_Leon's POV_

The bag was half open. Just enough for me to catch the edge of a silver phone case when she reached for a handkerchief.

Shadow's voice sharpened. Take the chance.

I kept my face blank as another servant came forward with wine. Glasses were refilled. Conversation continued. My mother and Talia's mother had moved on to discussing wedding fabrics. Talia was laughing softly and describing the sort of embroidery she liked.

I lifted my own glass slowly. Then I made my move.

I turned just slightly, as if reaching for the bread plate. At the same time, I let my wrist twist. The wine tipped from the glass in a sudden red spill and splashed straight across the front of Talia's pale dress.

She gasped and jumped up from her chair. "Oh, what have you done?"

The room went still.

I immediately set down the glass and rose too. "Talia, I am very sorry, sweetheart. It slipped from my hand."

She stared down at the stain in horror. "Leon, this dress..."

"I know," I said quickly. "I am sorry."

My mother stood at once. "Oh dear. That is a terrible stain."

Talia pressed a hand to the ruined fabric. She was clearly upset. For a second, I almost believed the accident myself.

Then I called toward the doorway. "Mira."

A servant stepped forward at once. "Yes?"

"Please accompany Talia and help her change. There must be spare clothes somewhere that fit her. Help her."

My mother nodded quickly. "Yes, let her go with Mira. I have some beautiful new dresses that I have never worn and since Talia and I are nearly the same size, they should fit."

Talia's mother gave a relieved breath. "That would be wonderful."

Talia still looked distressed but she forced a smile. "Thank you."

My mother squeezed her hand. "Go, dear. It will be fixed."

Mira stepped closer. "This way, miss."

Talia turned to me before leaving. "I will not be long."

I gave her an apologetic look. "Take your time."

She left with Mira and my mother followed partway. She was still fussing gently about the stain and possible dresses. The remaining people at the table quickly fell back into conversation. My father and Talia's father began discussing guest accommodation and wine selection for the ceremony.

No one looked at me.

Slowly and carefully, I let my hand drop beneath the table. I reached for the red bag beside Talia's chair. My fingers slipped inside. I found the phone at once.

In one smooth motion, I slid it into my pocket. My pulse was hammering now. Still no one noticed.

A few more seconds passed. Then I pushed back my chair. "Excuse me," I said evenly. "I need to use the washroom."

My father barely glanced up. "Go ahead."

I walked out at a controlled pace. I did not hurry until I had turned down the corridor and reached the private washroom near the west wing. The moment I was inside, I locked the door.

Then I pulled out the phone. For one awful second, disappointment hit me.

It was locked.

"Damn it," I whispered.

The screen waited silently. I frowned, then typed Talia's birth date. The phone unlocked.

A humorless breath escaped me. "You should have used something else."

Shadow snorted darkly. She was never as clever as she wanted people to think.

I moved quickly. First I checked the call logs. They were blank. Everything had been deleted.

That made my suspicion even worse. Then I opened her messages. There were normal threads at first. Messages from her mother. Friends. Dressmakers. One group chat about decorations.

Then I saw it. A contact saved under one simple name. Doc.

My fingers went cold. I opened the thread. And the world seemed to tilt beneath me. Message after message stared back at me.

Talia had written first. I need something that will make me very sick, but not kill me.

A reply came below. That is risky.

Then another message from her. I do not care. I need it to look like someone poisoned me.

My breath stopped. There were more.

I need symptoms fast....It must be convincing....No one can know.

The replies were careful but clear. I can help but this is dangerous. You must follow the amount exactly. You are taking a serious risk.

Then came Talia's answer. It will be worth it.

My hand tightened hard around the phone. Below that were later messages.

You did your part well. The money has been sent.

Then the reply that made my blood run cold.

Received. If you need my services again, feel free to contact me.

For a second I could not move. I just stared at the screen.

Shadow was raging inside me now. She framed Anya. She did all of it. She lied. She lied to us.

Images hit me one after another. Anya in chains. Anya crying. Anya begging me to believe her. My own voice condemning her. My own orders sending her away.

A sick wave rolled through my stomach. I had done this. I had let it happen.

My chest hurt so badly that I had to brace one hand against the sink. "You were telling the truth," I whispered to the empty room, though Anya was not there to hear me.

I forced myself to focus. I needed to save the contact number.

Quickly I copied the number into my own phone contacts under a false name. My fingers moved fast but inside I was shaking with fury.

Then I erased the recent view and locked Talia's phone again. I checked the time. She might return any second now.

I shoved the phone back into my pocket, unlocked the washroom door and quickly walked out. Every step back toward the dining hall felt unreal. My mind was burning. My blood was boiling. Yet my face had to stay calm.

When I returned, I felt relieved that Talia was still not back. My father was talking about guest quarters. Talia's father was answering. Neither of them paid me any attention as I resumed my seat.

Under the table, I slipped the phone back into the red bag exactly where it had been. A minute later footsteps approached. I looked up.

Talia entered wearing one of my mother's deep green dresses. It fit her almost perfectly. My mother followed beside her. She was smiling proudly at the success of the change.

"There," my mother said happily. "Much better."

Talia gave a soft laugh and sat down again. "Thank you. It is beautiful."

Then she turned to me with a teasing smile. "You owe me for ruining the other one."

I looked at her face....at her smile. At the woman who had almost died by her own design and then pointed the finger at Anya.

I made myself smile back. "I know. I will make it up to you."

The rest of the dinner stretched on like some twisted performance. They continued discussing the wedding. Talia continued sounding excited and eager. She talked about flowers, music and silk banners as if her world was full of nothing but happy dreams.

All I could think was that every word from her mouth was poison.

At last the evening ended. I stood beside my parents and watched Talia and her family leave. She hugged my mother. She smiled at my father. She touched my arm once and said softly, "Do not stay up too late."

I nodded. Then she was gone.

The moment the doors closed behind them, I turned and walked away without another word. I pulled out my phone and called the number I had saved.

It rang twice. Then a man answered.

"Doctor Mike here, how can I help you?"

My face went hard. "Are you Doctor Mike Johnson?" I asked.

"Yes," the man replied. "Who is this?"

I stepped into the darkness of the corridor, my grip tightening on the phone.

"There is an emergency, Doctor."

His voice sharpened at once. "What kind of emergency?"

I looked out into the night beyond the window. My heart was pounding with rage, with guilt and with something close to dread.

"I am coming to see you right now," I said coldly. "Then I will explain."

Before he could answer, I ended the call. The silence around me felt heavy.

Mike Johnson.

The same doctor who had treated Talia. The same doctor who had stood over her bed and spoken of poison with grave concern. The same doctor who had helped send Anya to hell.

Now I knew.

Talia had done this to herself.

She had planned it.

She had chosen the doctor.

She had paid him.

And I had believed her.

Shadow's voice came low and savage inside me. Go.

I started walking. Because now there was only one thing left in my mind.

I needed the full truth.

And after that, I needed to rescue Anya.

_Leon's POV_

I drove through the night with my jaw locked so hard it hurt.

The road blurred under the headlights but my mind was sharper than it had ever been. Every breath I took felt too hot. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles had turned white.

Beside all of that rage was something worse; guilt. It sat in my chest like a stone. It was heavy, cold and impossible to ignore.

Shadow was pacing violently inside me. His growls rolled through my mind like thunder. I told you something was wrong.

"I know," I said out loud, my voice rough.

You should have listened sooner.

My throat tightened. "I know."

That was the worst part. He was right.

I should have listened to the unease inside me. I should have paid more attention to the way Talia had acted. I should have looked harder when Anya cried and begged me to believe her. I should have stopped everything before it ever reached that point.

But I had not. I had failed. And Anya had paid the price.

The doctor's house stood near the edge of the pack lands, far from the main road. It was a large stone house with a private clinic attached to one side. A single light was still on upstairs. Another light glowed near the entrance.

I parked hard and stepped out before the engine had even fully settled. The night air hit my face but it did nothing to cool me down. I walked to the front door and knocked once. Then again, louder.

A few moments later, footsteps approached. The door opened and Doctor Mike Johnson stood there in a plain shirt and dark trousers. His hair was slightly untidy as if he had been preparing to sleep. His expression was annoyed at first but the moment he saw me, his face changed.

"Leon?" he said in surprise. "What happened? Is something wrong?"

His tone sharpened immediately. "Is it Talia? Is she unwell again?"

I looked straight into his eyes. "There is an emergency."

The doctor stepped aside at once. "Come in."

I entered the house. The smell of medicine hit me immediately. It was the same smell that had filled Talia's room after her so-called poisoning. That memory alone made my anger rise again.

He closed the door behind me and turned back to face me.

"What is it?" he asked. "What kind of emergency?"

I did not sit. I stood in the middle of the room, still wearing my coat, still carrying the cold night with me. The doctor looked confused by the silence that stretched between us.

Then I said, very carefully, "Yes. There is an emergency. I need to ask you some important questions and I hope that you will tell me the truth."

The doctor blinked. For a moment he looked intrigued more than alarmed. He gestured toward the chairs near his desk. "Questions? About what?"

I did not move.

He slowly lowered his hand. "Leon?"

I stared at him and said, "Talia paid you a large sum of money to lie to everyone, did she not?"

The color in his face changed at once.

I took one step closer. "She asked you to give her something that would make it seem as if she had been poisoned. She staged the whole thing to frame Anya."

His eyes widened. For one heartbeat, the truth flashed clearly across his face. Then he pulled himself together and frowned. "I do not know what you are talking about."

My hands curled at my sides.

He went on quickly, "When Talia came in, she was barely breathing. I helped stabilize her and place her on a ventilator. Then I administered medicine to counter the poison and improve her condition. That is all."

Every word made my blood burn hotter.

Shadow snarled inside me. Liar.

I stepped forward again. "Stop."

The doctor straightened. "Leon, I think you are upset, and perhaps...."

"Stop lying."

My voice cracked through the room like a whip.

He froze.

I did not even remember crossing the distance between us. One second he was standing near the desk and the next my hand was fisted in his shirt collar, dragging him forward.

His eyes went wide with shock. "Leon!"

I slammed him back against the wall.

"Do not lie to me," I said through clenched teeth. "I know that you worked with Talia to frame Anya. I saw the messages. I saw every filthy word. I saw her asking you for something that would make her look poisoned. I saw you warning her that it was dangerous. I saw her paying you for your services."

The doctor's face went pale.

Still he said, "You are mistaken. You must have misunderstood...."

I tightened my grip on his collar until his voice cut off. "No," I said coldly. "I understood perfectly."

His breathing turned uneven. I leaned closer and lowered my voice.

"You have two choices right now. You cooperate with me and I will not take this to my father. But if you keep lying, the Alpha will know everything. He will know that you conspired against an innocent woman. He will know that your false testimony helped send her away to suffer for a crime she did not commit. And when he finds out, he will punish you severely."

The doctor swallowed hard. I let the threat settle between us before I continued.

"It is better for you to tell me the truth quietly."

The room was silent. I could hear his breathing. I could hear my own heartbeat. I could hear the clock ticking somewhere behind me.

The doctor looked away first. His shoulders sagged. For several seconds he said nothing. He looked like a man whose strength had just left him all at once.

Finally, in a low voice, he said, "Let go of me first."

I stared at him.

Shadow growled. Do not trust him.

"I am not asking you to trust me," the doctor said weakly, as if he could somehow feel the wolf's rage through me. "I am asking you to let me breathe."

Slowly, I loosened my grip and stepped back, though I was still ready to grab him again if he tried anything.

He adjusted his collar with shaking hands and avoided looking directly at me. Then he said, "Talia contacted me before the incident."

The words hit me like a blade even though I had already known. Still, hearing him say it out loud made everything feel even more real.

He swallowed and continued, "She asked me to give her a substance that would make it look as if she had been poisoned. I told her it was risky. I warned her that it could harm her body if the antidote was given too late. I told her I wanted nothing to do with it."

I said nothing.

He gave a humorless laugh full of shame. "But she was very determined. She kept insisting. Then she offered me a large amount of money. More money than I had ever been offered for anything."

His voice dropped lower. "And I accepted."

My stomach turned.

The doctor rubbed his face with one trembling hand. "I had to lie to everyone and say that she had been poisoned. But in reality, it was I who gave her the substance that put her into that condition. Later, I gave her the antidote to reverse the effects."

He looked at me then and there was fear in his eyes now....real fear.

"That is all I know," he said quickly. "Please. Leave me alone. I do not know anything else."

For a second I could not speak. My chest felt too tight. My heart was pounding so hard that it hurt.

Talia had done it. She had truly done it.

She had poisoned herself. She had paid a doctor. She had lied to everyone. She had watched Anya be blamed. She had watched Anya cry and beg. She had watched Anya be dragged away.

And she had said nothing.

Shadow was furious now. She deserves punishment.

"She does," I said under my breath.

The doctor looked at me uncertainly. "What?"

I ignored the question and stared at him with disgust. "What you did was wrong. Do you understand that? Anya was falsely accused because of you. She is the victim in all of this."

The doctor's face crumpled. "I know," he whispered. "I know. I am sorry. I was blinded by greed. I let the money tempt me. Please forgive me."

A bitter laugh almost escaped me. "Forgive you?" I repeated.

He flinched.

"You should ask Anya for forgiveness. Not me."

He lowered his head at once. "You are right."

I kept looking at him and for a moment I thought about dragging him straight to my father that instant. I thought about exposing everything. I thought about making sure he paid for what he had done.

But I also knew one thing with complete certainty.

Anya mattered more.

Every second I wasted here was another second she remained far from me. She was surely feeling hurt and alone and believing that no one would come for her.

"Since you told me the truth, I will not denounce you to my father tonight. But do not mistake that for mercy. If I need you again, you will answer me. If you run, if you hide or if you warn Talia, I will know."

The doctor nodded quickly. "I understand."

"I hope you do." I turned away from him and strode toward the door.

Behind me, he said in a trembling voice, "Leon."

I stopped but did not look back.

"I truly am sorry."

I let out a slow breath and said, "That will not undo what you did."

Then I walked out. The cold night wrapped around me again. I stood beside my car for a long moment, staring into the darkness.

So it was true. Talia had stooped that low just to hurt Anya. No. Not just hurt her....but destroy her.

She wanted Anya disgraced and completely broken. She wanted her out of the way so badly that she had put her own life at risk to make it happen.

My hands shook with fury. "She is insane," I muttered.

Shadow's voice came out low and dangerous. She is cruel.

"Yes."

Cruel and selfish.

"Yes."

And you almost married her.

That hit me harder than anything else. I closed my eyes. I had almost married her.

I had stood before my family and agreed to bind my future to hers. I had looked at her smiling face and thought I knew the woman standing beside me. I did not know that she was cruel and jealous. But this... this was beyond jealousy. This was wickedness.

This was poison in human form.

"How did I not see it?" I whispered.

Shadow answered with brutal honesty. Because you were blind.

I swallowed hard. I had been blindly in love.

And because of my mistake, Anya had suffered. Her face rose in my mind at once. Her tear-filled eyes. Her pale skin. Her trembling lips when she tried to defend herself. The pain in her voice when she told me she had done nothing.

Then came the memory that cut deepest of all. Her looking at me as if I was the one person who might still save her.

And I had failed.

"What must she think of me now?" I asked.

Shadow was silent for a moment before he answered. That depends on what you do next.

I drew in a sharp breath. He was right. Regret meant nothing by itself. There was only one thing left for me to do.

I had to act.

Alpha Jacob had taken her away. At the time I had let it happen because I thought it was a legal matter tied to the poison.

Now I knew better. A dangerous growl rose in my throat. "I am bringing her back."

Shadow responded at once. Yes.

I got into the car and started the engine. I would go to the Fireblood pack and bring Anya home.

No matter what it took.

_Anya's POV_

A soft knock woke me before sunrise.

For a few seconds, I stayed under the blanket, confused and heavy with sleep. The room was still dark. Then the knock came again.

"Anya," Alpha Jacob's voice said through the door. "Get up."

My heart gave a strange jump inside my chest.

It was too early for anyone to be knocking on my door. For one foolish second, I thought I was still in Silvercrest and that Talia or one of the maids had come to drag me out for work before dawn. The fear rose fast out of old habit but it faded just as quickly when I heard his voice again.

"Do not make me come in there and pull the blankets off you."

Maya stirred inside me at once.

She sounded amused. He would enjoy that too much.

Heat rushed to my face. I pushed the blanket aside, got out of bed and opened the door a little.

Alpha Jacob was standing outside already dressed for training. He looked far too awake for that hour. His black shirt fit close across his chest and shoulders and his dark hair looked slightly damp.

His eyes moved over me once. "You look terrified."

"I look half asleep."

"That too."

I frowned. "Why are you here?"

"To wake you."

"That part I understood."

A low laugh left him. "Get dressed. You are training with me."

I blinked. "Now?"

"Yes. Now."

"It is still dark."

"It will not be dark for long." His gaze stayed on mine. "Move, little wolf."

That name again.

It should not have affected me the way it did. It was only a teasing nickname. Still, warmth slid through me before I could stop it.

Maya noticed at once. You like when he calls you that.

No, I do not.

Liar.

I tightened my hold on the door. "Give me a few minutes."

Alpha Jacob leaned one shoulder against the wall. "I will wait."

My eyes widened. "Outside?"

He lifted one brow. "Would you rather I wait inside?"

"No."

"Then outside it is."

I shut the door before he could see how flustered I was.

I washed my face quickly, changed into the training clothes that had been left for me and tied my hair back. When I opened the door again, Alpha Jacob straightened at once. His gaze moved over me more slowly this time.

"You took long enough," he said.

"I was asleep."

"You still look sleepy."

"I am."

"Good. Then maybe you will complain less."

I stared at him. "You woke me before sunrise just to annoy me?"

"No. I woke you before sunrise to train you. Annoying you is simply a bonus."

I rolled my eyes. "You are impossible."

"And yet here you are."

A small smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it. He noticed right away.

Then he turned. "Come on."

I followed him through the quiet halls of the pack house. A few servants were already awake. They bowed when Alpha Jacob passed and looked at me with curiosity.

When we stepped outside, the cold morning air brushed my skin. The sky was still dark blue but pale silver stretched low along the horizon.

As we crossed the yard, I heard the sounds of training ahead. There were voices, footsteps and wood striking wood.

"The training grounds," I said.

Alpha Jacob nodded.

The field came into view as we got closer. Warriors were already there, moving through drills in pairs and groups. I slowed, expecting the Alpha to lead me there.

Instead, he walked straight past. I frowned and quickened my steps. "Alpha Jacob."

He kept going. "Alpha."

"What?"

"We passed it."

"I noticed."

I stared at him. "Then where are we going?"

"To train."

I pointed behind us. "That is the training ground."

"For them," he said.

I blinked. "For them?"

He glanced sideways at me. "Do you want to stand in the middle of that field while half my warriors watch you fall on your face?"

"I would not fall on my face."

His brow rose.

I lifted my chin. "Probably."

A low laugh escaped him. "That is what I thought."

"I can train in front of people."

"I know you can." His voice softened a little. "But you do not have to."

That answer took the fight out of me. He led me down a narrow path lined with trees. At the end of it was a smaller training space hidden from view. The ground was flat and worn from use. Wooden posts stood to one side and a rack of practice weapons rested nearby.

I looked around slowly. "This is yours."

His mouth curved. "Sharp this morning, are we?"

"You brought me to your private training space."

"And?"

"And now I am wondering if I should be worried."

He stepped a little closer. "Are you?"

I swallowed. "Maybe."

"Good. A little fear can be useful in training."

Maya sounded amused.

He likes making you nervous.

Yes, I noticed.

He picked up two wooden training sticks and tossed one at me without warning. I barely caught it.

His expression turned smug. "See? You definitely needed private lessons."

I glared at him. "You could have warned me."

"Where would be the fun in that?"

Then he faced me properly. "Stand."

"I am standing."

"Properly."

Before I could answer, he stepped behind me. My breath caught. His hand settled lightly on my shoulder. The other closed around my wrist.

"Relax," he said.

I tried but failed.

His thumb brushed the inside of my wrist as he adjusted my grip. Then his hand moved to my waist and turned me slightly.

A shiver ran through me.

"Your body is too tense," he murmured.

"That is because you are standing too close."

A quiet laugh touched my ear. "I have not even started yet."

Heat flooded my face.

He stepped away and moved in front of me again. "Show me your stance."

I did.

He made a face.

I scowled. "Do not do that."

"Do what?"

"Look at me like I am hopeless."

"You are not hopeless. Only very untrained."

"That was not kind."

"I was not trying to be kind."

"No. You were trying to be annoying."

"That comes naturally."

In spite of myself, I laughed.

Training started with simple things. Foot placement. Balance. Grip. Breathing. The Alpha was patient but not gentle. If I made a mistake, he corrected it at once. If I rushed, he made me do it again.

"Again," he said.

"I already did it five times."

"And badly, all five times."

"That is rude."

"That is accurate."

We moved into blocks and dodges after that. Alpha Jacob came at me with controlled strikes, fast enough that I had to pay attention but never hard enough to hurt me.

"Watch my shoulders," he said. "Not the weapon."

"I am watching."

"No. You are panicking."

"I am not panicking."

"You are absolutely panicking."

"I am not."

He struck again. I blocked too late and stumbled back.

"That," he said calmly, "was panic."

Later, he stepped behind me again and adjusted my shoulders with both hands. My body went stiff at once.

He felt it. "Anya."

"What?"

"You keep locking up whenever I touch you."

I stared straight ahead. "That is your fault."

"My fault?"

"You always do it without warning."

"Would you like me to announce it first?" His voice dropped lower. "Anya, I am about to put my hand on your waist now. Prepare yourself."

I turned my head enough to glare at him. "That is not funny."

"It is a little funny."

Then he placed his hand on my waist anyway and shifted my balance. My pulse jumped so hard that I was sure he could feel it.

"Breathe," he said near my ear.

I inhaled sharply. "Not like that."

"Then how?"

His mouth curved. "Like you want to survive."

When he stepped away, he picked up his own training stick. "Now we fight."

I tightened my grip. "I thought we were already fighting."

"No. So far I have only been trying to stop you from embarrassing yourself."

I narrowed my eyes. "You are very lucky I cannot beat you yet."

"Yet?"

I lifted my chin. "I like to be ambitious."

His smile deepened. "Good. Show me."

We moved around each other slowly at first. Then he struck. I blocked. He turned. I stepped back. He came again. He was faster than me but careful too. He pushed just enough to force me to improve.

I missed a step and nearly slipped. He caught my forearm at once.

"Careful."

"I was careful."

"You were distracted."

"By what?"

His eyes dropped briefly to my mouth before lifting to mine again. "You tell me."

My breath caught.

We kept going but my focus was worse now. Every time he stepped close, I noticed. Then, he turned my weak strike aside, caught my wrist and pulled me forward before I could recover.

My body collided lightly with his. For one second, neither of us moved.

His hand was wrapped around my wrist. My free hand had landed against his chest. I could feel the hard line of muscle beneath his shirt.

Alpha Jacob looked down at me. "You are distracted."

Maybe it was the training. Maybe it was the early hour. Maybe it was the way he kept watching me like he knew exactly what he was doing.

Whatever it was, the answer slipped out before I could stop it.

"Maybe you are distracting."

His brows lifted slightly. Then his mouth curved. "Well, you are being honest."

I should have stepped back. Instead, I stayed where I was. He loosened his hold but he did not let me go.

"Alpha Jacob," I said and my voice came out softer than I wanted.

"Yes?"

"You are not fighting fairly."

"I never said I would."

With his free hand, he tipped my chin up. That simple touch stole what little breath I had left.

Everything around us seemed to fade. There was only him. Only the heat of his body. Only the look in his eyes.

"You are trembling," he said.

"I am tired."

He gave me a look that said he did not believe me at all.

Maya's voice turned soft. You want him to kiss you.

No.

Liar.

Alpha Jacob's hand slid from my chin to the side of my neck. His touch was light and far too intimate.

"If I kiss you," he said quietly, "will you run from me again?"

My breath caught. He was giving me a choice. I knew that. I should have stepped back. I should have said something safe. Instead, I stood there looking at him, feeling my heart beat harder and harder.

"I do not know," I whispered.

His eyes darkened. "That," he murmured, "sounds like permission."

Before I could answer, he kissed me. His lips were warm and firm. My mind went blank.

Then he kissed me a little deeper and something inside me gave way. I kissed him back.

A low sound rose in his throat. His other hand moved to my waist and pulled me closer. The wooden stick slipped from my fingers and landed in the dirt but I barely noticed. My hands lifted on their own and caught the front of his shirt.

Maya sounded unbearably pleased. Finally.

I should have been horrified. I should have pushed him away. I should have remembered every reason this was dangerous.

But I did not stop him. I did not pull away. Instead, I leaned closer. When he finally pulled back, I was breathing too fast.

His forehead almost touched mine. His hand was still warm on my waist and his eyes were fixed on my face.

I stared at him, too stunned to speak.

I had kissed him back. Not only that. I had liked it.

The realization struck so suddenly that my whole body went still.

Oh Goddess.

I had enjoyed kissing Alpha Jacob.