“Alexander loves E.”


    “That’s debatable.” Richard turned and made his way back over to the door. “Word through the grapevine has it that they don’t even share a mate bond anymore. E gave it up for another man. Without that bond, who’s to say Alexander won’t stray?”


    With that, he left, mming the door behind him. The sound echoed in the small cell, and then Lilith was alone in the dark again.


    She knew that Richard was just trying to manipte her, trying to make her doubt E and Alexander. That was what he did–twisted things, turned people against each other. But what if he was right?


    No. She couldn’t think like that. Alexander wasn’t Richard. He wouldn’t hurt E the way Richard had hurt her.


    Hours passed. Lilith nodded off, only when her eyelids were too heavy to hold open anymore. But she wasn’t asleep for long when the door opened again. They never let her rest for long.


    The guard walked silently into the cell and set down a tray of food beside Lilith. He left without a word. Lilith nced at it; more stale bread, another cup of water. And something else.


    A piece of folded paper, tucked under the bread.


    She nced at the door. The guard was already gone. Quickly, she unfolded the paper.


    “Tonight. Midnight. Be ready.”


    Underneath the note, pressed into the bread, was a small key that was just the right size to unlock her handcuffs.


    Alexander’s POV


    The hotel was nicer than I expected. High ceilings, marble floors, and arge jacuzzi big enough for two. It looked more like a honeymoon suite than a regr single–night stay, but it wasfortable. Jane had booked it, insisting that we needed to make a good impression on the local pack leaders.


    I dropped my bag on the bed and pulled out my phone, finding no missed calls. I tried calling E, but the phone didn’t even ring–just silence. A few momentster, a loud tone yed, followed by a robotic voice that said, ” Sorry, we could not reach the number you dialed. Please hang up and try again.” And then the line went dead.


    I looked at my phone and realized that I didn’t have any service, which meant that I would have to wait to call E. I still felt awful for the way I snapped at her yesterday and wanted to reassure her that none of this was her fault, but it couldn’t happen now. I knew she would understand, though.


    Suddenly, a knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I crossed the room and opened it, finding Jane standing in the doorway. I blinked, confused. She wasn’t wearing her usual professional pantsuit; instead, she had on a tight red dress that hugged her curves, her hair down and styled in loose waves. She’d done her makeup differently too, darker and more sultry.


    “You look like you’re ready for a night out on the town,” I pointed out, arching a brow.


    +25 <b>Bonus </b>


    “Well, I was gonna go out, actually,” she said, smiling. “And then I realized that my room is right next door to yours and that it would be rude of me not to invite you.”


    “Thanks, but now probably isn’t the right time.”


    “Not even for a drink at the hotel bar? It’s quiet down there on a Wednesday night like tonight. We can talk about our next ns.”


    I sighed, scratching my head. It didn’t seem like the smartest idea to be seen drinking in public right now, but it had been a long day. A long week. Hell, a long lifetime. One drink before bed wouldn’t hurt.


    “Alright,” I said, reaching for my wallet. “But just one drink.”


    P


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    <strong>Sara Lili</strong> is a daring romance writer who turns icyndscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of d’s breathtaking cold.