CHAPTER 9

RONAN’S POV

I walked away from the hallway with my heart pounding and my mind spinning.

The conversation with Mira had left me feeling like I had been punched in my chest. The way she had looked at me, the way she had bitten her lip, and the way she had said “My mate should not know about this.” It was all I could think about. I could still smell her perfume on my clothes, and could still feel the heat of her body so close to mine.

I went back to my guest quarters and closed the door behind me. The room was dark and quiet, but my mind was in chaos. I paced back and forth, as I ran my hands through my hair, trying to shake the image of her face from my thoughts.

But I could not.

The memory of that night came flooding back — the feel of her hands on my skin, her breath on my neck, her voice in the dark. The way she had whispered things she probably did not remember. The way she had looked at me like I was the only thing in the room.

And now she was my friend’s mate.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and buried my face in my hands and groaned. What was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to stay here and pretend that nothing had happened? How was I supposed to look at Declan and act like I had not spent the night with his wife?

I knew I could not stay here.

I picked up my phone and called Silas.

“Come to my room,” I said. “Now.”

He arrived within minutes and closed the door behind him. Then he looked at me with concern. “What is going on?” He whispered anxiously.

I looked at him and clenched my jaw tight. “We are leaving in the morning. Prepared everything.”

Silas blinked. “Leaving? We just got here. What about the agreements with Moonfall Pack?”

“We can survive without the agreement,” I said, pacing back and forth. “Our pack is strong enough. Besides, the main reason I came here was to see my friend, not of any agreements.”

Silas studied me for a moment and said in a careful tone. “is this because of what happened?”

I did not answer directly, because I did not need to. The look on my face said everything.

“Don’t you think leaving in the morning will make Declan suspicious?” Silas asked, counting his words. “It is very strange. You just arrived and you are leaving the morning. Even if something happens in your pack, there are people there to take care of it. It will look like you are running from something.”

I looked at him sharply and snapped, “you think this situation is not serious?”

“I know what you are saying is true,” Silas said carefully. “But you should just think about this.”

I shook my head. “No, you think about this also. If along the line Declan happens to find out that…” I trailed off, not wanting to say the words out loud.

Silas studied me for a moment. Then he asked, “Does she want to talk? Does she want to spill the beans?”

“No,” I said and shook my head. “She is not willing to talk. She does not want to talk. And neither do I.”

Silas let out a breath of relief and stepped closer. “You see? You do not want to talk. She does not want to talk. The only two people who know about what happened that night are you and her. Neither of you is saying anything. So why are you so scared? Nobody is going to find out unless one of you speaks.”

I looked at him, and the truth of his words settled over me like a cold water, and I realized he was right. Nobody was saying anything, so I was scared for no reason.

But then I thought about her again. The way she had looked at me in that dark hallway. The way my body had responded to her presence. The way I still wanted her, even knowing she was my friend’s mate.

“Well, you are right,” I said quietly. “But I am attracted to her and I am ashamed to say that I cannot help it.”

Silas raised an eyebrow. “Whenever you look at her and your attraction starts to grow, think about Nova.”

I frowned and asked, “Nova? What do you mean?”

He smiled slightly and nudged my arm. “Think about the girl your family wants you to marry. The one you are not attracted to at all. Once you think about her, your mind will clear immediately. You will be reminded of why you should not be looking at anyone else.”

I stared at him in shock for moment. Then I bursted out laughing.

“You want me to think about Nova?” I said. “The girl I am not even attracted to?”

“Yes,” Silas said. “Because you are not attracted to her at all. So once you think about her, your desire will die immediately on the spot. It is the perfect cure.”

I shook my head and laughed again. “You are a clown.”

Silas grinned. “But I am a smart clown.”

I let out a breath and rubbed the back of my neck. The tension in my shoulders eased slightly, but the knot in my chest was still there.

“All right,” I said finally and relaxed my shoulders. “Let us just stay for a few days and see how it goes. But if it becomes too much, we are leaving. Understood?”

Silas nodded. “Understood.”

He turned to leave, then stopped at the door. “One more thing, Ronan.”

“What?”

“Try not to look at her too much. It will make things easier for the both of you.”

Then he walked out, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the ghost of her touch still lingering on my skin.

I sat down on the bed again and closed my eyes.

Try not to look at her.

“Yeah…easier said than done.”