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She’s quiet for a moment. So long it makes me think she won’t answer me.

“Love,” she finally says.

My wolf growls in my head. He does not like the idea she was ever in love with anyone else. Admittedly, I feel the same way. Only because her love for that asshole hurt her.

I want to ask her more questions, but I don’t want to make the mood any more depressed.

“Come on,” I say, kissing her cheek and then helping her stand. “Let’s finish setting up so we can eat.”

We spend the next thirty minutes setting up our camp. I plugged my phone up to the small speaker I brought with me. Michaela loves all music. I’ve heard her listening to everything from classical, to jazz, to country, to Reggae to hip hop and R&B.

Tonight, I turned on the mix I made just for her. Right now, a male singer named Anthony Hamilton sings about the Point of it All. His soulful voice echoes exactly how I feel about Michaela.

I glance over at her as she slowly sways to the music. As the song suggests, I can’t stay away from her. I ease over to her, holding my hand for her to take. She grins as she slips her hand into mine. I pull her into me as we sway to the song underneath the stars.

Staring down into her face causes my heart to beat faster. My stomach flutters. It’s crazy to believe how hard and fast I have fallen for this woman.

Michaela

I never thought I’d be this happy. Out here in these woods with Enzo has been the most at peace I’ve ever been. Even when the subject of my cuffs turned heavy, it didn’t take away from the way I feel around him. Right now, as I dance underneath the stars in his arms, I realize something that is equally frightening and exciting. I’m falling for this man.

I can see in his eyes that he’s feeling the same way. I can tell by the way he holds me so close. The way he refuses to break eye contact with me. Even the way his heart beats in sync with mine.

Enzo opens his mouth to speak. I do not know what he will say, but something in me tells me it will change everything once he says it.

He licks his full lips. “Michaela, I l….”

Searing pain explodes in my head. I scream out as I clutch my temples.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Enzo says, but I can’t concentrate or answer him. My brain feels as if someone has a blowtorch to it. I have never felt such pain. Then, I heard it. His voice is dark and heavy in my mind.

“Mizani,”Markis calls out to me.“What have you done?”

My breathing is labored. In the distance, I can still hear Enzo calling my name and speaking to me.

Again, I can’t focus on him. I have to fight as hard as I can to keep my block up. I try to push Markis out, but he does not budge.

“Not this time,”he chuckles into my head.“You have let him weaken you. He has sullied everything I created you to be.”

“You know nothing,” I argue out loud, even though this conversation is in my head.

His laughter registers in my mind.“I know the truth. Just like I know what you’re hiding.”

I stiffen. The pain in my head intensifies, but I fight to stay awake. The urge to black out is strong. So strong black specks pop up into my vision. If I pass out, I’m defenseless against Markis at this moment.

“I’m hiding nothing,” I lie.

He makes a tsking sound.“You know the location of a key.”

True fear like I’ve never experienced before in my life, hits me. My body shakes from the emotion.

“Get out of my head, Markis,” I whimper. “I’m no longer yours.”

“You will always be mine,”he nearly snarls.

“Not anymore,”Enzo growls in my head. The presence of his wolf feels like a beacon of light in a dark place. With the combined energy of my mate, I gain enough strength to shove Markis out of my head. He leaves with a shout and two last words, but my mind is finally clear of him. My energy is so drained, I fall. However, Enzo’s arms catch me before I hit the ground.

“I got you. I got you,” he says as he lifts me up from the ground and carries me inside the tent. He slowly lowers me down to the camping pallet he made. The soft, thin memory foam mattress cradles my body. He lies down beside me, facing me.