Page 63 of Heroes & Hitmen
I freeze mid-transition, caught off guard. “Uh, he’s fine. Good.” I force myself to move into the next pose, which involves folding forward and reaching behind my back, head now facing Jordan’s mat. “Why?”
She shrugs, moving into the pose with ease. “He just seems intense. A little obsessive. But maybe that’s your thing.”
“It’snotmy thing,” I mutter, which only makes her smirk harder.
“Mhmm,” she hums, not buying it for a second. “Is he treating you right, at least? I mean, you don’t have to get into specifics, but you seem… different, lately.”
I shake my head, trying to focus on the stretch rather than the prickle crawling up my spine. “Different how?”
Jordan looks over at me, eyes narrowed. “You’re twitchier than usual, like you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. Or like you’re hiding something.”
“I’m not hiding anything,” I lie, face heating. Good thing it’s already red from the temperature in here, or it’d be a dead giveaway.
Jordan holds her pose, unblinking. “You’re totally hiding something.”
“Shut up,” I mutter, the urge to spill everything to her only growing stronger.
She’s my best friend. The only person I trust completely. And Ihatelying to her.
“Alright, everyone,” Dahlia calls from the front of the room. “Let’s bring it into child’s pose, then roll up to a seat.”
The class moves as one, bodies shifting to the floor, foreheads pressed to the mat in a pose that’s supposed to be restful but mostly just feels like a humid face-plant. I let out a sigh that’s half exhaustion, half dread, mind still racing.
As soon as the class ends, Jordan pivots to face me, lips drawn in a frown. “Seriously, though. If you need to talk about him, or anything, you know I’m not going to rat you out.”
The sincerity in her voice makes my chest ache. I nod in assent, busying myself by rolling up my mat, heart thumping hard as everyone starts filing out of the room. Jordan sits on her own mat with her arms wrapped loosely around her knees, waiting for the room to clear. The moment the door closes behind the last person, she cocks a brow at me.
“You wanna tell me or not?”
I stare down at the ridged surface of my rolled-up mat, wondering how much to give her. Lying to the rest of the world is easy, but with Jordan…
“It’s all bullshit,” I blurt. “The whole fated mate thing.”
Her eyes widen, then narrow. “What do you mean?”
I exhale slowly, then the confession slips out in a rush. “Ares just said that to save my ass. The only thing fated about us is that we’re both really good at lying. I chickened out the night of the pairing, and Ares happened upon me right before Alpha got there. He made the whole thing up as a cover for why I didn’t show.”
Jordan stares back at me, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in shock. For a second, she’s completely speechless. Then she gives a sharp, incredulous laugh. “Are you shitting me? Youfakeda fated mate bond?”
I nod, feeling the weight of the secret lift slightly.
She lets out a low whistle, then leans in closer with a conspiratorial smirk. “Is anyone else in on it?”
“The truth, no,” I grumble, shaking my head. “Just me and Ares, and now you. I knew it was a terrible idea right when it cameout of his mouth, but it was either go along with it or go forward with the pairing…”
Jordan’s eyes darken at the mention of the alternative. “Fuck that,” she spits. “Ares may not be Prince Charming, but at least he’s not Elias Burke. There’s something seriouslyoffabout that guy.”
“Yeah,” I breathe, scrubbing a hand over my face. “We’ve got a plan, though. For me to get out. Ares can’t leave, but he said he’d help me get a new identity, relocate somewhere safe.”
My sister’s brows shoot up, dark eyes glimmering with hope and mischief. “Are you serious? You’re going to run?”
“Yeah.” I try to keep my voice steady, but the admission has me buzzing with a heady mix of fear and anticipation. “I mean, that’s the plan. Keep playing happy mates until we can pull it off.”
A beat of silence passes. Then Jordan grins, slow and devious. “Can I come with you?”
For a second, I wonder if she’s joking, but the look on her face is pure, earnest hunger– for escape, for freedom, for a chance to finally choose her own path.
I open my mouth, a surprised laugh tumbling out. “You’d really want to leave it all behind?”
