The night air was thicker this time, pushing against my skin as I made my way back into the main hall, my heart pounding against my chest. The words of Killian echoed in my mind, an ominous drumbeat that wouldn’t go away.
A public ceremony. To mark me.
Lucian had orchestrated this without my knowledge. He’d made up his mind, as he always did, without checking in with me, without asking my permission. The sound of it, of being his in front of a crowd, in front of all of the pack, sent a shudder up my spine.
And the worst part?
I wasn’t so sure I hated the idea.
I hated him, or I wanted to hate him. But the yearning, fierce magnetism between us was inescapable. The way his eyes darkened whenever I was near, the way his voice went low on the slightest dip when he spoke my name, the way I
