AMARIS
The world went still.
Everything else kept moving in normal speed, ti doing its thing, but the three of us stood frozen like soone had hit pause on our specific corner of reality. standing there in my bathrobe with Rowan’s hands still warm on my waist even though he had already pulled away. Nia in the doorway with murder written all over her face. Rowan adjusting his collar like that would sohow make this look less incriminating.
He gave one last glance before walking past Nia and out of my room without a word, his footsteps echoing down the hallway until they faded completely.
The door clicked shut and just like that, the world started to revolve again.
I let out a breath I had not realized I was holding and looked at Nia.
"I know what you are going to say," I started, my hands twisting together nervously, "but it is not what you think."
Nia crossed her arms and her expression did not soften even slightly. "You’re damn right it isn’t. That is what you said about Ryker and then I caught you two in the garden."
She took a step into the room. "Now Rowan? Really Amaris, are you on a self-sabotaging mission?"
I sighed and sank onto my bed because standing required energy I did not have and my legs were still sore from last night’s activities that I desperately did not want to think about.
The last thing I needed right now was Nia judging for poor life choices when I was already doing an excellent job of that myself.
Nia moved around the bed to start picking up the scattered sheets from the floor, probably thinking she was being helpful by cleaning up my ss. Then she spotted the bloodstains and froze.
Her head whipped around to stare at . "Please don’t tell this is what I think it is."
Panic shot through and I forced my face into what I hoped was a convincing expression of confusion. "I got my monthly period last night."
The lie flowed out seamlessly because that was who I was now, a dirty liar but it was better than the truth which was that I had enthusiastically given my virginity to a man who walked out the second he realized fucking was pointless.
Nia exhaled in visible relief and pressed her hand to her chest. "Oh thank the moon goddess. Else that would have been the worst mistake of your life."
I knew I should not ask, knew that hearing her opinion would just confirm how completely fucked I was, but so masochistic part of needed to know exactly how bad this situation looked from an outside perspective.
"How so?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual.
Nia sat down on the bed next to and stared at like I had just asked the dumbest question in the history of questions. "That is the dumbest thing soone could ever do. Are you serious right now?"
"I am not doing it," I defended quickly. "I just want to know hypothetically."
She gave a look that clearly said she was not buying what I was selling but she did not call out on it, just shifted to face fully.
"For one," Nia started, holding up a finger, "Rowan is engaged to that bitch Lila. And I promise you, Lila will not let you take her man without a full blown war."
"Not that I want to," I mumbled.
"Right, right," Nia continued like she had not heard . "And then there is Alpha Corvin. He is respected and feared all over the realm. He would kill you first and kill his son second before letting you two bring disgrace to his pack."
She paused. "Don’t you see how he treats Ryker? To the point where we all know Ryker will never be Alpha no matter how qualified he is?"
My chest tightened because she was right and I knew she was right and everything she was saying just confird that I had made the worst possible choice last night.
Nia grabbed my hands and held them tight enough that I could feel the sincerity in her grip. "Amaris, I know you are of higher status than but if there is anything going on between you and Ryker or Rowan, end it. It will end with bodies. And yours will be part of it. I promise."
If only it was that easy.
The thought echoed through my head on repeat because Nia did not understand, could not understand, that this was not so simple infatuation I could just decide to get over. There was a bond pulling toward them, a supernatural magnet and undeniable force that hit every nerve ending in my body whenever they were close.
I could not just turn that off.
Neither could I make my wolf stop whimpering whenever Ryker or Rowan were nearby or stop my body from responding to their touch. I could not control the way my heart raced when they looked at right before they ripped about by the sensation and longing that burns between us.
But I could not tell Nia that. I have grown to like Nia within the couple of days I have been in the pack but I still did not know her that well and let’s add to the complications that she was sleeping with Cole.
So I smiled nervously, my hands shaking slightly in hers. "Don’t be silly. There is nothing going on. I am not stupid."
The lie didn’t flow as easy as the last ti but Nia seed to buy it because she smiled and squeezed my hands before letting go.
"Okay good," she said, standing up. "Now let’s get you dressed. Alpha Corvin has summoned everyone to the board room."
I looked up at her. "Board room?"
"Yes, board room," Nia confird, already moving toward my wardrobe to pick out appropriate clothing. "For a eting."
"When you say everyone," I started carefully, "do you an the whole pack?"
She pulled out a simple navy dress and examined it critically. "No, I an essential people. I am sure it is to discuss Victor."
"Oh," I said, the na triggering a mory. "Victor."
I rember there was one other mystery I had totally forgotten about and that was Victor.
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