Two weeks down and a lifetime to go. Kat stared out the window of the limo and wondered how many marriages were secretly like hers. When she and Alex went out together, they acted deliriously happy. Blissful, even. They both played their parts perfectly to show the Tierton world the clans had truly united. Alex acted the ever-attentive, charming groom and Kat looked every inch the blushing bride, full of adoration for her new husband. She had no idea if her performance was believable, but he was such a good actor, even she occasionally forgot to hate him.

The story became far different when they returned home to Alex’s luxury apartment. They barely spoke. Katrina slept in the guest room while Alex kept to his office. If they happened to bump into each other in the kitchen, they acted like polite strangers. Just being in the apartment gave her hives. One moment she couldn’t stop herself from remembering that marvelous night, and the next moment she’d relive the awful morning that had followed. Even though this had been entirely Katrina’s choice, this turn of events left her inexplicably and entirely miserable.

Then there was Alex. She had no idea how he felt, and she tried really, really hard not to care. Most of the time, he mirrored her distant and aloof manner, but every now and then, she’d turn and catch him watching her. Of course, he’d avert his eyes immediately, but not before she saw longing in them. In the few seconds that followed, her body would always betray her, urging her to go to him, fall into his arms, let go of all the anger that ate at her soul. Then her brain would kick into gear and she’d chastise herself for still being attracted to a man she loathed.

As Kat watched the city lights whiz by, she wondered what might have happened between them if their fathers hadn’t betrothed them as children. In her fantasy, that first, magical date would have been followed by many more, then marriage and mating, and five…no, six cubs to keep them running in circles. A sad smile twitched at her lips, then fell away. The reality was that the clans would never have found peace, thousands of their kind would have slaughtered each other, and they likely never would have met.

Reality was a bitch.

The limo eased to a stop outside a fancy hotel in the most chi-chi part of the city. Kat sighed and kept her focus on the paparazzi waiting to snap their photograph.

“What is it this time?” she asked, her tone a perfect mix of boredom and resignation.

“Charity dinner.” Alex’s voice was just as flat as hers. “Money goes to help sick kids.”

Finally Kat met his tired gaze. “Okay, game faces.”

They smiled tightly at each other, then let their smiles broaden into wide grins as they climbed out of the car. Lights flashed and she kept the smile locked in place. Even when Alex slipped his arm around her waist as they entered the building, she smiled and did her best to ignore the thrill of desire that pulsed in her veins at his touch.

When Alex’s business associates gathered around to meet his new wife, Kat smiled brightly and chatted with each, playing the perfect mate. This was her life now, and she might as well make the best of it. And she couldn’t deny how much she enjoyed being pampered by Alex — when they were in public. He always held out her chair for her and made sure she was comfortable before fetching her drinks from the bar. When he would settle in next to her, she’d kiss his cheek and beam at him as if he was the most wonderful man in the known universe. Such affectionate displays were surprisingly easy to fake.

The dinner was delicious, though the conversation was painfully boring. Only Alex brightened the discussion with his charm and humor. Still, she couldn’t help being relieved when everyone moved to the ballroom for drinks and dancing, and not just because Alex was a wonderful dance partner. The moment the music started, he pulled her into his arms and spun her across the room. Their bodies moved in perfect synchronicity, almost as if they were made for each other.

“Did you see the van Gogh in the other room?” Alex asked as they glided around the floor, thankfully pulling Kat out of her dangerous thoughts.

“Immediately. It’s the prize of their collection.”

“I figured,” he said with a soft smile. “I loved what you said about van Gogh, that his madness turned to music on canvas.”

Kat flushed with surprise. She’d said that during their date. Ever since he’d dumped her so unceremoniously, she’d worked hard to convince herself he’d only pretended to listen in his quest to bed her. But he remembered, and Kat couldn’t stop herself from returning his smile. She relaxed just a fraction and allowed her body to move a tiny bit closer to him.

The orchestra finished the piece and launched into one she recognized. It was the same song she and Alex had danced to on their date. The memory brought tears to her eyes and her feet tripped over each other. Alex caught her, and held her in his arms so gently she wanted to remain there forever.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

“I’m fine.” She pulled away and glanced around to see if anyone had seen. If they had, they certainly weren’t paying any attention now.

“Do you need a break?”

At Kat’s nod, he led her off the dance floor, but before she could excuse herself to the ladies’ room, an older couple approached. Kat remembered meeting them at some other function she’d had to attend. Cal and Glenda Johnson. Cal — a tubby, red-faced blowhard — was Alex’s subordinate, and it was clear from his passive-aggressive attitude, he didn’t like it. Unfortunately for Glenda, who was light years out of her husband’s league in the looks department, Cal seemed to take his frustration out on her.

“Looking good out there, Alex,” Cal boomed as he shook his superior’s hand aggressively. “This wife of yours—” his gazed swept the length of Kat’s body, barely managing to stay on the right side of lecherous “—makes me wish I could trade mine in for a younger model.”

Katrina flinched as the smile froze on Glenda’s face. She tried to think of a proper retort, but Alex beat her to it.

“Oh, I don’t know, Cal.” He gave the older woman an appreciative look and a wink. “Whenever you bring your wife to an event, all the office can talk about the next day is how on earth you managed to land her. Surely you can’t expect to hit the jackpot twice.”

Cal’s mouth fell open, but Alex didn’t give him a chance to speak. “Glenda, you danced with me once a few years ago and I’ve never forgotten it. Would you do me the honor again?”

He held out his arm and she took it with a delighted blush. He began to lead her to the dance floor, then threw over his shoulder, “Cal, be a gentleman and fetch the ladies some fresh drinks, would you? I promise, I’ll take good care of your gorgeous wife.”

Cal stared after them a moment, then ducked his head and scampered off in the direction of the bar. Kat stared too, but for entirely different reasons. As much as she wanted to hate Alex, he seemed to insist on behaving like the stand-up guy he’d proven not to be.

Or had he?

Maybe the man on the dance floor was the real Alex. He’d managed to take Cal down a peg, while bucking up Glenda, and all without uttering a single harsh word. And the older woman seemed to bloom under his attention. It was what he did. He allowed people to be their best selves, including Kat.

The ice surrounding her heart started to melt. As distasteful as being forced to marry someone was, her situation wasn’t really all that bad. Her husband was handsome, charming, kind and intelligent. Sure, it would have been nice to choose who she married, but people didn’t always choose so well. After all, Glenda had chosen Cal, and look how that had turned out. Maybe when they got home, she’d talk to Alex and they could—

“God, he’s a great dancer, isn’t he?”

Kat jumped at the woman’s voice. She’d snuck upon Kat, which wasn’t easy to do after years of self-defense training. The woman stood a little taller than Kat and was model-thin, with ice-blonde hair and sharp Nordic features. Polar bear, no doubt about it.

“Excuse me?” Kat asked, smiling tentatively at the blonde bombshell.

“Alex. He’s fantastic.” She tore her gaze from Alex and smirked down at Katrina. “I’m Nadia.”

Nadia had the bearing of an empress, with the looks and attitude to match. Even though Kat was the daughter of a Tier, Nadia somehow made her feel inferior. Nevertheless, Kat shook her hand and introduced herself. “Katrina Ham— I mean, Fairchild.”

“I know who you are, sweetie. I just can’t figure out why Alex hasn’t introduced us yet. We’re very close friends.”

Tingles of alarm wriggled up Kat’s spine. All she could think to say was, “Oh?”

“Oh yes. I’m afraid I’m one of the many, many women whose heart was broken when Alex married for the good of the clan.”

Kat could only manage a small, closed-lip smile thanks to her suddenly grinding teeth. Many? No, not just ‘many’ but ‘many, many’.

Nadia ignored Kat’s discomfort. “Of course, I was smarter than a lot of them — I never hoped to tie down a man like that. Some men just aren’t the sort to settle for one woman, know what I mean?”

Kat froze, unable to move, speak or even break away from this ice queen.

“I will miss that apartment, though,” Nadia said with a sigh. “Especially the couch. And the dining room table. Oh, and the computer desk, the love seat in the TV room, the chairs on the terrace, the kitchen counter… Well, maybe not the counter. The marble gets a little cold, don’t you think? Although I can’t say I minded in the moment. Alex really knows how to work his…furniture.”

Kat had never had any trouble holding her own, even against the cattiest of girls, but Nadia had blindsided her, leaving her standing there stunned.

“Oh, I’d better go,” Nadia said, her voice like a million shards of glass in Kat’s ears. “My date’s looking for me. Nice to meet you!”

Kat didn’t respond, didn’t even look in Nadia’s direction. She just walked directly to the ladies’ room, do no pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars. No way would she give that bitch the satisfaction of seeing how much her hateful words had affected Kat. Only once she was safely hidden in a stall did she let her emotions roll over her freely in the form of full-body shakes. But no tears. She’d never cry over that man again.

Alex was a player, she knew that, but exactly how many women had he slept with? Nadia made it sound like he’d considered it a sport. And men like that didn’t change, at least not overnight. As far as she knew, he’d already found a few ladies to sate his desires since the wedding. As much as her soul wanted to deny it, Kat had to admit Nadia was right — Alex could never be tied down, and she could accept that.

What really hurt though, was how special he’d made her feel when she turned out to be just another notch on his bedpost. All those compliments, the longing glances, the lovemaking that, to her, had actually felt like…love. It had meant nothing to Alex. Just a way to get in her pants. A game.

You’re an idiot, Kat.

Knowing practically every young woman in Clan Fairchild could have been one of Alex’s ‘many, many’ ex-lovers — oh hell, maybe even current lovers — was humiliating enough, but with the merging of the clans, his pool of eligible females had just doubled. Once he started working his way through Clan Hamilton females — women she’d grown up with, women she called friends — the humiliation would be too great for Kat to bear. She imagined attending a dinner party, not realizing that the woman across from her was his current mistress. Glances and winks behind her back, everyone else feeling sorry for her, but also amused at her naiveté…

She couldn’t do it. It was too much to ask. Surely, after almost two decades of peace, the clans would manage not to return to war just because she left. Maybe they wouldn’t have to know. She didn’t have to declare the end of the marriage publicly. She could just slip away. Alex and her family could claim she was ill or traveling. Whatever.

Her bear instinct told her to run now, right away, disappear into the darkness, but this kind of escape had to be meticulously planned to work. She’d have to research the most remote, unexplored forest in the world, stash away whatever she’d need to get there, then pick the perfect moment to make her getaway.

A cold resolve iced over the thawing bit of her heart, giving her the strength to pull herself together and leave the bathroom. Before flinging the door open, she painted on a happy smile. Her cheeks ached from the falsity of it all, but she wouldn’t have to do it for much longer. Just a few more days, a week at the tops. Then she’d be gone forever.