I barely had my senses when Elliot leaned in so close that I could feel the heat of his breath brushing against my skin, the Alpha energy rolling off him in heavy waves. My wolf instincts stirred uneasily inside me, caught between anger and the unwanted pull of our mate bond. His ocean-dark eyes searched mine with a kind of desperation I had never seen before.
"I was wrong, Anastasia," he said in a low voice meant only for me. "Can you forgive me? I don't want Aliona. I want you."
My throat tightened instantly. "You're lying," I bit out through clenched teeth, even though my voice shook in defiance.
His hands came up then, cradling my face with a gentleness that contradicted his dominant Alpha aura. He didn't force me—he never did when it truly mattered—but the pressure of his touch still made my heartbeat stutter. "I'm not lying," he said firmly. "Not about this."
