#46

"You’re lying," Emily whispered, her voice barely audible in the tense silence that hung between them.

No matter how hard she tried to process what Lucian, or Argus, had just told her, it just didn't sit well with her. Shaking her head in disbelief, she slowly withdrew her hand from his, walked past him, and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Look, I know you don’t like me, and I've come to accept that." She forced the words out, even though they felt like daggers slicing through her. "But this is going too far. If you want to have an affair with Scarlett, then fine, I won't stop you. But just to be fair, let me reject the mate bond between us so I can do whatever I want too."

"I'm not lying to you," Lucian protested, his eyes searching hers as he followed her. "I swear it's the truth."

"No, that's exactly what you're doing right now, Lucian," Emily retorted, her gaze hardening. "You think I'm a fool, don't you?"

Lucian knelt before her, his eyes pleading with her to believe him. Emily felt