"What are you doing here?" She didn't like sounding so haughty, but she couldn't help it. The man set her nerves on alert.

He arched a dark eyebrow and smiled. "How did I know you'd be excited to see me? Sarina's on the way, and I believe at least one of the Alphas should keep watch over you while you're in danger."

"And that someone should be you?" She crossed her arms and cocked a hip to the side like a teenage girl with attitude.

"Of course. Nothing better than keeping watch over a beautiful woman."

She rolled her eyes and stomped into the living room. "Oh please, enough with the flattery. It's ridiculous and unnecessary. I don't need your pity, your words, or anything from you."

She turned her back on him, which was a mistake for he stalked towards her on silent steps. Strong hands curled around her shoulders and spun her to face him. Their eyes caught, and for a moment, the world stilled except for them. They both remembered the kiss from last night.               Electric heat flowed between them. Alison heard a strange noise and realized it was her own quick breathing. He was so close. If she just lifted onto her toes, she could reach his mouth.

That thought shattered her passion better than ice water. She could never lose herself with him, would never kiss him, never be with him.

"Please don't touch me." She took a step back and looked away from his piercing eyes, from the dark arousal that ebbed there.

"Why do you hate me?"

His blunt words cut through her. She backed away to a chair and sat heavily in it. What could she tell him really? She couldn’t tell him about her past, it was too humiliating, too awful to relive.

She decided to settle with a half-truth. "I don't hate you. I just don't like you." He started to answer, but was interrupted with a soft knock at the door. Alison rushed to answer it, relieved to see her friend's face.

They hugged fiercely as if they hadn't just seen each other the night before. But their bond was strong, one made of years of dedication, secret keeping, and most of all helping each other at the worst of times. Sarina had helped her after her incident with Conlin, a time so horrible her family no longer even invited her to holidays.

"Vane is visiting with the Justicars today. They will need to speak with you of course. I know you wanted to wait but Vane talked to me about it last night…and well, he’s very persuasive. I hope you won’t be mad." Sarina took a seat, giving Rome a pointed look that had him shrugging.

Alison sighed. She couldn’t be mad at her friend when she was only doing the right thing. However she was afraid that ‘right thing’ might end up hurting her worse.

“Like I said last night, I don't have any proof that it's him."

"There's where you're wrong! At Rome's request this morning, we've sent some men to collect the DNA from Conlin's...err, from the bed sheets. If it's a match for Conlin then that's perfect evidence that he was the one that did it."

Alison massaged the tense muscles at her neck, the tight pain pinching at her. "Oh, I honestly hadn’t thought of that. Yesterday everything was just a blur to me. What good is that going to do me really? I suppose I can get an order to keep him away from me, but he's the famous Prince Conlin, I hardly think he cares much for legalities. Most likely he has friends in the judicial system too."

"I know, but at least it's something for now and it's a record for the Justicars. Those letters would be nice evidence, but then again it's not like he signed them. How did you sleep, Ali?" Sarina’s quick change of subject made her smile, albeit a strained smile.

Alison peeked at Rome, as if she could miss him. The man took up entirely too much space in the small cabin. The way he was looking at her was very disconcerting, like he was trying to read her every thought and expression. A blush stole across her face before she could try to stop it. She tried to hide the blush, but Sarina already saw it. Sarina glanced over at Rome and winked.

Alison wanted to tell her friend that the nightmare was back. The same one she'd spend months battling before. The night Conlin almost killed her. She hated that time of her life. She had been weak, scared, humiliated, and even after the ordeal she had spent countless nights waking up in a cold sweat, shaking.

"I slept fine. How's everything been going with you?"

Sarina sighed and relaxed in her chair. "Father disinherited me and disowned me. I received the legal papers a few weeks ago. Surprisingly it didn't hurt at all, well not much."

Sarina's father was one of the last pure bloodlines of lykaens in the Midwest. He'd spent his own life training his daughter to bear the right kind of sons with the right man. However, when Sarina went against his wishes and chose love, the king didn't like that, and as a result, had tried to marry Sarina off to Conlin. That didn’t go down as the king planned when Sarina and Alison made an escape thanks to the help of Darien and Rome Kategan.

Later at Vane and Sarina’s mating ceremony, Alison used her knowledge of Conlin to taunt him and help save Sarina's life. She didn't regret saying the words. Taunting his masculinity--what there was of it—was worth saving Sarina. But her words had consequences, ones she was paying the price for now.

"I can't believe the bastard, really. He acts as if you were never more than a breeding mare."

Suddenly, Sarina burst out laughing. "Oh my God, Ali, I told Vane the same thing." Alison laughed with her and felt some of the tension in her shoulders ease.

"Listen, I need to go to work. I need something to do, I can't just stay cooped up in this cabin until something happens."

Rome shook his head and stalked towards her. "That's not a good idea. Even if we send a guard with you, you will still be out in the open, in public. Kategan land will keep him away."

The nerve of the man. Alison glared up at him. "You listen here, Goldilocks. I have a business to run. Conlin isn't one to stop at the border property just because the sign says 'No Trespassing.' Okay? So, I'm going to work, send some guards with me, that's fine. If he's coming for me, then being here isn't going to deter him."

Her words seem to enrage him. His nostrils flared, and he grabbed her brutally by the arms bringing her hard against his body. She could feel every hard inch of his chest against her soft one, and for a crazy moment, she yearned to press her hips a little bit forward see if he was as excited as she was.

"Don't be stupid. You're not going to work. It’s not safe.”

She sputtered, “Damn right I’m going to work. I have nothing to do here and a business to run, ‘kay thanks.”

His jaw tightened until she thought it would crack. “Then you're not going anywhere without me. Consider me your own personal bodyguard, Alison." Alison actually trembled in his arms. The way he said her name was low and husky. It made her nipples harden in response as if her body was tuned to his voice on some primal level.

His eyes fell to her lips and she fought not to wet them in front of him. Somehow finding some modicum of sanity, she pushed him away. He let go slowly and backed up, his chest moving a little bit faster than before.

"Well now, isn't this interesting," Sarina said in a singsong voice.

Alison suddenly just remembered something. Snatching her friend by the hand, she brought her into the bathroom with her and slammed the door shut.

"What's going on? You know, girls really don't have to follow each other to use the bathroom, Ali."

"Oh shut up. Listen, I just remembered something."