The car slows down. Penelope lifted her head and saw series of huge, luxurious structures loom before them.

Modern mansions with golden lights shone through the open windows nestle against each other atop a well-guarded hill. There was forest by the left, which rises to the top of the mountain, and to the right stretches a huge, seemingly endless lake that would easily compete with the sea.

“This is beautiful,” she said.

“Thank you,” he said, obviously proud of his domain.

The Southern Moon pack, is one of the most powerful in the country, and probably the richest in the city.

Years ago there was a dispute between both pack, which separated the assets and finances of the packs, who had been powerful trading partners in the past.

No one knew exactly what happened, but from then, each went their own way.

Bloodline Park, where Penelope came from was also powerful, and in recent years her dad has increased the wealth, thus benefiting the pack, but it's clear that the Grants fortune knows no bounds.

Penelope watched him parks the car in a small park near the lake. Fireflies fly overhead, and in the distance, crickets chirp over the grass.

“What are you doing?” She asked as he got out of the late model sports car and turn around to open the door for her. “I thought we were going straight home.”

Penelope furrowed her brows.

She got out of the car and followed him. He points to a huge mansion at the top of the hill.

“We'll be there soon, but I thought we should talk a bit about our alibi first.”

His tone sound harsh, but contains a slight hint of a joke.

“Oh. That,” Penelope tried to sound hilarious.

She followed him and they began to walk at a leisurely pace along the path that wound around the park.

She couldn’t help but bring her hands to her arms to rub them, as at this instant she felt like she might freeze to death.

Astride noticed and took off his jacket in one fluid motion.

Underneath the garment he wears an impeccable white shirt and a gray vest that matched his eyes. The defined musculature of his arms that’s easily drawn over both garments.

“Thank you," she whisper as he reaches over to put the jacket on her.

“You're welcome,” he said calmly.

His eyes linger on hers for a moment, and his lips part unwillingly in anticipation, as if she’d unconsciously want him to kiss me.

He analyzes hee expression closely. One of his hands comes up and caresses her face, brushing aside a strand of hair that plays across her cheek.

“Could he even notice the way her skin prickled at his touch?” Penelope thought.

It’s mysterious and completely unexpected reaction. It climbs up her skin and takes her breath away, causing her to snuggle under the jacket, which smells deeply of him.

Penelope looked away, overwhelmed by his powerful aura.

“What is happening to her?

How could she forget he’s an Alpha and an enemy to their pack?

And yet, he’s her fake husband now, but she barely know him. For all she knows, he could be pretending right now, testing her.

Alpha Astride began to pace slowly after rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, so that his tattoos are much more obvious.

Would he have any idea how incredibly attractive he looks like that?

Penelope thought.

Just another sign for her to be careful, he knows he’s raved and desired by many, he knows he has an effect on everyone, and she wasn’t an exceptional.

“What do you want to talk about?” She asked, trying to focus and to forget the irresistible attraction he seems to arouse in her.

“There are a couple of things you should probably know before we get home,” he said slowly, as if choosing his words carefully.

She nodded. “Good. Shoot.”

He looks down as his eyes never left hers.

“My mother... She is a special person to me.”

Penelope change her demeanor after hearing those words.

“Aren't mothers special to everyone?” She asked wryly. His lips draw a grimace halfway to a smile.

“Maybe they are. But in my case it's different. My mom is sick,” he confesses.

“Oh. I'm sorry.”

Her expression suddenly becomes serious and ceremonial. Sickness, as well as death, are extremely rare among their kind. They usually had long lives and do not age at the rate of humans, nor do they function as they do.

He nodded slowly, processing his own words and then continue.

“She has been sick for as long as I can remember. That has led us to be very close. I would never do anything to hurt her,” he said.

At that moment, Penelope noticed something in his voice, a certain protective tone that under other circumstances might be almost fierce.

She nodded.

It seems he was trying to keep everything under his control and not scare her away.

“I understand,”she replied instead.

“Good,” he clarified.

“That means we’ve to convince her that indeed we’re aperfect couple. She was very happy to think that I was getting married and I don't want to ruin that happiness under any circumstances.”

“What is your mother's name?”She asked instead.

“May,” his lips slowly draw an almost barely noticeable smile. It is evident that he cares a lot about her.

“What did you tell her about us?”she asked further.

“That we met in a jewelry store, a year ago. You tripped and fell into my arms, and it was love at first sight.”

“How romantic” Penelope said, picturing the scene, with a hint of humor in her voice.

“It's supposed to be. Mom didn't like knowing that I hid our alleged relationship from her for so long. I had to tell her that we did it for the good of the packs.”

“Naturally,” she replied, her tiny arms crossed under his jacket, to keep herself warm. “If anyone had known, they would have all gone crazy. Especially my dad, who is still waiting for an explanation from me.”

He rubbed his temple and said,

“That's right. And that's the excuse we'll give for not inviting her to the wedding. Because until the last second we cant tell if your father would accept us as husband and wife. I had to fight for you all this time. But we made it. and now we are together.”

“Good. It's a beautiful story, I guess," she said, obviously tired.

Penelope suddenly felt uncomfortable as they followed the path that brings them closer to the lake. By this time her heels were killing her already and the tight heavy dress she wore was cutting off her circulation.

All she wanted at this moment was to take a bath and have some rest.

“Do we have to rehearse it now?” Her lips pouted. “It's already late. I'm sure she's asleep. We can explain everything to her in the morning, over breakfast.”

But he shook his head.

“I assure you she'll be expecting us. And I won't take you there until we have this rehearsed.”

He stops then, and looks at her. Penelope sighed and roll her eyes at him.

“Okay, we met a year ago in a bakery...” She began to recite.

“In a jewelry store,” he corrected.

“Right. In a jewelry store,” she bite on her tongue. “I fell into your arms and it was love at first sight. And everything else.”

Astride stops and looked at hee seriously. He was so intimidating that Penelope couldn’t help but stop right there, her heart beating faster.

“Say it like you meant every word,” he said with a hard voice.

“I beg your pardon?” As if breaking the spell, Penelope ached her eyebrow.

“For my mom to believe it, I have to believe it first. Say it like you mean it.”

“It's not true, Astride,” she remind him, pursing her lips.

“I know it's not,” his gaze meets hers. It's hard and immediately imposes respect. “But it must look like it.”

Astride stared at the woman in front of him.

He took a step towards her. Unexpectedly, he grabbed her, pulling her to himself, causing Penelope cold to melt away and for a moment, all she could focus on is the warmth emanating from his body.

“What are you doing?” She asked in an attempt of a demanding voice but it came cracking with nerves. Astride ignored her question and said rather,

“Look, I did this for you. I got you out of a jam and your reputation remained intact. Now I want the same thing. You'll look me in the eye and make her believe that we love each other madly. That all we can think about is how much we want each other.”

Penelope swallow slowly.

She felt shivers running her spine and the butterfly in her stomach wasn’t helping either.

“What is wrong with me? Of course he is just practicing our lie, he doesn’t know me, he doesn’t love me. We just met!” She assured herself.

“Okay,” she breathed in to calm herself and place a hand on his chest to keep her balance. His musculature is drawn against the palm of her hand.

Her gaze searched for him. Suddenly her mouth felt dry and her heart started pounding.

She knew he could hear it. It is ridiculous how he affects her, that she have to remind herself constantly how to breathe.

“We met in a jewelry store a year ago. I fell into your arms when I tripped,” she says . He nodded, maybe please by what she just said.

“Go on.”

“The instant I saw you, I knew,”she muttered, feeling that her words are dangerously close to being true.

“Something in me felt connected to you. I didn't know who you were, or what your name was, but I couldn't lose you. I couldn't walk away from you.”

His lips draw into a slow smile. He nodded at her words as if he was satisfied.

“Much better,” he replies.

He releases her then. But he does it slowly. His fingertips run along her lower back, making her breath to seize.

The effect of his hand on her body and she feared what might happen in the next minutes if he doesn’t let go of her.

“Remember those words. You will recite them the same way when you meet my mother,” he commands, taking her hand and lead her back to the car.

She followed his silently.

She couldn’t tell what was happening to her. Those were mere words but it feels so true to her.

For Pete sake, she only met him and just couldn’t couldn’t her desire for him.

Has she always felt this way towards Killah. It all felt real but she knew better than anyone that this was just a facade.