CIARA'S POV 

As I spoke, I could see the tension in Alpha Bestian's body begin to ease. I could see the pain and hurt in his eyes begin to fade. And I knew that I was getting through to him.

But just as I thought I was making progress, Alpha Bestian's expression hardened again. "Ciara, stop," he said, his voice firm. "Just stop. You're not going to fix this with words. You're going to have to do a lot more than that if you want to make things right between us."

But as I looked at him, I saw the challenge in his eyes. I saw determination and strength. And...