Chapter 6: He Chose Me First

Azerbel couldn't stop staring at the lycan.

"How do you know my name?"

He didn't answer immediately.

His dark eyes remained fixed on her, calm and unreadable.

Up close, his presence was even more intimidating. He was taller and broader than most of the werewolves around them, but it wasn't only his size that made Azerbel uneasy.

It was the quiet power he carried.

People seemed to keep their distance from him without being told.

Azerbel swallowed.

"Who are you?"

The lycan pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.

Then he asked, "You're Azerbel?"

Her stomach tightened.

"Yes."

"The rejected mate of Hellfire's future Alpha?"

The words struck harder than she expected.

Rejected.

Was that what people were calling her now?

Azerbel lowered her eyes.

"I don't know what you've heard about me."

The lycan said nothing.

He simply watched her.

Azerbel became more uncomfortable with every passing second.

"Who are you?" she asked again.

This time, he answered.

"Genaro."

Azerbel froze.

Genaro.

The new Lycan Alpha.

The son of the Lycan Alpha Guerero had killed during the war.

Her fingers tightened around her glass.

Suddenly, everything about the man in front of her felt different.

He wasn't simply one of the visiting lycans.

He was their Alpha.

And his father had died because of Guerero.

Azerbel straightened.

"What do you want from me?"

Genaro continued looking at her.

He didn't answer.

That only made her more nervous.

Why had the Lycan Alpha come directly to her?

Before Azerbel could ask again, a familiar scent reached her.

Her entire body went still.

She knew that scent.

She turned.

Guerero.

For one painful second, everything else disappeared.

It had been a week since Azerbel had last faced him.

A week since he had told her about Ruby.

A week since she had learned about the pregnancy.

A week since Guerero had blamed his betrayal on loneliness.

Yet the moment their eyes met, the mate bond responded.

Azerbel hated it.

After everything he had done, some part of her still recognized him as hers.

"Azerbel."

Guerero approached slowly.

His voice was unusually soft.

"I'm glad you're here."

Azerbel stared at him.

How could he speak to her as if nothing had happened?

She looked away.

"I have to go."

"Azerbel, wait."

Guerero stepped closer.

"Please. Let's talk."

"No."

"Just give me a few minutes."

Azerbel shook her head.

She had already heard his excuses.

She didn't want to hear them again.

Not tonight.

She turned to leave.

Then a hand closed around hers.

Azerbel stopped.

She looked down.

Genaro was holding her hand.

Before she could react, he stood and gently pulled her to his side.

Azerbel looked up at him in surprise.

"What are you doing?"

Genaro didn't answer her.

His attention was on Guerero.

"I'll speak with her first."

His voice was calm.

"You can find another time."

Guerero's expression immediately hardened.

The softness he had used with Azerbel disappeared.

His eyes moved from Genaro's face to their joined hands.

"Let go of her."

Genaro didn't move.

Azerbel's pulse quickened.

There was history between these two men.

Guerero had killed Genaro's father during the war.

Now Genaro was standing between Guerero and his mate.

Or perhaps his former mate.

Azerbel didn't even know what she was anymore.

Guerero stepped forward.

"I said let her go."

Genaro's expression remained calm.

His fingers tightened slightly around Azerbel's hand.

Not enough to hurt.

Just enough to make it clear he wasn't obeying Guerero.

Azerbel looked between them.

She should pull her hand away.

Genaro was practically a stranger.

She didn't know why he had approached her.

She didn't know what he wanted.

And she certainly didn't need another man deciding things for her.

But before either Alpha could speak again, Azerbel finally found her voice.

"I can decide for myself."

Both men looked at her.

Azerbel turned to Guerero first.

"I already told you I don't want to talk."

His face changed.

"Azerbel..."

"No."

She didn't raise her voice.

She didn't need to.

"You don't get to ignore what I want just because you've decided you're ready to talk."

Guerero's jaw tightened.

Then Azerbel looked down at Genaro's hand around hers.

She could have pulled away.

For some reason, she didn't.

Not yet.

Genaro hadn't begged her to forgive him.

He hadn't offered excuses.

He hadn't asked her to understand something that had broken her heart.

She still didn't trust him.

She didn't even know why he was interested in speaking to her.

But standing beside him gave Azerbel something she hadn't felt since Guerero returned.

Space.

Guerero's eyes dropped to their hands again.

Something dark flashed across his face.

"Do you even know who he is?"

Azerbel looked at him.

"Yes."

That seemed to surprise him.

"Then you know what his father was."

"And I know what you did to me."

Silence fell between them.

Guerero stared at her.

For once, he had nothing to say.

Azerbel's heart was still beating too fast, but she didn't lower her eyes.

Guerero had spent a week making choices that affected her life without giving her any choice at all.

Tonight, she would make one for herself.

She turned toward Genaro.

"You said you wanted to speak to me."

Genaro studied her for a moment.

Then he nodded.

"I do."

"Then talk."

Guerero took another step forward.

"Azerbel."

She didn't turn around.

Genaro finally released her hand.

Strangely, Azerbel noticed the absence of his touch immediately.

That bothered her.

She barely knew this man.

He was a lycan.

The son of the Alpha Guerero had killed.

He might have every reason in the world to hate Hellfire.

And Azerbel still had no idea why he knew her name.

She should have wanted to get as far away from him as possible.

Instead, she sat back down.

Across from the Lycan Alpha.

And waited to hear what Genaro wanted from her.