Swift's POV
Three steps. That was all Max Greyson needed to close the distance between us before this deadly game would have reached its violent conclusion. Three steps before blood would have painted the ground red.
But she stepped between us.
In those crucial moments that followed, she could have been mine forever. Instead, she chose to protect him again.
My wolf had been clawing at the edges of control when she walked away, but the lingering warmth of her touch on my palm kept me anchored to reason. Her scent clung to my skin like a whispered promise. I found myself desperate to experience her true essence, the one she kept hidden beneath layers of expensive perfume.
"Alpha Swift." Mariyah's smooth voice cut through my thoughts as she settled into the chair across from me. Her legs crossed with practiced elegance, that familiar teasing smile playing on her lips. "I noticed you deliberately lost to Evan Clemens back there. Tell me, do you have feelings for him?"
