Riannon did not know how to react to this question.

How did he guess?Maya told her that she still smelled like a werewolf and an Alpha at that.

So, itcouldn’t be her scent.

Yet somehow the Lycan king already knew that her wolfwas missing.

This was not the first time he was asking about Onyx.

And Riawasn’t stupid to consider it simple politeness.

He wanted answers.But so did she.Even though everyone around them was ready to faint as soon as they wereclose to Gideon, she did not feel this way at all.

She was sure that he wasn’tgoing to hurt her.

Not at all.

He did not give her that vibe.

He felt like...

Shewasn’t sure like what.

Not a friend.Definitely not a friend.Anyway, this was not important as he was staring at her expectantly with hisarms crossed on his chest.

His deep green eyes were on her and she feltpressured to give him an answer.“My wolf is not talking to me,” she said, choosing her words deliberately.

She didnot want to lie to him.

For some reason, she knew that it was very important tonever lie to him.And it was the truth at the end of the day.

Some part of Onyx had to be theresince she still had her werewolf senses and physical strength.

But no matter howmuch Riannon tried to call for her wolf, Onyx did not reply to her.

Thus – theywere not talking.“Hmm,” the Lycan king was watching her with a hint of doubt in his eyes, “Forhow long?” “A few days,” Ria coughed.

What was it? An interrogation?“What happened prior?” he asked and it made her flinch, letting him know thatthere was something there.

She paused and he got tense.

Just what was it that made her wolf go away? Didsomeone hurt her? Sometimes, in very rare cases, wolves were retreating to theback of their host’s mind to recuperate if something terrible happened to them.Gideon’s fists clenched on an instinct as he imagined that someone may had hurthis precious mate.“It’s personal,” she said, turning away.

But he couldn’t let it like that.“Riannon,” he stepped right behind her, itching to close her in his arms, “It’s okay.You can tell me.

If you want, it will forever stay just between us.

But I need toknow.”For a second there she contemplated telling him the truth.

Would he believe her?Maya did.But Maya was different.

They knew each other for so long that they werepracticallyWhile Gideon was new in her life.

For goddesses’ sake, he wasn’t even her kind.He was a lycan and a royalty.

And she needed his help to get her divorce andpack back before anything.

What if she told him everything now and heconsidered her crazy? There would be no way he would let a crazy Alpha takereigns of her pack.No, telling him that she died and was brought back in time wasn’t an option at all.She needed something else.

But not a lie.“Well,” she turned to face him, finding him way too close.

But she gathered all herstrength and looked him in the eye.

“What do you think happened?” she furrowedher brows,“ My husband of 6 years brought home his true mate, breaking oursacred promise to each other and destroying everything I believed in within oneday in spite of me being the one wearing his mark.”

She noticed his Adam’s apple twitching slightly as if it was suddenly hard for himto breathe.“Is that why she is gone?” he asked menacingly and for the first time, Riannonfelt a shiver go down her spine when she was with him.“She did not tell me for sure,” Riannon chouse her words carefully again, “So, Iam just assuming.”His face suddenly looked relieved.

And also slightly...

hurt.

Why did he takethose matters so close to heart?Then again, this was probably why he was considered to be such a good king.He was concerning himself with the matters of his subjects.Unknowingly, Ria rubbed the mark on her neck as it started stinging slightly.

Thiswas happening a lot to her lately.“This omega,” Gideon continued, “Is she always like that?”“Usually she is worse,” the Luna muttered under her breath, but it did not escapethe lycan.“Then your husband is an i***t,” the man snorted and it made Riannon smile,which she tried to get back under control immediately.“Don’t hide that smile,” he told her at once, shocking her slightly, “It looks good onyou and I prefer my...

allies to be honest with me about their feelings.”She swallowed.

So, herinner hunch was correct.

He did not like being lied to.

Notthat politician to know that.

So, she just nodded to him and curled the corners ofher lips a bit again to his satisfaction.

His eyes lingered on her lips for far too longand she turned away from him, feeling how unnecessary heat was rising inside ofher by the minute.

Just why did this lycan had been influencing her so much?

“So,” she cleared her throat, “You are seriously considering helping me?”“I already promised you, didn’t 1,” he stood right next to her and his handaccidentally brushed over hers, making her feel...

tiny tingles.Tingles! Her eyes darted to his at once but he only looked at her expectantly.No, this couldn’t be.

This was probably in her head.

At least that was what shetried to convince herself in.And also it was nothing like the mate tingles.

She experienced those afterBrayden marked her and this was definitely more intense.Her mark started stinging again and she rubbed it more furiously while trying togather her thoughts.“What is it?” Gideon looked at her with sincere concern on his face and sheopened her mouth to try and explain it, but he already took her hand into his,opening the view of her mark and lowered himself to have a better look at it.She felt slightly embarrassed at that.

The marks of chosen mates were just redugly scars.

Everybody knew what they were of course, but it wasn’t the same aswhat true mates had.

No matter how they wanted to pretend that it was.True mate marks looked like two crescent tattoos looking at each other.

Anddeep inside this was what Riannon was dreaming of every time she looked in themirror.But Gideon’s hot breath on her neck distracted her from her thoughts.

He wasclose.Almost too close and he brushed his thumb over her old scar gently, making herfeel things.“It looks a bit inflamed,” he said with worry in her voice and she gasped.Inflamed? Why the hell was her mark inflamed?!

A loud growl distracted them from each other and Riannon turned her head tosee one very pissed werewolf glaring at the two of them...