ATTICUS
“Watch your mouth, Ben,” I warned, voice low. “Don’t talk about my mate like that.”
Ben’s lips curled into a mocking smirk as he rose from where he was lounging, tossing the ball from hand to hand. He closed the distance between us slowly, his gaze fixed on me with that familiar, taunting glint.
“Mate?” he echoed, eyebrows raised. “She’s your fake mate, Atticus. Or did you forget?”
I felt my jaw tighten, the restraint slipping.
“Doesn’t matter what you think. She’s mine.” I growled back.
He took a step closer, a challenge in his gaze as he leaned in, his voice low and taunting.
“Why so tense, brother?” He bobbed his head to the side, his tone mocking. “She’s just a stand-in, right? A decoy. Surely, you’re not getting all worked up over her?”
I glared at him, heat flari
