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

in my chest to claw her way

be another way,” I say–lower now, breathless. “There

has a door–you just have to look

try harder, twist the lock till

twisting and I still

edge of the desk and I’ve realized I’m becoming so weak. If a she–wolf won’t

hard to be

“Jess-”

“Don’t,” 1 hissed.

rack, metal clanging. I round on both of them now, wild–eyed, barely containing the shift lashing

me!” I snap, voice cracked and feral.

the rack, teeth

you want us to do?” he growls. “Watch

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Chapter 82

jagged howl ripped from somewhere

are glowing now. Riot’s are pitch–black. They both look like they’re about to

this time Riot stops him–arm across his chest, voice

“Back off.”

back off,” Grayson spits. “You

is so

the ice. “The next full moon

In a week?

too soon to find a solution

it’ll ruin me. The shift will eat

nothing left but instinct

Alpha

like I’ve run a marathon through fire. My vision blurs. My wolf is scraping her

week,” I manage. “We have days–if that. And I’m not sitting in

to come to your senses and volunteer to play

They both go still.

you saying?” Riot

follow the Alpha’s

brow furrows. “There is no third option. You either

“That’s his

the kind of heat I need–clarity laced with panic. My mind whirs. Options.

if we fake

them both

mating bond—then we give him one. Not the real thing. Not yet. Just enough to satisfy whatever inspection or ritual or twisted tradition

frowns. Riot looks at

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Chapter 82

want to fake a mating

Something that

the full

eyes flick between us. Calculating. “And which one of us are you planning to fake

My throat tightens.

Fuck.

gotten

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

in his eyes I know

Hunger.

can’t just toss a coin and fake a bond. It’s blood.

that,” I snap, louder than I mean to. “But if we don’t do something, I’m going to lose control. I can

closer. “Then

toward him slowly.

Fine. I’ll do it. We go through the

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

jaw ticks. “I don’t want

a step, chest heaving. “You want this.

bites. “I didn’t ask for it,

croak. My voice breaks.

They freeze,

for me to

can’t-“My voice cracks. “I can’t wait a

The room tilts.

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Chapter 82

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

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