Page 122 of Rejected By the Shifter King

His thoughts drifted to last night. They’d been in bed, and she’d been telling him some story—something about Anastasia teaching her how to play poker, or was it about the stunt coordinator who kept calling her “kiddo”? He couldn’t remember now.

What he did remember was how her voice had just...stopped.

He’d looked down to find her eyes closed, lips slightly parted, one hand curled against his chest like she belonged there.

He should have woken her. Made her more comfortable. Something.

Instead, he’d just watched. The way her lashes cast shadows on her cheeks. The tiny furrow between her brows even in sleep. The trust it took to fall asleep mid-sentence with a snow leopard king.

“Love you,” she’d mumbled, not quite awake.

His chest had felt too tight. Too full. Like something was trying to break free from behind his ribs.

He’d kissed her forehead—the first time he’d done that to anyone—and pulled her closer, her warmth seeping into him like she could thaw centuries of cold.

Tomorrow, he’d told himself.Tomorrow I’ll figure out what this means.

Except tomorrow was now today, and he still didn’t have answers. Just this persistent ache in his chest and the knowledge that she’d somehow become essential to his existence in a way that terrified him.

Assez avec ces souvenirs! Enough with these memories!

The conference room where Etienne Hirsche was currently waiting for him was only a few steps ahead, and it was time to stop fantasizing about Samira and start thinking of someone with a pack to protect.

The Caro prince was already on his feet when Hexius entered, and the two men briefly shook hands.

“As neither of us is keen on wasting time...” Etienne handed him the contractL’Alliancehad drafted. “All the conditions we’ve agreed on are there.”

A mixture of emotions gripped his heart as he read the contract one last time. Upon finding out that Samira had sought refuge inL’Alliance, he had known right away that he had a choice to make. He would either have to fight his way inside...or pay the price for safe passage, which this contract was all about.

Centuries of isolation would now come to an end...because even ancient races like theirs had to move with the times.

This was what he had told himself the past week. What he had used to convince the council that he was making a decision for the good of their pack...and not just because this was the only way to get his woman back.

Hexius signed the documents, and Etienne affixed the seal ofL’Allianceas its representative.

“Spencer’s asking if you’d like to join us for dinner?”

“Of course.”

“I overheard our wives talking the other day,” Etienne shared. “It seems you and Samira are one of the rare pairs that’s gained telepathic access through mating?”

“Indeed.” Hexius didn’t miss a beat as he delivered his reply, and it was only when he and Etienne parted ways that he allowed the full impact of the other man’s words to sink in.

Telepathic access.

The world seemed to slow down as his blood went cold, and hollowness began to spread inside of him like a virus.

Damn her.

Domenico and Misty Moretti was the first known pairing to establish telepathic access through mating, but even until now, no scientist had been able to unlock the secret behind it. In truth, so rare was this gift that he had never even thought it was possible for Samira and him.

But it was apparently...and rage started to build inside of Hexius as all the memories from the past week came back in a flash.

All of them, dammit.

Samira had heard his thoughts whenever they were together, but she had chosen to hide it from him.

Trust no one but yourself.