I was getting ready for the Malones’ anniversary party, to which I'd be going as Brian's date. When my step-mom had paid me that visit in my lowest moment, she broke down, showing more emotion than I'd ever thought she was capable of.

The business was in trouble, she said, and my father was unwell. The merger was the only way to save the business and continue his legacy. If I failed, then everything failed with me, and we'd be left with nothing. She didn't think her husband would survive that.

She had begged me, pleaded with me—go along with his plan. Fake it. Pretend. Whatever it takes. But don’t kill your father.

It was emotional manipulation strong enough to work, and now there I was, ready to present myself to the merging families as the boyfriend of Brian Malone. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t laid eyes on the man since that weekend last month. That we’d never spoken a word since. The arrangements have been made through our families, and I was to attend at eight sharp, ready to bestow a kiss upon the mouth of my beloved boyfriend.

I could vomit, honestly. I chose my ugliest tie.

A loud scratching at my door caught my attention. It was frenzied, panicked.

I went to the door and was shocked and overwhelmed to see Riley there. At first, if not for his scent, I wouldn’t have recognized the gray and tan wolf in front of me, dripping blood, panting for breath.

He shifted back onto two feet, and standing naked in front of me, covered in bruises, there he was. It was Riley, but not the Riley I remembered—cocky and charming and full of life. He was broken, both physically, and deep in his eyes. He was pleading with me, silently, to help.

I forgot how to breathe. I forgot how to speak. I pulled Riley in and gathered him close, holding him tight for the longest time.

Riley shuddered against me. He felt so small. I didn't know exactly why he was shaking, just that he was scared and he needed me and deep in my soul, as an alpha, I knew that I was the only one who could help.

Riley clung to me for a while, and I let him. I wrapped a blanket around his shoulders to cover him a little, and I pulled him to the couch and let him sit, practically in my lap, trembling in the safety of my arms. I waited for him to calm down, and stroked his soft hair, and kissed the top of his head.

“You’re safe,” I whispered. “It’s okay.”

Riley nodded numbly, staring out of my large penthouse windows.

“I know you’re probably wondering why I left.”

That was an understatement, but those words were obviously hard for Riley to get out, so I just nodded in understanding silence, and waited. He glanced at me nervously, so I reassured him.

“Whatever it is, you’re safe here.”

"I'm sorry. Michael is an ex-client of mine. An alpha. He was clingy, stalking, threatening me, but I didn't take it seriously until he threatened you.

“He showed up at your mansion and threatened to make a scene in front of your parents, and I didn't want to do that to you. I couldn't. You understand, don't you?"

I tried to hold back my anger, but I squeezed Riley closer to me, fighting against the urge to go and find the alpha and murder him by reassuring myself with Riley’s scent. I breathed him in until I was sure he wasn't going anywhere, and then spoke.

"I understand," I admitted. "But you went with him? You got in his car?"

"He was threatening everything—everything I knew you couldn't lose."

Riley had a point, I had to admit. "Where have you been?" I asked, slowly rubbing his scalp.

He winced, and I realized his head must be sore. He looked like crap. I wanted to get up and take care of him, but he was snuggled so firmly on top of me that I couldn't make myself. Not yet.

"At home," he admitted. "He forbid me from even being touched by anyone else. He said he'd ruin your life. He kept stalking me, watching me. And I didn't know if you would even want to see me, after how I left."

"Oh, Riley." I kissed him softly, careful of his split lip. "I searched for you. I had no idea how to find you."

Riley swallowed guiltily. "I know. And I was coming for you, when ... he pushed into my apartment. He got violent when he realized where I was going, and he tried to fuck me, but I didn't let him, so he..."

My hands balled into fists. "He hit you?"

He’d hit my mate. And I so wanted to hit Michael back for that. I felt a deep, burning, primitive rage.

How dare he hit my omega? He had no right to come anywhere near Riley, whom I had definitely marked as my own, much less to bruise him, break his skin and spill his blood.

Riley nodded, bleeding and terrified, and I gently picked him up. I carried him to the bath, and it was the most intimate we'd ever been, him trembling slightly, pale and a little skinnier than the last time I'd seen him. The last month had been hard on both of us. I turned on the water to warm and gently rinsed the blood away from him, inspecting his body.

As I cleaned him up, fury burned through my veins, warring with the all-consuming urge to protect my omega. I wanted more than anything to go to Riley’s, to find Michael there, and tear his whole body apart.

When I touched his bruises, he took my hand.

“I know what you’re thinking. But I’m telling you no. Not tonight.

“It’ll make things worse, and all I want, all I need right now, is the protection and comfort of my alpha. My mate.”

I stared at him. It was spoken aloud now, this thing we both knew. “How did you find out? Who told you?” I asked.

"No one had to tell me," he assured me. "I can just feel it—I can feel it every time, in every breath I take."

I felt like he understood. Like we understood each other. I leaned in, and we almost kissed, but Riley pulled back, clutching his ribs, and I shut off the shower and gently wrapped him in a towel.

His healing abilities would kick in soon, but that didn't make it any less agonizing to see my omega hurting like that. I took him back to the couch and bandaged his ribs tightly so they could heal into place. He wasn't shaking anymore, just sitting quietly, thoughtful, his blue eyes tracking me through the room as I went to get us both a drink.

I cracked a bottle of whiskey to calm our nerves, but Riley shook his head and held up his hand, refusing the glass. That was when I noticed it. Riley had his hand placed protectively over his lower belly. I searched his eyes, asking without words, and Riley swallowed, nodding.

"I'm not sure," he admitted softly, and from the worry in his eyes, he wasn't sure how I could take it, but my heart soared even at the thought. "I want to find out together."