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I swallowed hard as I understood the implication of what Dean was suggesting.This wasn’t just about Sterling’s past anymore.Somehow, I had gotten drawn into the line of fire.It was my future at stake too.“What do you need me to do?”

Dean’s smile had a flash of fang.“Write the truth.Not just Sterling’s story.Hers.Every lie, every crime, every life she’s ruined.We’ll leak it to the press in tandem with the evidence.She won’t see it coming.”

Sterling shook his head.“You don’t have to do this,” he murmured.“It’s dangerous.”

“I’m already in danger, Sterling.And I’m not going to back down.”

His gaze burned into mine, pride and something fiercer flickering in its depths.He nodded curtly.“Then let’s start today.”

The plan was set in motion by nightfall.Dean’s contacts in the media were ready, and my fingers flew across the keyboard as I wove the damning narrative of Violet Nightfang’s reign of terror.By the time I hit send, my hands shook from exhaustion and too many cups of coffee, but not from fear.This was my fight now, too.

Sterling’s hand settled on my shoulder.“You’re sure about this?”

I nodded.“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

He leaned down, his lips brushing my temple in an unexpectedly gentle gesture.“We’re going to win this battle, I can feel it in my bones.”

By morning, the article had made its way around the world.The internet exploded with outrage at the list of the Nightfang family’s crimes, and most of all, at its matriarch, Violet.I had included Dean’s evidence, interviews with victims of the family’s violent tactics, and proof of the lives they had taken.The outcry on the internet was swift and brutal.

Despite his hatred of his family, Sterling couldn’t bear to witness the mess as it exploded online.But I could.Wrapped in his arms, I scrolled through my phone, sifting through the reactions.People were part horrified, part skeptical, but none of them could look away from the trainwreck.

“How could a mother be so cruel to her own son?”

“There’s no way any of this is true.It’s a PR smear piece.”

One viral post caught my eye and brought a smile to my lips.It was a picture of Sterling in his jersey.He smiled at the camera, revealing none of the pain and suffering he was suffering privately.I scrolled through the hashtags.#Nightfangsexposed #SterlingDeservedBetter

This was it.After so many years of running away and secrecy, the truth was out there.Sterling was finally free from the manipulative clutches of his mother.There was nothing more she could hold over his head.

Sterling uncurled from his position on the couch and walked to the window.He was stoic and unreadable as ever as he stared out at the city below.On the television, a reporter stood outside the Nightfang family estate.The news ticker scrolled at the bottom of the screen.

“VIOLET NIGHTFANG HIDING FOLLOWING SHOCKING ALLEGATIONS…”

Sterling grabbed the remote and the screen went black.“They’re all treating it like some damn soap opera.”

I grabbed his hand and pulled him back down next to me.“But they’re listening.People are finally seeing the truth.And they’re on your side.How are you feeling?”

He exhaled sharply and rubbed his eyes with the base of his palm.“Relieved.Angry.Guilty.I don’t know.It’s complicated.”

I ran my hand through his hair.“That’s okay.No matter what she’s done, she’s still your mother.It’s natural to be conflicted.”

He turned to me with bleary eyes.“You’re too good for me, you know that?”

My heart swelled.Beneath the cold exterior, Sterling had a softness to him that the world couldn’t destroy.“And you’re too good to be a Nightfang, so that makes us perfectly even.”

He let out a deep chuckle and then pulled me into his arms.

While we waited for the media storm to blow over, and the paparazzi to disperse from the outside of his building, Sterling decided that it was best if we stayed in the penthouse.For dinner, we ordered Chinese takeout.

With cartons of stir fry and lo mein surrounding us, I finally asked the question that had been gnawing at me since Dean’s visit.“What did your brother mean earlier, about me being your mate?”

His chopsticks froze in mid-air.He swallowed and put down his carton of rice.“It’s a shifter thing.”

I scoffed.“I figured as much.”Poking at my noodles, I chose my next words carefully.“Is it like marriage?”

“More like destiny.Soulmates.”His features softened as he looked into my eyes.“For our kind, finding our fated mate is a rare once-in-a-lifetime thing.It isn’t by choice.There’s a deep connection that goes beyond conscious understanding.It’s something we feel in our blood, like finding a part of ourselves we never knew had been missing.”

My heart thudded in my ears.“And you know this about us?Is that how you feel about me?”