VIKTOR’S POV

Soraya shifted, a flicker of unease barely visible before it vanished beneath that unfamiliar, practiced calm. It made me wonder what was really going on inside her.

“I don’t want to be shipped off to the next available Alpha,” she said. “I think it’s better here.”

I resisted the urge to frown. “And what makes you think a rogue is in any way better than a real Alpha?”

“Because you’re the first one who doesn’t bother pretending to like me,” she said, her voice steady, though something in the way she said it felt pitiful. “At least with you, the intention is clear. You want me for the...