Page 54 of Betrayed Mate

I froze. The last thing I needed was to feel any sort of positive emotion toward him. Gage was so out of line by saying Ryker was acting like my fated mate. Ryker clearly hated me and kept me around only because of my pack link with Briar.

Kneeling, I pulled my bag out and located a bra, panties, a maroon shirt, and jeans to wear. I quickly pulled them on, thankful that the shift back to human form had removed the blood that covered me despite the stains on the sheets. And then I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to tame it. “I’m dressed.”

“Thank Fate.” He spun around, giving me a side view of his ass and penis, which was still hard.

Deep need throbbed within me, catching me off guard. I sat on the edge of the bed, closing my eyes and gripping the side of the mattress, trying to calm the desire rolling through me before he could smell it.

I could hear him behind me on the other side of the bed, and I hated how the image of his naked body kept replaying in my mind. I needed to not think about that because nothing would ever happen between us.

Ever.

When I heard his zipper, I finally opened my eyes, knowing that at least half his body had to be covered.

The spicy scent of desire drifted over—fromhim.

My wolf howled in response, but I gripped the edge of the mattress even harder. Even if he was aroused, having sex would complicate matters and distract me. I had to remain focused on the goal and not do something that would potentially risk my sister. I couldn’t lose her.

He moved back in my direction. Not wanting him to know I was affected by him too, I bit the inside of my cheek. I whimpered, pressing harder than intended, and suddenly his scent filled my nose.

His hands cupped my face and lifted it gently upward as he rasped, “What’s wrong?”

The gold in his eyes was like flames on a candle, mesmerizing me. I could feel my pulse quicken, and I knew I needed to move away, but somehow, I couldn’t budge.

“Are your injuries still bothering you?” he asked as his focus dropped to my neck. It continued lower to where my breasts pressed against theVof my shirt.

Right. He’d asked me a question. I should probably answer. “No, I bit the inside of my cheek.” I winced, realizing how lame I sounded, but at least it was an answer.

His gaze flicked to my mouth, and I licked my lips.

The intoxicating smell of desire swirled from both of us. My lungs stopped working as the buzzing from his touch jolted through my cheeks and ran through my entire body. All I could focus on was his full lips, wondering if they would taste as minty as his breath.

He lowered his head, and my mind screamedmove,but my body didn’t budge. I took a jerky breath as his lips touched mine, causing tingles to run through my mouth.

The door swung open, and Ryker stumbled back, ruining the moment.

I didn’t move an inch, trying to understand what had just happened as Xander strolled through.

“You two are up. Finally.” Xander rubbed his hands together.

Ryker’s nostrils flared. “Does no one know how to knock around here?”

“Uh…when did knocking become a necessity?” Xander tilted his head, but I knew the moment he smelled the one thing we couldn’t hide—the scent. It hadn’t had time to dissipate. “Oh…I—”

For the hundredth time, I wanted to disappear. “Of course you don’t need to knock,” I blurted, trying to salvage the moment. I hated how vulnerable and foolish I’d been with Ryker, and when I glanced at him and saw the sheen back over his eyes, my wolf sighed.

“We’ll get it resolved now once and for all.” Ryker waved to us to follow him and marched out the door toward the kitchen.

Both Xander and I stared at each other.

Ryker cleared his throat from the other room. “You two get in here. I want everyone to hear exactly what I have to say to ensure there isnomisunderstanding.”

“That means hurry.” Xander rolled his eyes.

After the awkward exchange we’d just had, I was eager to remove myself from the scene of the crime. I hurried into the kitchen with Xander right behind me to find Gage cooking on the gas stove against the wall and Kendric and Raven sitting on the barstools on the far side of the island.

The room spun a little, but I made my way to the edge of the marble island and held it to support myself. I needed calories because I hadn’t eaten in a while, and my body was recovering from extensive injuries. Even my wolf’s magic didn’t feel as strong despite her making her presence known just moments ago.

Raven homed in on me as if she could tell there was something wrong.

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