INICIAR SESIÓNRAINA"Soon?" I repeated, turning to look at him with raised eyebrows. "You're still on that?"Elias started the car, that insufferable smirk still plastered on his face. "Oh, I'm very much still on that.""You're delusional," I muttered, settling back into my seat and staring out the window as he pulled out of the hospital parking lot."And you're in denial," he shot back smoothly.I refused to respond. Refused to give him the satisfaction. Instead, I watched the buildings blur past, trying to process everything that had just happened.I'd actually done it. I'd blackmailed a doctor, forged a pregnancy test, and walked out of there with everyone believing I was carrying Elias's child. I let out a small laugh before I could stop it."What's funny?" Elias asked, glancing at me."Nothing," I said, shaking my head. "Just… I can't believe that actually worked.""You can't believe it?" He sounded genuinely amused. "You're the one who made it work. That was some next-level manipulation back
RAINAI smiled.Funny enough, I didn't really have a plan. Not a concrete one, anyway. But I was good at reading people, understanding what made them tick, what scared them, what they wanted to keep hidden.And I was about to use that against her.Doctor Amara was still watching me, waiting for me to explain myself, to lay out whatever elaborate scheme I'd supposedly walked in here with. But I'd already seen enough.The way that male doctor had looked at her when he left the room earlier, the soft, lingering touch of his hand on hers as he passed. And then there was her phone.She'd dropped it just before preparing the blood sample, the screen flashing to life for barely a second. But that second was all I needed to see a man in an army uniform as her wallpaper. It was her husband, no doubt.So yeah. I had an upper hand here.I shifted my head slightly, letting the silence stretch just long enough to make her uncomfortable. Then I spoke calmly. "You have a beautiful family.”Her hand
RAINA The hospital came into view, and I drew in a deep breath, my fingers tightening around the strap of my bag. Please let this work. That was the only thought in my head as Elias parked the car. My heart was already racing, thudding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. I hadn’t said much since we left the house, and neither had he. I knew what he was thinking. He was waiting, watching, curious to see what kind of stunt I believed could get me out of this without being caught. I stepped out of the car, smoothing the oversized shirt down my thighs, and he joined me a second later. Without a word, we walked side by side into the hospital. Immediately we entered I saw them. Zane, his parents, and her. Elara. She stood close to him, her hand tucked comfortably around his arm. My steps slowed for half a second before I forced myself forward. My heart began to pound harder as we approached them, every beat echoing in my ears. Elias greeted his father first, then Zane’s mum. But
ELIASI won’t lie. I was surprised.Not because she said no, women said that all the time, but because she said it with conviction. With her arms crossed, her chin lifted, eyes sharp like she’d already drawn a line in her head and dared me to cross it.Hard to get. I understood the game.Still… it amused me. We didn’t really have the luxury of choices right now, but I wasn’t going to argue. I wanted to see what she thought she had planned, what clever little backup story she believed could outsmart a medical test.So I kept my mouth shut for now.I turned toward my wardrobe, scanning through neatly arranged clothes. My eyes moved over the hangers automatically, already calculating how the fabric would fall on her smaller frame.I pulled out a pair of black trousers and a loosed top and turned, holding them up. “You can wear this.”She stared for half a second, then rolled her eyes. “Oh, wow,” she said dryly. “You should’ve warned me if you wanted all eyes on me while I walk into the
RAINAThe door clicked shut, and for a full ten seconds, I didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.My whole body felt… hot. Like my bones weren’t sitting in the right places.What the hell just happened?I pressed a hand to my chest, expecting the familiar sting… the sharp, tearing pain that always followed stress or panic.But nothing, and that almost scared me more.“No,” I whispered to myself, pushing away from the wall. “No. You’re not reacting to him. You’re not.”But my wolf was humming.She paced just under my skin, restless, alert, focused entirely on the direction he walked away. Her energy pulsed through my veins. “I don’t want him,” I muttered.My wolf disagreed so loudly my knees went weak.I dragged in a shaky breath and stumbled toward the bed- big, soft, covered in dark sheets that smelled faintly like him. I froze the moment the scent hit me.My wolf pushed forward so hard I had to grip the bedpost just to stay upright.“Stop,” I whispered. “Please stop. We’re not doing this.”B
ELIASThis woman…This impossible, loud-mouthed, stubborn woman was really getting on my nerves.I clenched my jaw once, just once, because if I did it twice, I might actually grab her, pin her to the wall, and silence that sharp little mouth with mine. And not for the noble reasons.She didn’t get it yet. She didn’t understand what she was, what we were or how close she was to snapping the last thread of my patience.But I forced myself to stay calm. I inhaled once, dragged my eyes over her flushed, furious face, and exhaled. She wasn’t ready yet, but she would be.I always got what I wanted eventually.A slow smirk tugged at my lips as I folded my arms. “Alright,” I murmured, my voice dropping to a lazy, taunting rumble. “If you have other options… by all means, Raina. Tell me.”I stepped closer until she had to tilt her chin up to look at me. Her heartbeat faltered, her wolf stirred again, brushing against mine like a spark waiting to catch flame. “And another thing,” I said softly







