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    Amber’s POV


    My loud no might have been ruder than I had intended it to be. I hadn’t meant to hurt Roman’s feelings. He had always been a good friend to me, and I wasn’t treating him very kindly by acting like marrying him would be the worst thing in the world.


    It wouldn’t, even though I didn’t love him that way. And I knew he only offered, just as he only pretended to be Alice’s real father,


    for our benefit. Ever since I was pulled from the waters after that ne crash, he had wanted to protect me.


    I knew, even misguided, that he meant no harm now.


    But with Alice on edge, I was on edge too. It made it difficult to see things from his perspective right now. Instead, I was angry that he had brought Alice out here for this, confusing her with all this talk of paternity, and pushing her to her limits when he knew


    more than almost anyone else how fragile she could be.


    He had good intentions, I knew, but Alice was still caught in the middle here.


    At the same time, I could also see he was annoyed with me. Perhaps he was frustrated that I wasn’t acting along with him, making


    his apparent ns less smooth than he likely anticipated.


    For the sake of his feelings and my own, as well as for Alice’s sake, I tried to be clearer though softer when I replied again.


    Though loud no was unnecessary, but that didn’t change my answer.


    “I’m sorry, Roman. I know you mean well. But I only see you as a friend,” I exin. “I’m incredibly grateful to you for this and for


    everything you’ve done, but I don’t see those feelings changing.”


    “They don’t need to change,” he says. But then he lets slip, “At least not right away,” revealing some of his hope. He presses on


    before I can address it. “There’s no reason we cannot wear rings and pretend to be married, even as we continue on with our


    separate lives.”


    Because he seems so earnest, I try to consider a life like that, living a lie to keep everyone away. I suppose it would offer a measure


    of protection to be the wife of a pack Alpha, even while away in another pack. And that protection would extend to Alice.


    But… even so… it felt so… wrong.


    Roman was a friend, and he was unmated. Somewhere out there could be his perfect fated mate just waiting for him to find her.


    What kind of friend would I be to selfishly ept this protection, binding him to me while knowing I could never love him like he


    wants?


    And what if he did meet his true mate after he was bound to me? He was such an honorable man, he would probably reject her to stay with me as he promised, sacrificing any hope for a happy future to continue to protect me.


    I couldn’t let him do that, not for my sake, and not even for Alice’s. I would do anything in the world for her, but I would not ask anyone else to make that same sacrifice, those same choices.


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug


    Besides all of that, Roman’s insertion into this mess only made things moreplicated between Julian and me.


    49%


    While things between us certainly weren’t easy and smooth, we had at least reached a type of professional understanding. Now that there were questions over paternity and timelines, those rumors that I cheated had more credence than they would have


    otherwise.


    Roman seemed to light an entire wildfire with this deration of being Alice’s father, and with this proposal.


    I would face new scrutiny in the pack… Would I even be allowed to stay?


    “I’m sorry, Roman,” I say. “But, no.”


    “But, Amber -”


    “That’s not going to change.’


    Alice whimpered against my neck. “Mommy… can we go talk to Julian?”


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug