Anthony’s heart pounded with a clarity he could no longer ignore. The charade of their pretend marriage—a masquerade that had once seemed a convenient shelter—now felt hollow in the face of the feelings blooming within him. He wanted more than pretense, more than whispers and shadows. He wanted Kathy, truly and wholly, to be his mate in every sense.
Yet a tremor of doubt lingered. He feared that the depths of his longing might frighten her, that his sudden honesty might send her fleeing from the fragile thing they had built together. Still, the desire to mark a new beginning, to ask her to be his mate in the eyes of the world and in the quiet corners of their hearts, eclipsed his hesitation.
Gathering his courage, Anthony gently turned Kathy to face him. Wordlessly, he dropped to one kne
