“Come on,” he says, crossing the room and opening the door for me. “I think you’re really going to enjoy yourself.”

  Resigned, I follow him down the hall to the family wing. In the far northeast corner of the house, Jadick pushes open a door and motions me through.

  Glass lines two of the four walls with a coating that helps block the worst of the sun’s rays while trapping the warmth inside. Plants line the space with a scattering of chairs and loveseats in the center.

  Marilyn Clemons sits in a high-backed wicker armchair. A throne fit for the returning alpha queen. She looks up from a book laid open in her lap and offers us a tight smile.

  “Hello, Jadick,” she says.

  “Mother. This is Mac, my fiancé. I thought you two could get to know one another before the engagement is made public later today.”

  He doesn’t move to approach her, and I remember the cold disregard he showed her yesterday on the steps. Despite the fact that he’s brought her home, there’s no love in his heart for the woman who raised him.

  Still, she nods. And I see in her eyes what I feel swimming in my own.

  Neither of us has a choice, not really.

  “Very well,” she says.

  “I’ll come back for you when it’s time to prepare,” Jadick tells me.

  Then he leaves me alone with the matriarch of this horrible, disgusting family.

  Instead of continuing the conversation, Marilyn returns to her book.

  I take that as a sign not to bother with conversation, and instead of joining her in the sitting area, I wander the room, studying the plants. Some are herbs, but most are tropical exotics. Flowers in bright shades of pink and yellow growing from stems that sport thorns bigger than my thumbs.

  It’s disturbing and fascinating, this collection.

  I catch the sound of a book closing and then, “So. You are to marry my son.”

  Marilyn’s words startle me, and I whirl sharply, eyeing her over the top of the cactus I’ve skulked around. “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  Her blunt question speaks volumes about how she sees her own son. I step around the foliage and make my way over to where she sits. “Because I promised.”

  “I see.” She glances out the window, her thoughts seemingly a million miles away. “And what has he promised you in return?”

  I don’t answer.

  “Whatever it is, I hope it was worth it.”

  “You sound like you don’t approve.”

  “I had the distinct misfortune to be born into a cursed pack,” she says. “And instead of escape like I’d dreamed of all my life, I was made queen of that pack. Not a day went by that I didn’t wish for another fate. There was nothing I wouldn’t trade for another life.”

  “Is that why you left?” I ask. “Traded your children for a better life?”

  “Desperation makes bad men evil,” she says. “You’d be wise to remember my son is willing to do whatever it takes to win.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a trait you should be proud of.”

  She looks up and cocks her head at me. “If I asked your mother about you, wouldn’t she tell me you do the same?”

  I open my mouth, close it again.

  She’s not wrong.

  But it’s not the same either.

  “For me, winning means saving lives, not ending them,” I tell her.

  “We’re all the villain in someone’s story, darling.”

  Her words make me think of Levi. My chest threatens to crumble in on itself with the pain of what I’ve done to him.

  “I’m the villain in plenty of stories,” I tell her quietly.

  “Then you’re a perfect match for my son.”

  Marilyn and I don’t talk much after that. I spend the rest of the morning perusing the plants and trying to focus long enough to read one of Marilyn’s books. They’re all romance novels with meek little damsels for the heroine. I get only a few chapters into each one before the protagonist’s lack of wherewithal pisses me off. It’s not that I think she should save herself instead of letting her white knight do it for her. The very belief one can be saved at all is what has me tossing the book aside as far too unbelievable to enjoy.

  The room heats to stifling as the sun rises.

  A literal greenhouse and Jadick has left me here to cook.

  Finally, the lock clicks, and the door opens.

  Marilyn and I both look up as a gust of air conditioning sweeps into the room from the hall. My mother looks from Marilyn to me.

  “Mac,” she says. “It’s time.”

  In this moment, I hate her more than I ever thought possible.

  But refusing to get up won’t stop what’s coming.

  I push to my feet and walk away from Marilyn without a word. I have no idea what Jadick expected for our time together, but the whole interaction feels pointless to me. Sliding past my mother into the hall, I make sure to bump her shoulder. Hard. Her expression tightens, but she doesn’t comment.

  “I’ll return for you shortly,” she tells Marilyn then closes and locks the door behind me. “This way.”

  She leads me up the stairs to a second-floor bedroom. I slip inside behind her, feeling like a prisoner in my own body.

  “This is for you to wear,” she says and holds up a dress.

  It’s silver with shimmering fabric and spaghetti straps. The style couldn’t be farther from my tastes. But I steel myself against my reluctance and snatch it from her.

  “Mac,” my mother says, her voice already weary, and we haven’t even begun. “I know you’re upset, but you don’t have to take it out on me.”

  Of all the things she could have said, these words trigger me most.

  I whirl, glaring at her with a heat that could scorch the sun. “Why shouldn’t I take it out on you?” I demand. “When you’re the one who orchestrated this whole thing.”

  “What a ludicrous thing to say.”

  She huffs as if I’m ridiculous. Not to be taken seriously. It’s that dismissal that only infuriates me more.

  “It’s pretty insane,” I agree. “To think my own mother has helped trap me into this situation rather than help me avoid it.”

  “You’re hardly trapped,” she says, still acting as if I’m being dramatic.

  “What would you call it?” I shoot back.

  “Your future is much brighter than it was a few weeks ago,” she says.

  I stare at her, incredulous. “You call being blackmailed into marriage with a monster ‘brighter’?”

  “Being mated to Jadick ensures your survival,” she says, her temper finally showing through.

  “Except I’m not Jadick’s mate,” I remind her. “I’m Levi’s.”

  “And Levi is the number one enemy of the pack right now.”

  I stare at her. “You don’t care about anyone, do you? Especially me.”

  “I care about only you,” she says, her tone suddenly vicious with emphasis. She takes a step toward me, her voice low like a threat. “You are the only thing that matters to me, Mac. And every single day of my life, I am fighting to preserve you. Your future here in this pack, on this Earth—sometimes happiness must be weighed against survival. I thought you would have learned that lesson by now.”

  “Rejection is protection?” I say with disgust, “Is that it?”

  She blinks and says nothing.

  “You aren’t doing me a favor by pushing Jadick toward this.” She opens her mouth, a denial in her eyes, but I cut her off. “I heard you. That first night in Green Hills. When you thought I was sleeping. You told him to do whatever it took, and then you stepped aside, abandoning me to his trap. Knowing what it would take for me to accept his offer. You’re just as much a monster as he is. Except worse, because I thought I could trust you.”

  The pain in my chest is a literal stab as I say the last few words.

  “You don’t know anything,” she hisses, surprising me with her viciousness.

  “I know you sold me out. Used me as the payment to save my own life.”

  “I had to consider all options,” she snaps, her voice rising right alongside mine.

  “So you sold me off to Jadick? That was the option you chose?”

  “That deal I made with Jadick saved your life. Without it, you would have died.”

  “You don’t know that—”

  “I do!” Her outburst is driven by something I can’t name. “You were dying, Mac. You have been for a while. When Levi rejected you, you never did the same to him. Did you ever stop to think how that affected your wolf? Have you learned nothing from the ways of our pack?”

  I blink, surprised by her point.

  “A rejection isn’t complete unless it’s done on both sides. But you never did reject him, did you? And so your wolf has hung suspended from that half-bond for years. And you’ve wasted away slowly. Sick with grief. And then you saw Levi again, and it all came back. He still loves you. His wolf still wants you. And the mate-bond is still possible because you left it open.”

  Shock washes through me, and I take a step back, trying to absorb what she’s saying. It makes sense. I know all of this. Have seen it firsthand. But I was so caught up in my own feelings—the grief, the hate, the loss… I didn’t even see it.

  “You would have died from losing Levi,” she says quietly. “I did what I had to do in order to save you.”

  “How does selling me to Jadick save me?” I demand.

  “Forcing you to reject Levi saves you.”

  “Well, your plan won’t work. I’m not rejecting him.”

  “Not yet,” she says, and I realize where this is going as she says, “When you kiss Jadick and announce you’re taking him as your mate to the entire pack… that’s the rejection.”

  I stare at her in horror.

  “That’s why I left. He asked me to hunt down Marilyn. So we could use her against Kari to give him the upper hand in the fight. With your life hanging in the balance, I couldn’t refuse him. But I never wanted you to go through this alone.”

  “I’ve always been alone,” I say coldly.

  She flinches but otherwise ignores my words. “Before you even think about refusing to go through with it,” she goes on, “know that Jadick is counting on that. He’s already given the order to kill Levi if you so much as hesitate out there.”

  Of course he has. And I know for a fact she’ll follow that order too.

  The way she’s orchestrated it all. How stupid I’ve been. And now, it’s too late.

  My mother sighs, either in defeat or resignation. She looks at the dress I’m still clutching in my closed fist. Then she looks back at me, and the sadness I see in her expression startles me into silence.

  “I’m sorry, Mac. I know the pain of rejecting one’s mate,” she says quietly. “And while I don’t know if it makes us stronger, I know you’ll survive it. That’s what matters to me, Mac. You being alive. Without that, your chances of finding happiness don’t even matter.”

  She swallows hard and shakes her head.

  “Maybe you’ll understand someday; maybe you won’t,” she goes on. “But I stand by my actions. I made the best choice I could, given the circumstances. And I won’t ever apologize for saving your life.”

  I don’t know what to say to that. She wants a “thank you” or something like it, but I can’t summon gratitude. Not now. Maybe someday, like she said.

  For today, I let her walk out and close the door, leaving me alone. If I want to find a way out of this future she’s forced on me, I’ll have to do it without her help. But first, I have to kiss the enemy.

  CHAPTER 22

  Still trembling, I put on the dress. My mother’s words echo inside the room long after she’s gone. I’ve gone cold from the reality of it all. Wishing I had more time to figure out another way. But I’m out of time. And there’s no more waiting.

  The knock comes all too soon.

  “Come in,” I call, but the knob is already turning before the words are even out. I look up from my own reflection in the long mirror, expecting my mother again. But it’s Jadick who opens the door and steps inside the bedroom. He looks distinguished in a black suit and slick hair. Almost respectable. Or honest. But the look in his eyes is unmistakably dangerous. He’s a snake—and he’s starving for a meal.

  “You look delectable,” he says, eyeing me.

  “This dress isn’t my taste,” I say, turning back to the mirror with a frown.

  He strides up behind me, so close I can smell his cologne. It’s overpowering, not unlike his personality.

  “It’s perfect,” he says simply, eyeing the scandalously low-cut bodice and wire-thin straps. There’s not much holding this dress up. I feel naked. But I think that’s his whole idea.

  His hands land on my shoulders, and I stiffen. He ignores my reaction, smiling at me from over my shoulder. “Ready?”

  “My hair,” I begin, but he waves me off.

  “Leave it down. I like it wild.” He winks at me and then turns away. A good thing considering the face I make at his innuendo.

  At the door, he stops and turns back expectantly.

  I look back at him, wondering if he knows my acceptance of him will be a rejection of Levi. But of course he does. He’s counting on it. I take a deep breath and force my feet to carry me toward him. I’m not overly concerned about integrity or keeping my word. But I’m not stupid enough to think he’ll let Levi—or even me—walk out of this house should I try to change my mind now.

  There’s no going back.

  This will ensure my survival—and Levi’s—but it’s going to hurt like hell. Good thing I’m no stranger to pain.

  The house is empty as we move through it. The only sound is our footsteps and the rustling of my awful dress as we make our way down the stairs and through the grand foyer. Near the door, my eyes catch on a statue that wasn’t there before.

  It’s a wolf nearly as tall as I am. Made of alabaster all except for its onyx eyes that seem to watch me as I pass by. It’s a gross representation of wealth—and the exact sort of thing Jadick would pick out.

  “Just think, all of this will be yours soon,” he says, misreading my interest in the thing.

  He’s lying, though. Jadick might marry me, but he’ll never for a second let me think that any of his fortune is mine. My future is looking a lot like Marilyn’s past, and it’s terrifying me.

  The sun is high overhead when we emerge onto the steps of the alpha house. My eyes land on the crowd that’s gathered. Jades and Black Moon wolves standing shoulder to shoulder for the crowning of a new king.

  Heat warms my bared arms and flushes my cheeks. I force my chin high as I walk beside Jadick, my arm tucked into his. The crowd’s eyes are lasers burning into my skin. Near the front of the crowd, I spot Frankie. A few rows back are Lorenz and Nely. Beside them, Grey and Tripp stare back at me. Tripp’s expression is frozen in horror. He’s finally realized what I’m about to do.

  I don’t see my mother. Or Levi. I exhale, relieved I won’t have to look at them while I do this.

  Then a side door opens, and both of them stroll out. It’s the same exact spot where I was forced to leave Levi behind. The same place I stood when Kari shot me. A rush of emotions well within me. At the same time, I feel the weight of Jadick’s gaze burning into my face though I refuse to look. I force the emotion back, refusing to let it show on my face. I have no doubt Jadick planned their arrival this way just to prove a point.

  From across the distance, Levi’s eyes meet mine. Then they flick to where my arm is tucked through Jadick’s.

  Levi falters.

  I watch as the color drains from his face. His eyes narrow, and shock gives way to fury. He takes a step toward us, but my mother stops him. She leans in, whispering something into his ear. His expression tightens, his jaw working back and forth.

  I can’t take it anymore; I look away, my body flushing with fiery heat. Shame burns me worse than the summer sunshine ever could.

  “Come,” Jadick says, pulling me toward the crowd.

  I have no choice but to go.

  “Welcome,” he calls out, and the pack quiets. Already, the alpha power behind his voice is enough to make him heard without needing a microphone. “Yesterday, you all watched as I defeated my sister and became your alpha. Today, we welcome back the brothers and sisters who once left us in search of a better future. The Jades, who stand among you, fought bravely against my sister’s rule. They are to be rewarded and treated with respect. Some of you have called me to condemn their behavior as traitorous. But I refuse to punish them for defecting when, in the end, they brought me back to my rightful place. We are all one pack now, one people. And I will not allow a single division among us.”

  I catch sight of the Jades’ expression and realize something’s wrong. Lorenz and Nely look uncomfortable, but Frankie looks outraged.

  “By now, you’ve all been notified of this. In fact, if you’re standing here, it’s because you’ve chosen—wisely, I might add—to pledge your pack loyalty to me, your true alpha.”

  It takes me a minute to realize what he means. The Jades. He’s converted them all back to the pack. He’s made them swear themselves to him. Worse, he’s stolen Levi’s pack out from under him.

  My blood goes cold as I realize it means Levi really is all alone now. My hopes for making him the alpha are crushed to dust. The only thing I have left is the mate law. Any moment now, Jadick will announce the law is void. That anyone can choose anyone.

  That will have to be enough.

  It will at least be something.

  “To show you I mean peace between us all,” Jadick goes on, “I want to present to you Mackenzie Quinn.”

  The crowd’s attention shifts to me, and I force myself to put aside my panic. To think. Murmurs go up, speculation and judgment. Jadick cuts through their humming like a blade falling across my throat.

  “It’s my pleasure to announce to you that Mac has agreed to be my wife.”

  The murmurs cease.

  Shock is a scent in the air.

  The Jades look confused then suspicious. Tripp’s face crumples in disappointment, which makes my eyes burn with unshed tears. I blink them back, refusing to fall apart while on display.