Chapter 275
The taunts cut through the air like poisoned daggers.
“See? I told you she came here tonight just to throw herself at Aaron.”
Tsk, tsk. So many of us watching, and she doesn’t even blush. Her face must be thicker than a fortress wall.”
Finished
“Back in Mooncrest High, Aaron pursued her, and she refused him again and again. But now that he’s got money, she’s crawling back, desperate as a bitch in heat.”
“Say less. If Aaron wants her, then let him play. She’s practically begging for it–would be a waste not to.”
“Exactly. She’s an ex–con, a stain on her pack’s honor. With a record, no decent work will ever take her. Selling her body might be the only way she survives.”
The words dripped venom, tearing at the air
ound Riley
Mia, trembling with rage, snapped, “Shut your filthy mouths! My lady isn’t what you say she is!”
Lady?” someone sneered. “Ha! More like working lady. Don’t dress her shame
in silks.”
Riley writhed in Aaron’s iron grip, desperate to free herself, but his arms only tightened around her. His strength pressed in like a cage, and for the first time in years, she felt truly cornered.
For Aaron, it was intoxicating. The moment Riley’s body collided with his, heat surged through his veins like wildfire. She smelled of wild rain on stone, an earthy, primal scent that made his wolf stir restlessly.
stlessly. She was softer than he remembered, dangerously soft. And the lure of her scent was worse than any intoxicant–it stripped him of reason, leaving only hunger.
He smirked, lips brushing the shell of her ear.
“Riley,” his voice was a low growl, meant for her alone, “all these
and you’re still this tempting. Since you’re here, why rush off? Stay. Indulge me.”
To
to claw her
His breath, hot against her neck, sent a violent shudder down Riley’s spine. Every instinct in her screamed to shift, way free, but she forced herself to stay in control. Her stomach roiled; nausea clawed at her throat. The predator in him was too close.
She thrashed, but Aaron’s hold was merciless. His wolf had tasted her nearness, and he would not release his prey so easily.
The door creaked open.
All eyes turned as a figure appeared–sleek black hair falling like a curtain over a pale face, a white dress swaying with each deliberate step. Selene Ashford.
Her gaze swept the room with icy disdain, then froze on the sight of Aaron holding Riley. The expression that spread across her face was pure venom–shock, fury, disbelief.
“Selene?” Aaron’s voice cracked into the silence. For a moment, he faltered. But then, regaining his composure, he loosened his hold on Riley and stepped toward the newcomer, lips curving into a practiced smile. “You’re finally here. We’ve all been waiting for you.”
Selene didn’t even glance at him. Her eyes, cold and sharpened like a blade, locked solely on Riley.
Since being abandoned by Mortimer and Jace Hale, she had clawed for security, for another male strong enough to shield her. Aaron was supposed to be that step–a rung on the ladder she had chosen with care.
He wasn’t the strongest yet, no. A sales manager under the mighty Duskgrave banner was still small compared to the wolves she had once chúng to. But he had promise, connections. He was divorcing his wealthy mate, a Mooncrest heiress. With her gone. Aaron would be free–and rich. A perfect stepping stone.
Selene had already woven the threads of her future: once tethered to Aaron, she would gain proximity to Lucien Duskgrave himself, Stormridge’s Alpha prince. With her beauty and her manipulative charm, she was confident she could lure his attention. If she could not marry into a bloodline as ancient as the Duskgraves, then she would at least feed from their table. Even crumbs from the high table of Stormridge were worth more than all her years of struggle combined.
But now? Now that Riley stood in her way–pressed against Aaron’s chest, drawing his wolf’s hunger as though by instinct- her vision of that future cracked like glass.
11:53 PM P P.
Chapter 275
Finished
Her lips peeled back in a snarl. “You little whore,” she spat, voice thick with hatred. “You dare seduce my man? Do you want to die tonight?”
Riley’s stomach sank. So this was Aaron’s woman. She shook her head quickly, her voice cutting through the chaos, “You’re mistaken. I didn’t seduce him. He was the one who-” She pointed sharply at Aaron, “If you’re his mate, then leash him. Don’t
accuse me.”
But Selene wasn’t listening. To her ears, Riley’s words were nothing but provocation.
With a scream, she lunged, swinging her handbag like a weapon, eyes blazing with madness. “Slut! I’ll tear your face off! Dare touch what’s mine and you won’t live to regret it!”
The blow arced through the air, aimed straight for Riley’s
skull.
