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Scott kept going, as if he'd had this planned for weeks instead of an hour at most. "We'll make it official.

She'll move in with me in Shadowbay territory.

It'll unify our packs in a positive way, and if she's living with me, we can manage the bond easier so there aren't any negative effects until this thing is fixed. "

I couldn't help it. I gawked at him. "Are you out of your mind?"

"A positive way?" Samson laughed without an ounce of humor. "You want to steal my family and pretend you're doing us a favor?"

Kiera hadn't said anything, but she put her hand on Samson's knee and gave him a look. Everyone in the room knew that Samson had indeed stolen Kiera away in the dead of night to marry her, so his outburst was a bit hypocritical, to say the least.

I agreed with him for this situation, but it was still laughable that he was objecting as much as he was.

"I'm trying to help all of us," Scott insisted. "This isn't just about romance—"

"Good," I cut in sharply, "Because there isn't any."

Scott paused, and looked at me, expression unreadable.

"I sort of get where you're coming from, but don't you dare try and make a spectacle out of me, Scott. You can't just toss out a marriage proposal like it's a bandage."

His eyes flashed, and I felt a spark of satisfaction at getting under his skin. "What would you prefer? To live apart and pretend there's nothing between us? That's not a real solution, Nayeli."

"It's not the worst idea..." Kiera said slowly. "It'd be a scandal if she moved in without getting married, considering how close she is to you, Samson. Scott is your ally, and he'd keep Nayeli safe. It's temporary, but it will give us room to figure this out."

"That's what I'm saying," Scott said, and I noticed he was looking at Samson instead of me.

He was being more diplomatic than usual.

"A marriage contract would ensure Nayeli's safety and keep this from turning into a shit show.

I wouldn't do anything to hurt her or compromise her, and I know you know that. "

I snorted, but before I could say anything else, Samson stepped in. "Fine. A temporary contract until this mess is fixed. But if you hurt her in any way, you won't like what happens."

"Wait—" This was suddenly moving way too fast. "Quit talking about me like I'm not in the room."

Samson rubbed his hands over his face. "This is a nightmare, Nayeli, but I don't see any other way to control the situation right now."

I was breathing fast now, eyes flicking between the three of them. "If you try and force me into marrying him, then I'll...I'll go rogue!"

"You do that, and I'll drag you back by the collar." Samson said, unbothered by the threat.

I grit my teeth. "Nice. Really respectful of my autonomy."

"Don't start this again," My cousin scowled.

"You used your autonomy to cast a binding spell on another pack's Alpha.

Look, you don't have to like it. Hell, I hate this.

But you're in pain when he's not around, and he gets.

..weird when you're gone too long, according to the two of you.

This might be the only thing that keeps the situation from spiraling out of control more than it already is. "

Dammit. He wasn't wrong, and I hated that more than anything else.

"Fine," I sighed, refusing to look at any of them and focusing on my feet instead. I'd never felt so miserable, or so helpless, before. "Let's get this over with, then. When am I getting married?"

***

When the knock sounded from my front door, I was already neck-deep in work. I had a lot to do if I was going to be caught up before moving in with Scott, and the interruption was just going to put me more behind.

I considered ignoring it, but my bond was tingling in my chest, which meant it could only be one person. Scott.

"Go away!" I yelled.

"Don't make me break this door down, Nayeli. I'm more than happy to pay for the repairs."

I groaned, exiting my office and stomping to the door. I didn't even know how he knew where my apartment was, and I'd been hoping to have a few hours of peace before the pull of the bond got too bad, so I had to seek Scott out to ease the pain.

Instead, I pulled the door open to see his smug, handsome face, but then my attention was caught by the takeout bag and two drinks that he was holding. "I bought lunch."

"Why does this feel like a hostage situation?" I grumbled, taking the bag and walking to the dining room table, Scott hot on my heels.

"You're complaining, but it also looks like you're going to accept my peace offering of food," Scott sounded amused as he took the seat across from me. "I'll take that as a win."

His eyes scanned the apartment, taking everything in.

My apartment was small, but I'd decorated it to reflect my personality and interests so much that there was barely a spare inch of space.

The walls were painted a muted teal and lined with bookshelves that were packed with books—science fiction, graphic novels, and figurines, and knick-knacks from my favorite fandoms.

There were prints from movies and games on the wall, framed and proudly displayed. I suddenly felt awkward. My home was just another reminder of how far I was from Scott's idea of a perfect mate. He wanted someone classy and put together. I was anything but.

Once he was done looking it over, he grinned at me. "It's very...you in here."

"Wow, great observation." I unwrapped the burger he'd bought me, relieved he seemed to appreciate the apartment more than I anticipated. I was pretty proud of my little space, honestly. It felt like a place I could retreat to when the rest of the world became too much.

I didn't know why I was so worried about Scott's opinion, but it was nice nonetheless.

"So what's this about?" I gestured to the food.

"It's just lunch," he explained, opening his own burger wrapper. "I figured you'd need to see me sometime soon anyway, to, er...touch me for the bond, so I thought it'd do something nice."

I snorted. "That's a first."

He pretended to be offended. "You act like I'm a villain."

"No, but let's make something crystal clear," I took a sip of my soda before continuing. "This marriage thing is strictly business. The minute the bond is broken, we're done. Got it?"

He leaned forward, smirking. "Are you trying to convince me...or yourself?"

I slammed my hands on the table. "This isn't funny!"

"It's a little funny." He reached across the table and placed his hand on my cheek, stroking his thumb over my jaw.

His skin was warm and sent shivers down my body, and I wanted to lean into the touch more than anything.

The tightness in my chest eased immediately, and a muted pleasure washed over me.

"Tell me you don't need me until this spell is broken, and I'll leave. "

"You know I can't tell you that," I whispered, feeling trapped by his gaze.

"That's what I thought." He leaned back, satisfied. "Just give me a chance. I won't hurt you, Nayeli."

"You already have."

His face darkened. "And I'm sorry for that. I am. If I could change the past, I would, but I can't. All I can do is try to make this better."

I sighed, rubbing my eyes. "Fine. Let's just eat. I'm actually starving."

He left me in peace for some time, both of us eating in silence, but Scott kept looking at me like he wanted to say something. Finally, he couldn't hold it back anymore. "Enjoying your meal, fiancé?"

I pointed a French fry at him. "Don't get cute with me, Scott."

"You know, I prefer shockingly handsome or unbearably sexy, but cute will do."

We bickered back and forth for a while, the words flying between us sharp but amusing.

I hated to admit it, but I liked bantering with Scott.

He was quick and smart, and, most infuriating of all, funny.

When I found myself laughing with him, and not at him, I caught myself and clamped a hand over my mouth.

When Scott looked confused, I lowered my hand. "No. I'm not falling for all this flirtation nonsense. The spell is doing this to us, and we can't get dragged into...whatever this is."

Scott didn't move, but I saw the frustration in his eyes. "So what, every time we start to sort of enjoy each other's company, we have to stop?"

"When you weren't under the influence of the spell, you rejected me. That's what you wanted. Remember that. It will help both of us not get hurt."

"Fine," he stood, balling his hamburger wrapper up and throwing it in the empty bag.

Scott stalked over to me, leaning over, and slipped a finger under my chin before I could stop him.

I fought the urge to lean my face into his palm, just to feel that relief and pleasure again.

"But we're going to be spending a lot of time together, Nayeli, and I'm going to spend a lot of time touching you.

..and I'm looking forward to that part a lot more than I thought I would.

So you better figure out how you feel, princess, because this is about to get a lot more complicated. "

He walked out, leaving me shell-shocked and breathless.

I groaned, slumping against the table. This was exactly why I'd been avoiding him. His words had my heart pounding and my cheeks turning red, and I hated it. I wanted to keep my distance and maintain control of the situation, but he kept pushing my boundaries and forcing me to confront my feelings.

This wasn't good.

I went back to my office, taking a deep breath to clear my head. I had to focus on work for a while if I wanted to make any progress on what I needed to get done before the move. My life had gone sideways over the course of a few days, and I wasn't ready for all of it.