“Thank you for coming,” Evan said, forcing a polite tone, though his attention never left Cassandra’s face.
Before Darius could respond, Elena, ever the stirrer, added with a slight smirk, “Your uncle just told me this lovely lady is his mate.”
Evan’s head snapped toward his mother, his lips parting as if he hadn’t heard right.
“What?” he said, the word flat and hollow, like he couldn’t believe it. Then his gaze turned back to Darius, eyebrows pulled tight with disbelief. “That’s not possible. This woman, she can’t be your mate, Uncle.”
Darius’s eyes darkened slightly, the air between them tightening.
“And why not?” Darius asked coolly. “Why can’t she be my mate?”
Evan’s mouth opened, closed, then opened again. He looked like he was searching for the right words. “Because she’s human
