I am about to answer when a shiver goes down my spine, and Forest suddenly tightens his grip on my hand. Without even looking around, I knowheis here. My very own nemesis has made his appearance. I raise my eyes, looking past several groups of people to look right into his ice-cold eyes.
“You could say we have a long history,” I say, straightening my back.
I feel calm all of a sudden. Forest is with me; he is not going anywhere, and seeing him now, in the same room with Jordan, makes it so much clearer how much more of a man he is.
“Ready to play?” Forest asks.
“Yes.”
thirty-two
Jordan
*ROSEA*
Jordan’s expression changes instantly from shock to anger, and he doesn’t hide it. With long strides, he walks towards us, pushing some of the other guests aside. If it was his goal to create a ruckus, he is being successful, but I doubt that was his plan.
He is seething. And he has never been one to act controlled when he is like that. This is actually better than I expected it to be! I thought he would stare me down the whole evening and then try to get me at a weak moment.
But as things are, it seems he is going for a direct confrontation in front of a pretty huge audience.
Well, not only are we alive, but we’ve hurt his pride by being here with a different man, and looking hot!Alora says with a grin.
Jordan pushes aside one of the alphas who was talking to us, ignoring the latter’s angry growl, and faces Forest and me.
“What are you doing here?!” he snarls at me.
I pretend to be confused by his question, wrapping my hand around Forest’s arm. “Isn’t that obvious?” I ask, smiling at him. “I am a guest,” I state. “What a surprise to see you here, Jordan.”
“What are you doing here with this loser?!”
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” I say. “Alpha Forest is my date, and he is a commendable alpha. Probably one of the strongest I have seen in a while. His training regimen is insane.”
“Who even cares about him?” Jordan snarls, as if he didn’t just ask. “You are mine, Rosea!”
At that, I laugh. I can’t help it; I just laugh.
“Did you lose your fucking mind?!”
“I must have, because I just heard you claiming me as yours,” I say pointedly. “What happened? Last time I checked, you wanted to mate with a sweet girl from your pack, someone barely legal. Don’t tell me you killed her already?” I furrow my brows. “By the goddess, Jordan, tell me you didn’t kill that child!”
“I didn’t,” he hisses. “She is just…“ His gaze darkens as his expression gets angrier.
“She is just ‘locked in at home and doesn’t want to attend’?” I help. “Sounds familiar. Or maybe you broke the poor kid a little too much, huh? Not everyone is as durable as I was, Jordan.”
Tristan turns his head, staring at me now. His expression is one of surprise, before realization seems to settle in. I’ll bet he is starting to put certain puzzle pieces together.
“Don’t complain,” Jordan rolls his eyes. “If you were ready to fulfill my urges, I wouldn’t have needed to hurt you at all. Hadyou been a better luna, I wouldn’t need a new mate, and she could be living a happy life.”
“So, now it’s my fault that you can’t keep a woman happy?” I ask, stunned. “That’s wild, even for you.”
“What about him?” Jordan gestures towards Forest. “This dunce here is doing nothing to protect you.”
Forest shrugs instead of an answer. “I don’t know, man. To me, it looks like she can hold herself against you easily. I am not even sure why I was worried.” He wrinkles his nose. “Only a pathetic loser would beat his partner.”
“She betrayed me,” he snarls. “She had it coming!”
Forest raises his brows and snorts. “Yeah, dude, somehow, I doubt that’s true. You have a vivid imagination.” He puts an arm around my side in a protective gesture.
