CHAPTER EIGHTY


    CHAPTER EIGHTY


    Talia’s POV


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    Nn lifted the ss in his hand to toast me. Then, he tilted his head toward the bar and said, “Come. We can talk where it’s quieter.” Without waiting for my agreement, he started walking back and I followed.


    De winked at me as we walked back to the bar. Inwardly, I groaned. I knew she wasn’t going to behave and pester me about this after the party was over. I sat back down next to her and Nn took a seat a stool away from <ol><li></li></ol>


    “Thank you,” I said quietly. “For taking me to the hospitalst time.”


    I hated that I owed him anything, least of all gratitude. Worse still was the fragmented memories of that night kept returning at the worst time. I still couldn’t believe I begged him to mark me.


    “It was nothing,” Nn responded.


    What?


    Thest time I thanked him he had been rude to me. Why was his response different this time?


    “You clean up well, Alpha Nn,” De chimed in, leaning around me. She gave him a bold once-over. “Very handsome. You almost look like a gentleman tonight.”


    I groaned and hissed, “Don’t embarrass him.”


    “What? I’m just stating the obvious. You agree with me, right? He looks good tonight,” De continued, and I tried to hide my face behind my drink.


    Nn didn’t react, but his Beta did. Marco scowled. “You should know better than to parade yourself around in that dress. It’s indecent. Miss De.”


    De gasped as if he had struck her. “Indecent?” she scoffed. “This is a camisole dress. It’s elegant and trendy, not that you’d know the difference.”


    Marco’s ears darkened as he walked over to her. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled off the stool. “It’s too short. It shows too much.” He pulled off his jacket to give it to her, but De pped his hand away.


    “It shows exactly as much as I want it to,” De shot back. “If you have such an issue with it, don’t look.”


    Their argument drew curious nces. I didn’t understand why she was getting so worked up. “De, take it easy. I don’t think Beta Marco meant any harm.”


    “No, Talia. He doesn’t get to tell me what I can and can’t wear.”


    “You’re impossible!” Marco snapped. “Beta Logan raised you better than to unt yourself like this!”


    De’s eyes widened in anger. “Oh, thank you, Father Marco. Next time I’ll remember to ask you how I should breathe too,” she mocked.


    “De, I don’t mean-” Marco started.


    “No, I don’t want to hear it,” De said before walking toward the dance floor. She grabbed the first willing partner and began dancing.


    Marco pinched the bridge of his nose and cursed under his breath before following her onto the dance floor.


    CHAPTER EIGHTY


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    “What was that about?” I said to myself. The tension between them was strange. Had I missed something while I was recovering?


    When I turned back to the bar, I noticed Nn had slid onto the stool beside me. He was staring at the row of bottles.


    “Thinking of ordering another drink?” I asked.


    Nn shook his head. “No, I just need to focus on something. I hate noisy asions,” he said tly.


    Before I could ask Nn why he was here tonight if he didn’t likeing to these kinds of asions, I felt someone staring at me. Even with my dulled senses, I already knew who it was and knew I was toote to flee.


    Jason dropped onto the stool on my other side, grinning broadly, already toofortable.


    “Now this is a party,” Jason dered, his voice carrying across the bar. Several wolves turned to look.


    I fought the urge to cringe. I didn’t know how I had ever tolerated his arrogance when we were mated. Love truly blinded me.


    Jason leaned closer, his gaze sliding down the length of my body. “Talia, you look… incredible. Sexy. Just like when you used to dance back at Shadoww.”


    His words made my skin crawl. His eyes lingered on me for too long. “That is nice of you to say,” I said ndly and then, finished my drink.


    Before I could excuse myself, Jason leaned in further, cing his hand over mine. “Dance with me for old times’ sake.”


    Before I could speak, Nn growled, “Leave.”


    Jason froze. The grin faltered, arrogance slipping from his face. He looked between us, nervousughter escaping him. “I was just…”


    “Leave,” Nn repeated. This time he turned his head to look at Jason. “I want to speak with her. Alone.”


    Jason swallowed hard. His wolf must have felt Nn’s Aura ring because Jason quickly stood up. Muttering something under his breath, he left us alone.


    I hated to admit that De was right. We needed to keep Nn around to keep Jason away from me.


    I turned to Nn and asked, “What was that about?”


    “He was too noisy,” Nn said simply and took another sip of his drink.


    Iughed. For all the rumors about his brutality, he wasn’t nearly as terrifying as everyone imed. In fact, he was interesting. There was more to him than the cruel Alpha persona.


    Nn set his ss down and turned fully toward me. His eyes locked onto mine, but he said nothing.


    “Is something on my face?” I asked.


    “No,” he replied.


    I didn’t know what else to say, so I stayed quiet and allowed myself to look at him.


    His shirt pulled across his chest when he leaned closer, and I caught sight of a faint scar tracing the line of his neck. Hisshes framed his eyes. How had I not noticed that he had green eyes? My gaze went to his mouth, and


    CHAPTER EIGHTY


    the thought of how his lips might feel made me blush again.


    My pulse quickened. I shifted on the barstool, trying to distract myself.


    “So, what’s up? Why are you staring?” I asked nervously.


    “Do you still like Jason?” Nn asked suddenly.


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