She’d drawn nearer to him, difficult his wolf by evident at him, unblinking. Tingles raced down his backbone with the necessity to shift and defend his territory, the necessity to reinforce his dominance.

“I used to be curious.” His phrases had been curt, his jaw clenched. “You clearly treasure this comb, however you don’t prefer it once I contact your hair. I believed there may be a hyperlink.”

“It’s a comb, Riaz,” Cortana hissed. “From somebody I truly cared about.”

It was a slap within the face, and his wolf went off the deep finish. “And also you don’t care about me, is that it?”

“Argh!” She threw her arms within the air, flabbergasted. “You’re no higher than Renata, marking your territory such as you personal me! I don’t belong to you.”

In that immediate, Riaz succumbed to the craze that bubbled beneath his pores and skin. Eyes blazing orange, the wolf crashed via his defenses, unspent darkness out within the open, caustic feelings barreling via their nascent mating bond with the power of a battering ram.

“Is it even onerous for you? Do you even must put any effort into denying me? In pretending you’re so a lot better than I’m?”

“I advised you—I’m not your pet, Riaz.” His identify in her mouth was a scathing sound. “I don’t do relationships. For those who fell in love with me, that’s your individual drawback, not mine.”

“Do you may have emotions in that dried up outdated coronary heart of yours, Pet?” He closed the space between them. “Do you even keep in mind what it feels prefer to care about somebody aside from your self?”

“Such as you’re one to talk!” Cortana spat. “You solely care about different folks, and also you’re too afraid of your self to ever be alone! What sort of alpha is simply too afraid of his personal shadow to go on a run by himself? To sleep alone? You’re a coward!”

He barred his tooth, each inch of him shaking with anger, the necessity to shift barely suppressed. Turning away, he muttered darkly, “There’s solely a lot a person can take, Cortana.”

“Can’t take the warmth, huh? When issues get tough, Riaz will get going?”

He stiffened, the phrases shredding what little dignity he had left. Deep damage resonated inside him, the sort of ache that marred the spirit. Fisting his arms, haunted eyes turned to treat her, his snarling lips soundless. The predator was seething.

Cortana didn’t cease, whatever the ache she was inflicting.

“I see you for what you’re, Riaz.” After which she spoke the phrases that broke his coronary heart: “A coward in wolf’s clothes.”

He held the icy blue gaze, watched as she lifted her chin in anticipation of his wrath. However her burning venom had the alternative impact. It tore down the final of his partitions and uncovered the susceptible man beneath.

The anger that’d been constructing disappeared, taking with it any hint of the confrontational wolf thirsting for violence. Void of all emotion save despondency and a deep, visceral damage that warred with Cortana’s must lash out, he solid his eyes down and closed them in an extended exhale. He’d had sufficient.

Remorse funneled via their mating bond. “Riaz—”

“Get the hell out of my den.”

As soon as infused with mirth and laughter, his voice was drained of each ounce of what made Riaz him.

Cortana couldn’t assist however attempt to voice her apology as soon as extra. “I’m so—”

“Get. Out.” This time extra firmly, the person behind the masks lastly assembly her gaze. Damaged. Basically. “You’re not welcome right here.”

Riaz didn’t keep for her response.

Coward.

No phrase had ever sliced him so deeply.

Wolf snarling beneath his pores and skin, he tore into his workplace like a person possessed. Relaxed? By no means once more. Tender? Tough edges could be his new exterior. Cowardly? Nobody would use the phrase to explain him from this second onward.

Issues crashed into the waste bin; papers had been stuffed into folders, cupboards dragged in and stuffed alphabetically. All of the issues he had stored for his or her sentimental worth went out the door with a curt phrase to Gadriel to trash them.

In two hours, he’d rage-cleaned his workplace from high to backside, seeing every worksurface for the primary time in remembered historical past. Every thing was organized and settled into its correct place—no matter that meant.

By the tip, his wolf has appeased, and the person was spent.

Collapsing into the workplace chair that sat awkwardly behind the empty desk, Riaz put his head in his arms. Now was no time for weak point—and it by no means could be once more.

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