Chapter 293
His face was inches from mine. His breathing was ragged, pupils eating up his irises. The mate bond wasn’t just thrumming, it was on fire, making my nerves alight so abruptly it was painful in its intensity. I opened my lips, tried to say his name, but my throat closed up. The only sound that came out was a tiny croak.
Dominic’s eyes dropped to my mouth, then lower, to the mate mark on my neck. I felt his hand slide down the wall and wrap around my waist, fingers digging into my hip hard enough to bruise.
My heart was slamming against my ribs. The bond was screaming at me to lean in, to close the distance, to let him-
“What the hell is that smell?”
Colt’s voice cut through the haze. Dominic’s grip on me loosened slightly, and I used the opportunity to duck under his arm and put some distance between us.
Colt was staring at the shattered vial on the floor.
He had always been a smart man. I realized that now.
“Scent-intensifying perfume,” he whispered.
I didn’t answer.
“You put it on her, didn’t you?” he asked. “To make her scent more potent. So my wolf couldn’t resist.”
He looked at me like I’d just slapped him.
Vivian’s eyes went wide. “What?”
“She tried to force the bond,” Colt said. “She made your scent irresistible so my wolf would react. So I’d mark you whether you wanted it or not.”
Dominic turned to look at me. The lust from a moment ago was gone, replaced by something colder and angrier, and for once, I
couldn’t blame him.
“Is that true?” he asked in a low voice.
I opened my mouth, but Vivian beat me to it.
“Of course it’s true,” she said. “She’s a schemer, Dominic. I’ve been telling you that from the beginning. She manipulates everyone around her to get what she wants.”
Colt let out a bitter laugh.
“You’re both just as bad as each other,” he said.
Vivian’s head snapped toward him. “Excuse me?”
“Sisters,” Colt said. He shook his head slowly, disgust written all over his face. “The apple didn’t fall far from the tree, did it? You’ve been using me to deliver fake letters and manipulate your own sister’s marriage. She’s been using me to manipulate you Both of you are self-serving. Both of you scheme and lie and use people like they’re tools.”
He looked at me, then at Vivian.
“I want nothing to do with this anymore,” he said.
Vivian’s face crumpled. “Wait-”
“I, Colt,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut, “reject you, Vivian, as my mate.”
The effect was immediate.
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+30 Bonus
Vivian let out a scream that made me slam my hands over my ears. Her hands flew to her chest, clawing at the fabric of her dress like she was trying to rip something out. She doubled over, gasping. The color drained from her face as her breath came out in short rasps.
“Vivian!” Dominic sprang forward just as she collapsed to the floor, wailing.
Colt stood there for a moment, watching her. His own face was drawn with pain, but he didn’t move to help her. Instead, he turned and looked at me one last time.
The disgust I saw there was palpable.
Without a word he turned and walked out the door.
Dominic slid one arm under Vivian’s shoulders and the other under her knees. She was still crying, gasping for breath between sobs, and when he lifted her, her head lolled against his chest.
He stood with her in his arms, turning and looking at me one last time. The look he gave me was almost identical to Colt’s. Cold, hard disgust.
He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to.
He carried Vivian past me, up the stairs, and out of sight.
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