Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Gina.

I hardly registered the gasp that rippled through the hall, or the sharp intake of breath as Alpha Ryan’s lips met mine. My mind was a riot of sensation his kiss was firm, commanding, and electric, as if he’d pressed a live wire to my skin. For one timeless moment, the world dissolved: no Brandon, no Ashley, no pack politics just the fierce heat of his mouth on mine.

Then came the shout, cutting through the hush like a blade.

“She is not your mate!”

I jerked back, breath coming in ragged gasps, my cheeks burning recognizing the voice, Across the glittering floor, Brandon stood, face twisted in fury and humiliation. His voice echoed off the marble pillars. Even Ashley turned, eyes narrowed in anger.

Alpha Ryan released me as if my skin had scorched him. He stepped back, his gaze ruthless and unblinking as it shifted to Brandon.

“How do you know that?” Ryan demanded, voice low but threaded with steel.

I swallowed hard. Everything slowed, the edges of reality blurring as Brandon’s chest heaved. His lips trembled, as though they couldn’t quite form the lie he’d promised so many. The pack’s council elders leaned forward in their seats, their whispers like the rustle of dry leaves.

Brandon cleared his throat, staring at the floor before he forced his eyes upward to meet Ryan’s. “Gina,” he said, his voice shaking, “is an omega. And a powerful alpha like you deserves a powerful mate.” He is a said. 

“She is your mate, right?” Ryan asked, voice deceptively gentle.

Ashley’s mouth opened, then closed. She glanced at Brandon, whose face was a mask of rage barely contained. He nodded curtly, his jaw clenching.

But I knew Brandon was not going to admit that I was his mate, not after fooling his whole pack that Ashley was his mate, so he just shook his head. 

I felt my pulse thunder. The thought that he  hecould look me in the eye and decree another woman his mate, even after everything, when we both knew the truth, made my bile rise in my throat. I swallowed it down, refusing to let him taste my fear.

“Then don’t worry about who my mate is,” Ryan said, his voice rising so that every corner of the hall strained to hear. “Gina is mine.”

It was a declaration that shook every candle flame, made the chandeliers tremble. The pack members leaned forward, eyes alight with astonishment and perhaps hope. Brandon’s face drained of color. I saw the vein at his temple pulse like a war drum. He bowed quickly, muttering, “My apologies, Alpha Ryan,” but the contempt in his glare was unmistakable.

Ryan didn’t deign to respond. He merely slid a hand around my waist gentle, possessive and began to lead me away. My legs felt like they would buckle, but I pressed my feet into the polished stone floor and followed him, every eye in the room burning into my back, into the two of us as we passed.

I saw my mother's face as we walked away she looked terrified, like she had seen a ghost or something. I really couldn't blame her. 

We reached the grand arched doorway that led to the garden courtyard. The night air drifted in cool, fragrant with blossoms. Under the pale glow of lanterns, Ryan paused and released my hand, turning to face me fully. The swirling possibilities of escape, of new beginnings, crackled between us like static.

I could see every line of his face now: the hard curve of his jaw, the faint silver scar tracing a path from cheekbone to ear, the storm gray of his eyes. He was merciless, yes in the stories I’d read, he’d wiped out entire rival packs for the slightest insult. I’d heard whispers of his wrath, rumors that even the bravest warriors trembled to hear his name.

And here he stood, inches from me, his hand still on my waist, his gaze unreadable.

I braced myself, heart drumming. “Alpha Ryan…” My voice wavered. “Do you… do you want to kill me?”

He blinked once, twice as if surprised by the question. A faint smile curved at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes stayed fierce and intent.

“I just want to talk to you, Gina, if I wanted to kill you, you would have been dead by now.”

The clarity in his words was disarming. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, I couldn’t think of anything but the warmth of his hand at my back, the steady cadence of his voice. Here, in the hush of the moonlit courtyard, it felt as if the weight of the pack had fallen away, leaving just the two of us.

He turned slightly, inclining his head toward a marble bench beneath an ancient oak. Lantern light speckled the stone, casting quivering shadows that danced around us. Every path I’d ever considered seemed to narrow to this single moment of decision.

But I held my ground. I met his gaze without blinking, letting the vulnerability in my eyes be my armor.

“You’re not going to ” I stopped myself. If I spoke the word “kill,” it might become a challenge.

He softened. His thumb brushed over my hip. “No.” His voice was a whisper now, but it carried the weight of steel. “I have no wish to harm you, Gina. Not tonight.”

The lantern light played over his profile, illuminating the sincere line of his mouth. “I have a proposition for you Gina”

My pulse slowed ever so slightly as his words sank in. The storm of emotions inside me stilled enough for me to think: He’s the devil, yes. But maybe he’s the devil with a promise of what I need most: protection, freedom from Brandon’s chains, a chance to live again on my own terms.

Still, fear kept its talons wrapped tight around my heart. “What proposition?”