I felt the world fall out from under my feet and 1 staggered back. Only Toya kept


    me upright. I knew he was going to do this. I just didn''t think it was going to happen so close


    "You have got to be joking." Wendy cried.


    Hanna and Ma both growled, and I saw Sterling wince. Not in submission, but just from the ferociousness of the two. They sounded like they would kill someone. "Tell us you are lying, Sterling." Ma''s voice was low, and I didn''t have to nce to know her wolf, Muse, was very much present.


    Sterling looked away again. "I''m not sure. Jora just told me. But the King made a statement that there was going to be an announcement tomorrow. And I figured you should know." I nodded.


    "Don''t let them up. I''lle down in a minute." Sterling nodded, grabbed his bag, and left. But I turned to my friends. "I have to go check my email and my phone."


    Everyone nodded, but Toya followed me back into my room. "If there isn''t an email or text, or voicemail from that fucking man about this, I will kill him."


    I gave a tiny chuckle because, in this moment, it was all I could muster. "Let''s just see." I booted up myputer and then grabbed my lockbox and grabbed my phone.


    There were three missed calls, a text and a voicemail. I read the text first.


    Rowan-Please check your email. ASAP


    I showed the phone to Toya, and her eyes darted across the screen. "Hey. At least he isn''t stupid." She swiped the notification from the top for the voicemail. After I entered my passcode, his voice rang out


    "Hey, Amy. I...fuck. I don''t know what to say to you, or how to say it. I''m going to be making an announcement tomorrow." I heard a knock, a know on the door and then the sound of his phone hitting the table. Toya''s eyebrows shot up, and she looked at me.


    "What''s going on?" She asked, but then we heard the door open and both of our attentions snapped back to the phone.


    "My King." A soft voice called out, and I felt my stomach clench.


    Rowan''s voice was deep when his answer came out. "Did I tell you to enter, Verity?"


    I heard the soft click of heels on the wood floor in his office and then a soft


    chuckle from the woman, who was apparently named Verity. "No, but I didn''t think


    I needed to ask to enter my mate''s office."


    His growl was swift and savage. "You are not my mate. You have never been my mate."


    "But I will be." Her voice was sultry, and it wasing closer to the phone."


    "Who my mate will be will be determined by the council, and then by me. Whether you are even in the running is up in the air."


    Toya grabbed my shoulder and I pped my hand over my mouth. "Goddess." I whispered, as my world tilted once again.


    Verity scoffed. "I''m the best candidate."


    "Who says?" Rowan shot back. "You are an elite warrior, I will give you that, but it doesn''t mean you are the best option for my mate." We heard a fist m into his desk, vibrating the phone there. "If there were any Lycans alive, you wouldn''t even be in the running."


    Toya gasped and pointed at me but I just shushed her. "Good thing there are no more Lycans." Verity''s voice dropped low and something hit the floor. There was some rostling of clothing and then a gasp.


    "Did I give you permission to touch me? Get up off your fucking knees and leave my fucking office. Only my mate will touch me, and you are not her."


    "Yet." Her voice now held venom.


    "Get out." His voice dropped low and the time restraint for voicemails finished as the call was disconnected after


    his words.


    "What the fuck was that?" Toya looked at me but I just shook my head.


    "I don''t honestly know." I threw my phone down onto my bed and grabbed myptop, opening my email and finding one email marked urgent from Rowan. Hey,


    The council has been pushing thesest few months for me to begin the process of finding a mate. And I put it off as long as I could, but I can''t any longer.


    Every time I say no, there is another attack on a pack. Whenever I give in, it gives us a little more time to figure everything out.


    1 figure I can start the process and hopefully they will get bogged down with applications to go through that. It will give us at least six more months before I have to date these women.


    Apply. And get every female you know to apply.


    Rowan.