of the Teton mountains. I stood in the corner of the grand ballroom, a ghost at the feast, watching Elara and Julian. She w

cing it on his wrist with a tender smile. Then, she bid a million on a privat

could hear it from the c

She's spending a fortu

That's him, the rancher

eir marriage was just a busines

at she used to do for me. In our first life, at an auction just like this one, she had bought me a prize-winning stallion,

noticed me watching. He stro

sympathy. "Is there anything here you'd like? I'm sure Elara w

g from her," I said t

. The massive screen behind the auctioneer, which had been displaying images o

room. He was emaciated, track marks clearly visible on his arm, a needle

d as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the auction house'

rror. Then he turned, his eyes wild

cracking. "He did this! He's been t

fled the ballroom, a so

ression hardened into a terrifying fury. She turned to the frantic event

s a look of pure, unadulterated hatred. She str

ous. "If I find out you were behind this, I

d after Julian, leaving me alo

picture up, but I knew I would be blamed for it. I was the obvious

t open, and Elara stormed

e shaking with rage. "The hotel staff found him o

hing to do with it," I ple

d cracking like a whip in the silent room. "You've hated him from the start!

I insisted, my

light. "I believe him, Asher. I will always belie

fter my childhood sweetheart had spread a vicious lie about me, Elara had held my face

ice dropping to a deadly whisper. "You are going

e and made a call. "Sec

a minute. They were the same men

the pool,"

opeless. They dragged me out of the suite, down to the hotel's deserted outd

egged, my voice hoar

wants an apology. And he will get one. But first, you need to be taught a le

. The shock of the heat followed by the desperate need for air was a violent assault

ots began to dance in my vision. I

Elara's voice w

I coug

," she

burning lungs, panicked thrashing, and a few precious seconds of air. My mind started to

ey submerged me. My strength w

t time. I was limp in the

to apologize, A

d across two lifetimes, and saw only a s

"Yes," I whispered, the word