Page 54 of Knotting else Matters

“No, you won’t.” His voice was calm, certain, and that smile didn’t waver.

“Adrian.” I forced a laugh, shaking my head, my fingers toying with the ridiculous, glittery watch on my wrist. “We’ve known each other for a few days. A few wild, chaotic days, sure. But that’s all it is. I’m here for Sophie’s wedding, and then I’m gone.”

He leaned back, his gaze never leaving mine, the warm, golden light spilling through the window catching on the sharp, dark lines of his face. “Is that what you want? For this to end?”

“I—” My voice caught, a sharp, painful twist in my chest. “That’s not the point. The point is… this is just… it’s hot, it’s wild, the sex is great—”

“You forgot mind-blowing.” He smirked.

“Fine.Mind-blowing.” I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t hide the faint, desperate shake in my voice. “But it’s not… it’s not real. I’m still married.”

“To a human.” His voice was steady, but I saw the faint, dangerous spark in his eyes. “That means nothing to me.”

“It should.” I leaned forward, the teasing edge slipping away. “Because it would mean the world to you if they saw you as a weak Alpha who takes a reckless Zeta as his mate.”

His jaw tightened, just slightly, but he didn’t look away. “See? You already know me so well.”

“Yes. I do.” I forced myself to keep going, even as the sharp, aching tension twisted in my chest. “But you don’t know me.”

His expression shifted, the lazy, teasing warmth fading, replaced by something sharper, something cold and focused. “I know you hate this pack, but you feel out of place anywhere else. I know thatwhoeverthat human was, you loved him with all your heart, and it destroyed you when he broke your trust.”

My breath caught, the soft, easy warmth of the room turning heavy, suffocating. “Adrian—”

“I knowNothing Else Mattersis your favorite song,” he continued, his voice low, steady, relentless. “Because I caught you crying to it. Twice.”

“Once.” I forced a sharp, defensive laugh. “You saw me once.”

“No. Once in your hotel room, and once in the car yesterday, when your playlist was on shuffle. You teared up the moment it started, and you skipped it so fast I almost didn’t catch it.”

“I… that was—”

“It triggers a memory of you and him. Doesn’t it?”

I froze, the air catching in my lungs, my fingers tightening around the edge of my mug.

His gaze stayed locked on mine, sharp, unyielding. “Right?”

I swallowed, the warm, sweet taste of the coffee turning bitter on my tongue. “We… we met at a concert. That song was playing. It was the first time I… I thought I found something real. Someone who saw me.”

“And he betrayed you.” Adrian’s voice softened, but it didn’t lose that fierce, relentless focus. “Broke you.”

“I’m not broken.” The words slipped out, sharp, defensive, but I heard the faint, desperate ache in them.

“Aren’t you?” He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table, his dark eyes never leaving mine. “I know you try to laugh everything off. I know you mock the pack, mock the rules, because you never felt like you belonged. I know you pretend you don’t care, but you do. More than anyone.”

“Stop.” My voice trembled, the ache in my chest twisting, sharp and fierce.

“I know you let your mom’s words tear you apart because some twisted part of you still wants her approval, even though you know you’ll never get it.” His voice was a low, fierce whisper, each word cutting, relentless. “I know you keep pretending that this is just fun, just chaos, because you’re terrified of letting anyone close enough to hurt you again.”

“Adrian—”

“And I know that when you look at me, you try so hard to hide how much you want this—how much you want more, even though it scares the hell out of you.”

I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. The warm, bright room felt like it was closing in around me, the soft hum of conversation fading, the world narrowing to his dark, intense gaze, the fierce, electric pull of his voice.

“You don’t know me.” My voice was a sharp, desperate whisper.

“I know you better than you think.” He leaned closer, his fingers brushing against the back of my hand, a slow, gentle touch that sent a wild, desperate thrill racing through me. “And you know me.”

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