Chapter 82

JESSICA

“NO.”

“I said no,” I snapped, lower now–shaking, wild–eyed, barely holding my skin on. “Don’t you fucking dare, Grayson.”

He’s fucking insane.

They both are.

There’s no way I’m letting this happen. No fucking way.

The Alpha wants them to fight–Riot and Grayson–and the winner takes me.

Takes me.As a mate. As a Luna.

That’s the condition before anyone leaves this cabin.

My hands grip the edge of the desk so tight my knuckles burn white. I won’t look at either of them. Won’t give this madness oxygen.

Grayson’s lounging against the steel rack, arms crossed, eyes sharp. “This was your fucking plan,” he says, snapping his head toward Riot. “You set this up.”

Riot doesn’t move. He’s halfway to me–still, tense–but I feel him like heat. Pressure. A pull that cuts deeper than

blood.

His wolf wants me.

Mine wants him back.

But I won’t let him do this.

“She’s my fucking mate,” Riot growls. “Not yours, asshole,”

I don’t look at either of them.

If I look, I’ll lunge.

If I lunge, I shift—and if I shift, someone’s not walking out of here.

My breath’s ragged. Chest heaving, Claws prickling beneath my fingertips like they’re begging to tear skin. I’m overheating. Spiking. My wolf is pacing, snarling, throwing herself at the walls of me–fight, take, bite, own.

My breath’s ragged. I’m trying to calm it. I’m trying. Trying to think.

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The Alpha said what he said. Either they fight, or none of us leave this fucking cabin. I don’t even know if that was a

threat or a joke or-

“She’s my mate,” Riot says suddenly, rough. “She’s mine.”

Across the room, Grayson laughs–short, mean. “You gonna fuck her right here then? Drag her to the floor and

mark her like an animal?”

A tear–a rip–like my ribs have been kicked out from the inside. My breath punches out of me, and I scream.

“SHUT UP!”

“Shut the fuck up!”

They blink. Just for a second.

“Let me make this real fucking clear,” I snap, pointing now–at Riot, then at Grayson. “If either of you touches the

other, I swear to god I’ll lose my shit so hard the Alpha will wish he never got involved. You hear me?”

Neither of them speaks.

I can still feel the shift crawling under my skin. My muscles are twitching. My wolf is pacing like she wants to break

my chest to claw her way

another way,” I say–lower now,

say there’s always a solution. Every problem has a door–you just have to look

try harder, twist the lock till

twisting and twisting and

almost give. I catch myself on the edge of the desk and I’ve realized I’m becoming so weak. If a she–wolf won’t be

moon goddess must be laughing at me. I’ve work so hard

“Jess-”

“Don’t,” 1 hissed.

him. Hard. Grayson stumbles back into the steel rack, metal clanging. I

cracked and

pushes off the

do you want us to do?” he growls. “Watch you

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Chapter 82

A raw, jagged howl ripped from somewhere deep and

now. Riot’s are pitch–black. They

takes a step forward, and this time Riot stops

“Back off.”

off,” Grayson spits. “You caused

is so

Riot who broke the ice.

In a week?

to find a

shift will eat me alive.

left but instinct

the Alpha

I’ve run a marathon through fire. My vision blurs.

manage. “We have days–if that. And I’m

your senses and volunteer to play monster for

They both go still.

you saying?” Riot

saying we cheat,” I snap. “We don’t follow the Alpha’s rules. We find a third

You either reject the

“That’s his binary. Not

I’m burning up, but it’s the kind of heat I need–clarity laced with panic. My mind

we

them

pant. “If the Alpha wants proof of a mating bond—then we give him one. Not the real thing. Not yet.

frowns. Riot looks at me like

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Chapter 82

want to fake a

out. Something that doesn’t end in a death match

on the full

between us. Calculating. “And which one of us are you

My throat tightens.

Fuck.

hadn’t gotten that

stare at both of them–Grayson, jaw locked like he’s already bracing for war. Riot, too still, too quiet,

his eyes I know too

Hunger.

game,” Grayson says, low. “You can’t just toss a coin and fake a bond. It’s blood. It’s teeth. It’s the

to lose control. I can

closer. “Then

toward

do it. We go through the motions–just enough to convince

mind?” Grayson roars, putting himself between us. “She’s mine. You don’t get to touch her. You don’t get to say

want to touch her, I

step, chest heaving. “You

mate,” Riot bites. “I didn’t ask for it, I didn’t chase it, but it’s

1 croak. My

They freeze,

long enough for me

wait

The room tilts.

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Chapter 82

moves first. “Jess, don’t–don’t say that. Don’t even

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