Fated to My Best Friend's Father

er my own Alpha publicly shattered me, I was now Fated Mate to my best friend's powerful, enigmatic f

bond, sealed by crimson on his sheets, far surpassed the political alliance I sought after Zane's bru

ther assaulted me. My truth-Fated Mates-shattered her. Zane reappeared, desperate, as Kaelen'

e unlocked its ancient magic, confirming our bond. As the sacred cavern glowed, and Kaelen off

pte

Thor

g closer. Pine, yes, but steeped in warmth. And cold mountain air, the kind

rossing high above. I was in a bed, vast and swallowed by shadows, tangl

che through my body, a deep soreness in my muscles that was different from

ll. Floor-to-ceiling windows revealed a pre-dawn sky, a bruised purple bleeding into grey over a forest

just below my jaw, and I flinched. It was tender, swollen. A faint, electric hum thrummed

g force. The scrape of his jaw against my cheek. A low growl that wasn't a threat, but a promise. The shattering, ove

save my people from Zane's retribution, to give a rejected, packless she-wolf a place to

to the stark white mattress below. A dark stain, crimson and undeniable, marred the perfect surface.

breath anymore. She was... purring. A low, contented rumble that I ha

he same dark marble and steel as the bedroom. I braced my hands on th

s and teeth marks on the pale skin of my neck. It wasn't just a claim; it was an anchor, and I could feel its weight

e Ryder, standing before me on the ceremonial dais of the Ashford pack, the entire pack watching. His face was a mask of cold duty,

rd a perfectly crafted blade. "I, Zane Ryder, Alpha of

ance, stretching thin. Tearing. It wasn't a clean break. It was a violent rip, a shredding of my very soul that

I was here. That public humiliation was why I'd agreed to this alliance with Kaelen.

the mark on my neck or the thrum

igging into the bruised flesh as if I could somehow wash the mark away, erase the feeling of his teeth sinking into me. The water couldn't drown out the echo of Zane's voice, a cold, final pronouncement: *I reject