone flawless. Someone who doesn't look like they eat five meals a day."

"But you're my mate," I sobbed, the tears finally spilling over my cheeks. "The bond snapped last Summer Solstice. You felt it. I know you felt it!"

"I felt it, and I rejected it," Eric said coldly, stepping closer to me, his eyes flashing with a ruthless Alpha authority. "I couldn't claim you because you're way too embarrassing to be seen with. I want a woman who is stunning. Aside from her royal bloodline, that is exactly what Marie possesses. I'm sorry, Calista, but you'll do way better as a pack maid. Maybe a consort for one of the lower-ranking guards, if they're desperate enough."

I couldn't breathe. The boy I grew up with, the man I willingly went into agonizing surgery to save, was standing right in front of me, shredding my soul into pieces without a single ounce of remorse.

"You used me," I whispered, the reality crashing down on me. "Oh no dear. Perhaps, you were so stupid and desperate." "There's a difference."

"Aww, is the little hippo crying?"

Marie stepped out from the pavilion, a glass of champagne in her hand and a wicked, triumphant grin on her face. She walked right up to Eric and wrapped her arm around his waist, leaning her head affectionately on his shoulder.

“Leave me alone, Marie," I cried, taking a weak step back.

"Don't worry, Calista," Marie purred, her eyes practically glowing with malice. "I'll make sure to tell the children exactly how generous their aunt was."

I froze, the tears stopping dead in my eyes. "Children?"

Marie smirked and placed her hand against her flat stomach. "Oh, yes. I'm pregnant. Twins, actually. While you were busy bleeding on a hospital table, donating your precious marrow to him, I was in his bed making sure his bloodline was completely secure."

Eric kissed the top of Marie's head, not even bothering to look at me anymore.

"So dry your tears," Marie whispered, stepping closer to me so only I could hear her venomous words.

"Because of you, their father gets to live. At least you get to have that as your payment for him putting up with a fat pig like you all this time."

"Calista, breathe. Just look at me and breathe."

I couldn't. I couldn't pull air into my lungs. My knees hit the damp grass behind the Alpha’s pavilion.

"He called me a pig, Maya."

"He said I was too heavy. That I eat too much. After everything I did... he chose her. She’s pregnant."

Maya dropped to her knees beside me, her hands gripping my shoulders. She was the only true friend I had made in this pack over the last two years, the only one who didn't look at me with pity or disgust.

"I am going to kill him," Maya snarled.

"I swear to the Moon Goddess, I am going to march back in there and rip his throat out in front of the entire territory."

"No," I sobbed, shaking my head violently. "Don't. He's the Alpha now. He'll kill you, Maya. He doesn't care. He doesn't care about anyone but himself."

"Calista, look at me," she demanded, forcing my chin up. "You are not going to sit here in the dirt crying over a weak, pathetic excuse for a man who used you. Do you hear me? You survived that surgery. You are stronger than this. Now get up."

"I can't face them. They're laughing at me. I know they are."

"Then we aren't staying," Maya said firmly, pulling me to my feet. "We are leaving the territory. Right now. We're going to the border."

"The border? Maya, it's late'.

"We are going to The Howling Hound. It's off pack lands, it's dark, and they serve liquor strong enough to sedate a bear," she stated, dragging me toward the gravel parking lot. "You are going to drink, Calista. You are going to forget his face, his voice, and this entire miserable night."

The bass of the border bar vibrated through my chest. The place was packed with rogues, traveling merchants, and humans who didn't know any better. The air was filled with smoke and cheap perfume.

Maya slammed a glass of dark amber liquid onto the sticky counter in front of me. "Drink," she ordered.

"Maya, I've never had whiskey before."

"And you've never had your mate reject you to marry your pregnant step-sister before. Tonight is a night of firsts. Drink it."

I picked up the glass with trembling fingers and tipped it back. The liquid burned like pure fire sliding down my throat, making my eyes water and a heavy cough escape my chest.

"Again," Maya said, signaling the bartender.

"I feel sick," I whispered, the room was already starting to blur at the edges. "My chest physically hurts, Maya. It feels like my heart is actually bleeding. How could he just throw me away?"

"Because he's a coward," she spat, taking a shot herself. "He used your marrow to save his own life because he was too terrified to die. And now that he's healed, he wants the shiny, traditional Luna. He doesn't deserve the ground you walk on."

I stared down at my empty glass, the tears threatening to fall again. "I need to use the restroom. I just... I need a minute to wash my face."

"Do you want me to come with you?" "No. I'll be right back."

I slipped off the barstool, my legs feeling a little unsteady as I pushed my way through the crowded dance floor. The hallway leading to the restrooms was dim, the music muffled by the walls.

I pushed into the bathroom, turned on the cold water, and splashed it over my flushed face. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My dark red silk dress was wrinkled, my makeup was ruined, and my eyes were completely bloodshot. Eric was right. I was just a sad, broken girl.

Taking a shaky breath, I grabbed a paper towel, dried my face, and pushed the bathroom door open to step back out into the hall.

I bumped directly into a wall of muscle.

A pair of large, warm hands immediately gripped my waist to steady me. "Careful."

I looked up, the apology dying instantly on my tongue.

The man standing in front of me stole the very breath from my lungs. He was impossibly tall, dressed in a custom, grey shirt that screamed old money and power. But it was his face that made my heart stop entirely.

He looked like Eric.

The same sharp jawline, the same midnight-black hair. His features were older, sharper, and deeply hardened by time. He radiated an overwhelming, aura of dominance.

"I... I'm sorry," I stammered, trying to step back, but his hands didn't leave my waist.

He didn't move. He just stared down at me, his piercing silver eyes locked onto my face. The intensity in his gaze was so heavy it made my skin prickle with sudden heat.

"You're crying," he noted.

"I'm fine," I lied, my voice shaking. "Please let me go."

"Who did it?" he asked, completely ignoring my request. His thumbs slowly brushed against the silk fabric at my waist. "Who put those tears in your eyes?"

"You're a stranger. It's none of your business."

"I am a stranger," he agreed, stepping closer, backing me slowly against the bathroom door. "But the moment I saw you walk down this hall, I felt something I haven't felt in a very long time. Actually, I've never felt this."

"Felt what?" I whispered, my heart was suddenly beating fast. I couldn't look away from his silver eyes.

"A pull," he murmured, leaning his head down until his lips were inches from my ear. The scent of mint and dark chocolate surrounded me, intoxicating and wild. "I apologize. I know

we just met. I know I should walk away. But my wolf is clawing at my chest. You are like a magnet, little one. I can't keep my hands off you."

"You shouldn't," I breathed out, though I didn't push him away. The hollow, agonizing ache in my chest from Eric's rejection was suddenly... quiet. Overpowered by the sheer heat radiating from the man in front of me.

"Tell me to stop, and I will walk out of this bar," he whispered, his gaze dropping to my lips. "Tell me you don't feel this."

"I feel it," I admitted, a reckless surge of adrenaline washing over me. I had played by the rules my whole life. I gave my body, my health, and my heart to a boy who tossed me into the dirt. I wanted to forget. I wanted to feel something other than pain.

"Good," he growled.

He didn't hesitate anymore. His hand slid up into my hair, tilting my head back, and his lips met mine.

It was a complete, consuming takeover. His mouth moved against mine with a desperate, hungry heat that sent a jolt of pure electricity straight down my spine. I gasped into his mouth, my hands flying up to grip the lapels of his shirt.

Mate.

The word exploded in my mind, echoing through my blood. The bond snapped into place with the force of a hurricane. Second chance. The Moon Goddess had given me a second chance on the exact same night I lost my first.

He groaned deeply into the kiss, wrapping both arms around me and lifting me completely off the floor. I wrapped my legs around his waist on pure instinct.

"Mine," he snarled against my lips, his fangs grazing my lower lip. "You are mine." "Yes," I whimpered, burying my fingers in his dark hair.

He carried me out the back exit of the bar, the cold night air hitting my heated skin. I didn't care where we were going. I didn't care about anything except the burning connection binding my soul to his. He pushed me into the back of a tinted car, following me in and slamming the door shut.

The transition was a blur of heated skin, frantic breaths, and soft, desperate words. We ended up in a huge, opulent hotel penthouse miles away.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice rough with restraint as he laid me back against the luxurious silk sheets of the bed, his silver eyes blazing with adoration. "I will wait. If you need time, I will wait a thousand years for you."

"Don't wait," I pleaded, pulling him down to me. "Make me forget tonight. Claim me."

The gentleness vanished, replaced by the possessive, primal need of an Alpha claiming what was his. Every touch was electric, every kiss a fiery promise. When he finally sank his fangs into the crook of my neck, marking me as his own, a brilliant, blinding light erupted behind my eyelids. I belonged to him, and he belonged to me. Complete surrender.

I woke up slowly, my body aching in the most satisfying way possible. The curtains of the penthouse were drawn, letting in a sliver of bright morning sunlight.

I stretched my legs under the sheets, a soft smile playing on my lips. The agonizing heartbreak of yesterday felt like a distant nightmare. I reached across the bed, but the other side was empty. The sheets were still warm.

"Hello?" I called out softly, wrapping the duvet around my chest as I sat up.

"I'm out here, beautiful Luna," his deep voice called from the adjoining private terrace.

My heart fluttered at the title. I pushed myself out of bed, grabbing one of his large dress shirts from the floor and slipping it on. It smelled exactly like him—mint and power.

I walked barefoot across the plush carpet, stepping out onto the sun-drenched balcony.

He was standing by the railing, holding a cup of coffee, completely dressed in a fresh dark suit, looking even more intimidating and gorgeous in the daylight.

"Good morning," I smiled, stepping up beside him.

"Good morning," he replied, turning to kiss my forehead softly. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'm dreaming," I admitted, looking down at the intricate mate mark on my collarbone. "I don't even know your name."

A sleek black phone resting on the patio table began to buzz loudly interrupting me. I glanced down. The caller ID flashed across the screen.

Alpha Eric - Crimson Shadow Pack.

My blood ran completely cold. The breath froze in my throat. I stared at the flashing screen. He calmly picked up the phone, his eyes completely unreadable.

"Why is he calling you?" I whispered, as the resemblance finally clicked into place. The same jaw. The same hair.

"Because he is my nephew."

"And I am Lord Valerius. The true King of the Northern Coast." I stumbled backward, hitting the door.

Valerius. The exiled, ruthless uncle. The billionaire Lycan king that Eric and his father were really terrified of. The man who had vowed to return one day and tear the Crimson Shadow pack to the ground.

And I had just let him mark me.

The blood drained entirely from Calista’s face. She stumbled backward, her bare shoulders hitting the glass of the sliding patio. Her wide, terrified eyes darted from the flashing screen of the phone in my hand up to my face.

"You're his uncle," she breathed, the words barely making it past her lips. "You're Lord Valerius."

I couldn't step toward her. I forced my Lycan to sit down, forced the aura of my dominance to pull back so she could breathe. I hated the fear in her eyes. I despised it, especially because it was directed at me.

"I am," I answered.

"You knew," she choked out, her hands gripping the edges of my dress shirt.

"You knew who I was this whole time. This is a game. A sick, twisted game. Eric put you up to this, didn't he? To humiliate me?"

A growl tore its way out of my chest before I could stop it.

"Do not ever," I warned, taking one slow, step toward her, "associate my mark with that boy's pathetic games. I don't play games with what belongs to me, Calista. And Eric doesn't possess the spine to even look me in the eye, let alone ask me for a favor."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" she cried, a fresh tear spilling over her lashes.

"Because I didn't know you were the girl he rejected until you whispered your name in my ear in the dark," I told her honestly, stopping just inches from her trembling body. I raised a hand, gently brushing the tear from her cheek with my thumb. She flinched, but she didn't pull away. "By the time I pieced it together, my fangs were already sinking into your skin. And even if I had known before I kissed you... it wouldn't have changed a damn thing. You were always going to be mine."

She let out a broken sob, shaking her head. "I don't understand. Men like you... you don't look at girls like me."

"Men like me?" I scoffed quietly, tilting her chin up so she had to look into my silver eyes. "I have spent my entire life controlling every single aspect of my world. I don't make mistakes. I avoid anything that could even slightly tarnish my reputation. But the second I saw you

walking down that hallway, smelling like vanilla and sorrow, my self-control completely vanished."

It was the truth. It was almost embarrassing how fast I lost my mind over her.

My Lycan had been restless, pacing and snarling in the back of my mind ever since we arrived in this miserable territory. I had been with numerous women over the centuries. Beautiful, flawless, high-society women. But none of them had ever sparked even a fraction of the connection I felt when Calista crashed into my chest.

When I kissed her, my entire world tilted on its axis. The bond snapped so violently I felt it in my bones. Pure, unadulterated bliss.

"I'm not supposed to be here," I murmured, tracing the mate mark I had left on her collarbone. "I didn't even want to come to this territory."

"Then why did you?" she whispered.

"Because my Beta, Zelda, wouldn't stop nagging me," I muttered, recalling the irritating morning two days ago. Zelda had practically kicked my office door down, reminding me of the PR nightmare I would cause if I skipped my stepbrother's son's Binding Ceremony.

Eric's father had begged me to attend. The Crimson Shadow pack was merging some of their western borders, and the media was crawling all over the territory. As the CEO of the largest Lycan enterprise on the continent, my presence was required to legitimize the event. It was good for my business image, and more importantly, it was a chance to remind the northern packs exactly who held their leashes.

When my motorcade had rolled into the pack square yesterday, it was pathetic. The entire pack had dropped to their knees, exposing their necks in total submission. The she-wolves had practically thrown themselves under the tires of my car.

I became a rogue intentionally. I left this weak pack decades ago because I refused to bow to their idiotic politics. I built my wealth in the human world, operating in the shadows, until I was feared enough to become the undisputed King of the Northern Coast.

And out of all the desperate, power-hungry women in that crowd yesterday, my mate turned out to be the one girl who had been pushed into the dirt.

"Calista," I said softly, pulling her out of her spiraling thoughts. "Look at me." She blinked, her wet eyes meeting mine.

"I know you're hurting. I know that boy shattered your heart last night," I told her, my voice turning incredibly serious.

"But you are not a victim anymore. You are the Luna of the Northern Coast. You are my mate. And no one, especially not my pathetic excuse for a nephew, will ever disrespect you again."

"I can't go back there," she whispered, shaking her head frantically. "All my things are at the packhouse, but I don't care. I'll leave them. Please, Valerius, don't make me go back. They laughed at me. They all laughed at me."

The raw pain in her voice made my blood boil. My Lycan wanted to shift right here on the balcony and tear the entire Crimson Shadow pack to shreds.

"We are going back," I commanded gently, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her against my chest. "You are not going to run away. You are going to walk into that packhouse, and you are going to pack your bags while they watch. You are going to leave with your head held high."

"They'll mock me."

"They wouldn't dare" I growled, a dark smirk pulling at the corner of my mouth. "I want to see who is brave enough to speak to you that way."

The black Veldec Car idled smoothly down the dirt road leading to the Crimson Shadow packhouse.

Zelda was driving, his eyes occasionally flicking to the rearview mirror. He hadn't said a word when I walked out of the hotel with Calista holding my hand, but the slight smirk on my Beta's face told me he already knew exactly what was going on.

Calista sat rigidly beside me in the backseat. I had made a few phone calls while she showered. A private boutique had opened its doors early specifically for me, and I had a dress delivered directly to the penthouse.

She looked breathtaking.

The deep red fabric hugged every curve of her body perfectly. I had practically growled when she walked out of the bedroom wearing it.

"Pull up to the front," I ordered Zelda as the packhouse came into view. "Yes, Alpha," Zelda replied, steering the vehicle toward the main courtyard.

The post-ceremony brunch was in full swing. Dozens of high-ranking pack members, reporters, and elite guards were scattered across the lawn, holding champagne flutes and laughing under the morning sun.

"Calista," I said, turning to her. Her hands were shaking in her lap. I reached over, taking her soft hands in my large ones, forcing her to look at me. "I want you to get out first."

Her eyes widened in sheer panic. "What? No! Valerius, please—"

"Listen to me," I interrupted gently. "I am going to be right behind you. I will not let a single hair on your head be harmed. But I need you to walk onto that lawn alone for exactly thirty seconds."

"Why?" she breathed, terrified.

"Because I want to see their true faces," I told her. "I want to see exactly how they treat you when they think you have no protection. I need to know exactly whose lives I am going to ruin today."

She swallowed hard, searching my eyes. She was scared, but I could see the tiny spark of courage trying to ignite in her chest. She nodded slowly.

"Okay."

Zelda parked the car just outside the wrought gates. He stepped out and opened Calista's door.

I stayed in the tinted backseat, rolling down the window just an inch so I could hear everything.

Calista stepped out.

The moment her heels clicked onto the driveway, the chatter on the lawn began to die down. Heads turned. Drinks were lowered.

I watched the moment the pack recognized her. The shock rippled through the crowd, quickly followed by the disgusting, arrogant sneers I had fully expected.

"Well, well, well," a venomous voice rang out across the courtyard.

The crowd parted as Marie strutted forward, wearing a tight white dress that intentionally highlighted her small, pregnant stomach. Eric walked right beside her, his arm draped casually over her shoulder. He looked incredibly smug until his eyes landed on Calista's new dress. He frowned, clearly confused by the sheer wealth dripping off her.

"Look who decided to show her face," Marie mocked, stopping a few feet away from Calista. "I thought you ran off into the woods to cry like a little wounded pup."

"I just came to pack my things, Marie," Calista said, her voice shaking slightly. "Let me pass."

"Pack your things?" Eric scoffed, taking a step forward. He looked Calista up and down, a nasty smirk forming on his lips. "And go where? No pack is going to take in a heavy, pathetic, rejected wolf. Who bought you that dress, Calista? Did you steal from the pack funds before you left last night?"

My Lycan was roaring, clawing violently against my chest.

Patience, I told my wolf. Let them dig their own graves.

"I didn't steal anything," Calista said, holding her ground.

"You're a liar and a joke," Marie laughed, taking a glass of red wine from a passing waiter's tray. "You really think dressing up changes what you are? You're still the same fat pig who thought my mate would actually want her."

Without a second of hesitation, Marie threw her arm forward, splashing the entire glass of dark red wine directly onto Calista's dress.

Calista gasped, stumbling back a step as the red liquid dripped down the silk. The crowd erupted into laughter.

Eric chuckled, shaking his head. "Clean that up, Calista. Maybe if you get on your knees and scrub the courtyard, I'll let you stay in the servant's quarters."

That was it. The limit had been crossed. I kicked the door open.

The laughter in the courtyard died instantly.

Wolves gasped. Several of the weaker members immediately collapsed to their knees, clutching their throats as the air was sucked from their lungs.

Eric froze, the smug smile completely vanishing from his face as the color drained from his cheeks. Marie stumbled backward.

I reached out, wrapping an arm around Calista’s waist.

Eric's eyes widened his gaze dropping to the fresh mate mark resting prominently on Calista's collarbone.

I looked into my nephew's terrified eyes. "How dare you treat my mate that way"