Never Show Your Face!
Jared's POV.
Hearing her voice call my name sent a surge of emotions coursing through me. I felt a mix of giddiness and longing, an impulse to smile, turn around, and embrace her, to keep her close by my side.
But the harsh reality was that she wasn't meant to be mine, not in the way I yearned for.
As much as I wanted to express my joy, I couldn't. She was staunchly opposed to my rule as alpha, and this fact cast a dark shadow over any positive emotions I might have felt.
My smile remained suppressed, my desires unfulfilled, because our paths were destined to diverge.
Memories of the mating ceremony flooded my mind at that moment. I vividly remembered the overpowering stench of deceit when her foster father had stood near me during that pivotal event.
It ha
