Chapter 184

 “Alpha Heir is right,” Going-gray said. “He has to look at the big picture instead of being ruled by emotions. We don’t live in a perfect world. So, Shade, you’ll need to pull your head out of your naïve ass and follow in your brother’s footsteps.”

No one could kiss ass better and faster than him.

“Pip won’t hear a word of this,” Sideburns warned. “You can never tell her, Shade.”

Shade sneered. “You’re afraid that once she knows she’s actually the fated mate to the Alpha Heir, she’ll cling to you like those gold-diggers and social climbers you used to date?”

“It’s a possibility,” Sideburns said in a rough voice, ignoring the sarcasm dripping from his brother’s words. “But I can’t take the chance. That girl is a wild card, and the last thing I want is for her to make a scene.” He paused for a second. “Also, it’s for her safety that no one else knows what she is to me.”

Motherfucker really regarded me as dirt.

“You think Viviane will make a move to get rid of Pip if this leaks out?” Shade now sounded concerned.

Sideburns sighed. “You know she’s spoiled, powerful, and vicious. What she wants, she gets.”

“You know what’s at stake, Shade,” Going-gray said. “We need Princess Viviane’s shifter army if we want to win this war against the vampires. And that Pip girl has nothing to offer other than her good looks, foul mouth, and bad manners.”

“She’s too good for you anyway, Jared,” Shade said coldly. “You’re playing with fate, and it’ll bite you hard in the ass.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Sideburns answered icily.

A riot of negative emotions twirled in my middle. Ice settled in the pit of my stomach. My fated mate had made his intentions clear. He didn’t want me, yet he wouldn’t allow anyone else to have me. He’d hang me high and dry for his own selfish needs.

For a full half minute, I felt utterly sorry for myself and cursed fate. There were millions of dicks, and the meddling, mean hag had to pick this asshole for me. She wanted to have a good laugh by seeing me heartbroken and losing any little hope I had.

But I didn’t need to follow her program. I wouldn’t commit to a jerk.

 Fortunately, I didn’t feel emotionally attached to Sideburns, even though the physical attraction between us felt like a live wire.

I had to escape him and the situation—the sooner the better. Once we reached Shifter City, he might lock me up. Shade would try to help me, but he wasn’t the Alpha Heir, the second most powerful man in the shifter world.

Before I could get the fuck out of here, however, I’d like to teach Sideburns a lesson. I wasn’t sure if I could do what I was about to do, but it didn’t hurt to try.

With a mental push, I called a violent wind upon Sideburns. Surprisingly, the magic obeyed and blew open the tent in a small, swirling tornado that carried dried grass, dead bugs, and dirt. It twirled straight for him, then blew into his face before he could raise his hand to fend it off or cover his mouth.