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Iris turned to the hound, and he dipped his head, getting closer. My wolf shoved to the surface, wanting to charge, to attack.

“Keep it tight, Drave,” Dirk said. “You go after him with all these witnesses, there’ll be a price.”

I did my best to shake it off, but it wasn’t working. “He can fucking have her.”

“She wasn’t the one who wronged you, brother. Not claiming her as your mate will only do you more harm.”

I’d confided in several of my warriors; I’d been forced to when a couple of them had noticed how erratic I’d been behaving.

I watched as they spoke, as Relic held out his fist for her to pound. She did, then he held open the door and they disappeared inside.

Dirk was closer to the truth than I wanted to admit. The more aware of her I became, the more unhinged I felt. My wolf wanted her and didn’t understand why I was denying myself the one thing I’d wanted my entire life.

“You think I could ever grow to care for her? To accept her? She has Selene’s face. She has her blood in her veins.” I turned back to where Iris had just been. “How could I ask our pack to accept her after the harm her kind has caused us? After the losses we suffered?” I mourned them every day, the family we’d lost because of Selene and Charity’s treachery. I couldn’t ask my pack to just shove their pain aside like it was nothing for a mate I would never trust.

Dirk shifted beside me. “If you reject her, you will forever be without a mate.”

My wolf howled in pain at the prospect of living without her, but there was no other choice. I’d just have to find a way to live with it. “I would rather that than bring another member of that poisonous coven anywhere near our pack.” Still, I couldn’t look away from the door she’d just walked through.

“If that’s your decision, something needs to be done and soon,” Dirk said.

“I know.”

“And you’re prepared to do that?”

I’d do what was necessary to protect my pack. “You doubt me?”

“If you go this route…”

“You may as well head back, I’ll be right behind you,” I said to Dirk, not wanting to talk about this anymore.

He cursed, and if I could bring myself to look away from the fucking door Iris had walked through, I knew I’d see a look that said he thought I was full of shit, and he’d be right. Because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bring myself to move from that spot.

“Drave…you know I’m here for you, yeah?”

There was worry in his deep voice. He loved me just as I did him, as I loved all my people, so I forced some of the growl from my voice. “I know, brother. You always have been. I promise I have this under control.” We both knew that was a lie as well.

But instead of calling me out, Dirk gave my shoulder a nudge and left, and I stayed right where I was.

Just once more.

I just had to see her one more time.

I was growing addicted to the sight of that little witch, and if I didn’t find some other way to satisfy this craving, to escape this fixation I had with her, I’d be trapped all over again.

Iris

The Eldridges were in real estate, and they were loaded. There was no missing it as we walked into their offices.

Relic strode beside me like a massive, threatening bodyguard, looking around the wide marble foyer like he expected a hoard of demons to crawl out of nowhere.

Honestly, right then, a hoard of demons would be preferable to Isaac Eldridge. Walking in here felt a little like jumping into a shark tank without a cage and expecting to jump back out with all your limbs intact.

A stunningly beautiful woman dressed in what had to be designer clothes sat behind the reception desk. A nymph, going by her flawless beauty and the amethyst pendant hanging around her neck. The amethyst neutralized their effect on males. Going out without the protection was highly dangerous for them, just being around a nymph threw males, especially, into an uncontrollable lust. I glanced up at Relic. He was checking her out, but there was no sign he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and drag her back to his den, which was a relief because Relic was a big male and there would be no stopping him.

Her gaze slid over my jeans and long-sleeve T-shirt. She pursed her lips. “Can I help you?” she asked, voice cool and professional.

“I’m here to see Mr. Eldridge.”