“Bitch, there is no way we ran out on our second chance mate,” Cherry said, voice ringing in my head with all the fire and zero tact.
“No, no, no,” I muttered, pacing the tiny staff room behind the kitchens. My hands were shaking. “This can’t be happening, Cherry. I just got rejected. One week ago. I haven’t even healed, god help me. And now I have a new mate? Already?”
Not just any mate.
A rich-as-hell, terrifyingly powerful Alpha.
Of the Nightfang Pack.
And of course, because fate is a twisted, cruel little bitch—he’s sexy. Not just hot. Not just attractive. The kind of sexy that ruins lives. I’d barely glimpsed him during our short meeting, and my brain short-circuited. Broad shoulders, inked forearms, storm-colored eyes that looked like they’d seen too much. Hair black as midnight and slightly messy, like he didn’t care, he could make women combust just by existing.
“I want to ride him,” Cherry moaned dramatically.
“Cherry. The fuck. Keep it together.”
“Excuse me for having eyes and a libido. We got rejected, and the Moon Goddess gave us another shot, and you want to play it cool?”
“Cool?” I hissed under my breath, tugging the hem of my too-tight work shirt down over my hips. “Cherry, I’m not playing anything. I’m surviving. What is the guarantee he won’t reject us, too?”
She went silent.
I knew what that meant.
There was no guarantee.
“I doubt he even felt the bond,” I whispered.
" I’m not doing this again. Not putting my heart on a damn chopping block for another arrogant bastard who sees nothing but my body and decides I’m not Luna material because I’m not a size two with a family pedigree.”
Cherry growled, a low, possessive sound. “He’s not Ronan.”
“No. He’s worse. He’s better.”
I dragged in a breath. “We ignore it. That’s the plan. We feel nothing. We pretend nothing. No matter how sexy he looks with those tattoos and those stupid arms and those ridiculous raven-black locks and those sexy plump-looking lips”
“Bitch,” Cherry breathed, dazed. “You’re so far gone already.”
“Damn it,” I whispered. “Curse this bond. Curse this whole fated mate mess.”
And just like that, the kitchen door swung open.
I froze.
And in walked the reason my pulse was on life support.
Alpha Alex Nightfang.
He didn’t see me at first. Maybe because I quickly hid behind a cabinet, I'm surprised the workers didn't notice me, but I guess its a talent I get ignored easily He was talking to someone, his voice low, effortless. Then his gaze lifted—and locked on mine. he definitely saw me
A flicker.
Nothing more.
But something in the air shifted. Like the whole damn room inhaled and forgot how to breathe.
My heart stuttered.
Cherry practically purred. “Oh, he felt that.”
I looked away first.
Because I knew.
This wasn’t over.
“Bitch, there is no way we ran out on our second chance mate,” Cherry said, voice ringing in my head with all the fire and zero tact.“No, no, no,” I muttered, pacing the tiny staff room behind the kitchens. My hands were shaking. “This can’t be happening, Cherry. I just got rejected. One week ago. I haven’t even healed, god help me. And now I have a new mate? Already?”Not just any mate.A rich-as-hell, terrifyingly powerful Alpha.Of the Nightfang Pack.And of course, because fate is a twisted, cruel little bitch—he’s sexy. Not just hot. Not just attractive. The kind of sexy that ruins lives. I’d barely glimpsed him during our short meeting, and my brain short-circuited. Broad shoulders, inked forearms, storm-colored eyes that looked like they’d seen too much. Hair black as midnight and slightly messy, like he didn’t care, he could make women combust just by existing.“I want to ride him,” Cherry moaned dramatically.“Cherry. The fuck. Keep it together.”“Excuse me for having eyes a
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warning:there is an attempted rape scene so if this triggers you please skipThat’s how I ended up here — lost in the forest, empty-handed, surviving off bitter fruits and sheer will. No food. No water. No plan. Only instinct.The bullying, the endless fights... all those years had unknowingly trained me for this: survival.It’s been four brutal days since I crossed Shadowmoor territory, and every second I’ve felt like prey.The moon hung low behind thick clouds, offering little light, and the forest pulsed with unseen dangers. Every crack of a twig, every gust of wind sounded like a threat. My heart beat so violently it drowned out my own thoughts.I should have known better. A lone female in these woods was asking for trouble.I heard the voice before I saw him."Well, well, well," he drawled, voice dripping with malice. "What’s a pretty thing like you doing all alone out here?"My stomach twisted. Every nerve in my body screamed: RUN.I pivoted and sprinted, muscles screaming in pr
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I used to think fate was a sweet little bitch with flowers in her hair.Now?Now I know she’s a drunk mess in six-inch heels who laughs her ass off while you’re tripping over your own damn life.Especially people like me.I tightened the scarf around my neck as the cool evening breeze of Shadowmoor Forest kissed my skin, sharp and biting. My boots scuffed the dirt, each step heavier than the last.Maybe it was heartbreak weighing me down.Or maybe it was the four brownies I’d inhaled this afternoon. (Fine. Five. Let’s not split hairs.)But let's rewind, shall we?Earlier this morning, I woke up buzzing like I'd downed three Red Bulls. My heart was practically bouncing off the walls of my chest. It was the mating ceremony tonight — the night. The night I’d finally find my mate. The night I’d stop being the awkward, curvy lone wolf in a town full of Barbie wannabes."Jesus, calm down, Penelope," Cherry, my wolf, groaned inside my head. "I'm excited too, but if you break a bone from all