Page 90 of Heroes & Hitmen
He nods, evidently accepting my words as a victory. “There will be a spotlight on you at the gala the night before the ceremony,” he continues, shifting gears without warning. “You’ll need to make therounds, remind the pack of your commitment to tradition. You’ll be fitted for your dress this Saturday.”
“I already picked one out,” I say.
I actuallydidn’t, but I can’t help but try to grasp for a little bit of control oversomethingat this hellish event I’m being forced to endure.
He ignores that statement as if I didn’t even speak, standing up and buttoning his suit jacket with mechanical efficiency. “I expect you to discuss the procedure with Ares before the weekend, as we have him tentatively scheduled for Monday.”
“Okay,” I breathe, nodding numbly. “But I can’t guarantee that I’ll change his mind.”
He tilts his head, narrowing his eyes. “You’re hismate. Surely he’ll want to do everything in his power to please you. If your bond is as strong as he makes it out to be, then you should have no trouble swaying him.”
“Right,” I mumble, nodding again. I feel like a damn bobblehead at this point.
Alpha’s heavy footsteps echo through the apartment as he starts for the door, pausing in the entryway to glance back at me. “Don’t disappoint me again,” he growls, the words scraping like claws down my spine. Then he leaves, the door shutting behind him with a soft, final click.
I just sit there frozen for a few minutes, perched on the edge of the coffee table and staring at the spot he vacated on the couch. My palms are sweaty, my heart’s beating a mile a minute, and all I want to do is scream into a pillow.
Instead, I pick up my book and read the sentence where I left off before he interrupted. The words blur for a second, but then I force myself to focus.
Because there’s nothing more satisfying than watching the enemies become lovers and burn it all down, just for each other.
By the timeAres gets home, I’ve reread the same chapter six times and still haven’t retained a single line. My hands keep trembling, so I’ve got them wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate, hoping the sweetness will anchor me.
It doesn’t.
If anything, it tastes like anxiety.
I hear his key scrape in the lock, the sound jagged and too loud in the silence. Then he pushes the door open, stepping inside with a heavy sigh and kicking off his boots. He looks over at me, and as soon as our eyes meet, he goes eerily still.
“What’s wrong?” he growls, shoulders instantly bunching with tension.
I quickly avert my gaze, staring down at the mug in my hands. “Nothing. Just tired.”
For a second, I think I’ve gotten away with it. That I’m playing it cool enough to throw him off the scent. But this isAreswe’re talking about, and the man doesn’t miss a damn thing.
“Bullshit,” he scoffs, eyes pinned on me as he stalks into the room with the type of predatory focus that makes me want to claw my own skin off. “You look like you’ve seen a damn ghost.”
“Seriously, Ares, it’s nothing,” I reply flatly, leaning forward to set my mug down on the coffee table. As I retract my hand, he catches my wrist, prompting me to lift my gaze to his.
“Don’t lie to me, Miley,” he says, softer this time. “We lieforeach other, but nevertoeach other, remember?”
“I don’t recall making that agreement,” I mutter, tugging my arm out of his grip.
He exhales slowly, shaking his head as he sinks down to sit on the edge of the coffee table in front of me, putting us at eye level with one another. “I thought it was implied,” he murmurs, forcing a smile that doesn’t quite meet his eyes. “Tell me what’s going on, babe. Who do I have to kill?”
“Very funny,” I snort.
But he doesn’t laugh. He just stares back at me, deadpan, like he’d absolutely go out right now and murder someone in my name. And as much as I abhor violence, the thought of him avenging me without question is weirdlyhot.
We stay locked in a staring contest for a long moment, and I already know I’m going to lose this game. The longer I stay silent, the deeper he’ll dig. Might as well just rip off the bandage.
“Alpha stopped by today,” I say coolly, dropping my gaze to my lap and examining my manicure.
Ares sits up straighter, his jaw clenching. “Did he hurt you?” he asks, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous decibel.
“No,” I reply quickly, shaking my head. “He just stopped by to issue some threats, remind me of my place.”
“Your place ishere,” he declares, staring into my eyes intently. “Withme.”
