Nate watched her for another moment.

Then slowly, he leaned back into the chair again. The amusement never fully left his face.

Aire avoided looking at him directly as she picked the razor back up from the vanity table. The warmth from their earlier laughter still lingered faintly in the room, settling strangely beneath her skin.

"Okay," she murmured softly, trying to sound unaffected. "Let’s get this done with."

Nate immediately sat up straighter.

Aire blinked faintly at the sudden obedience. He nearly amused her again.

She stepped back between his knees carefully, lifting the razor once more. She had one hand settled lightly against his shoulder while the other angled the blade carefully beneath his jaw.

This time, she shaved slower and more carefully.

Nate remained unusually still beneath her touch. His eyes stayed on her openly now instead of pretending disinterest through the mirror.

Aire tried very hard not to notice.

The room felt too quiet suddenly. Only the soft scrape of the blade against his skin broke through the silence.

Aire leaned slightly closer to reach the sharper angle beneath his jaw. A few loose strands of her hair slipped forward near her face.

Nate’s gaze shifted absentmindedly to her neck. At first, his gaze was harmless but them, his body stilled.

His entire body went rigid beneath her hand.

Aire frowned faintly at the sudden tension. Before she could ask what was wrong, Nate abruptly sat upright.

The movement startled her enough that she nearly dropped the razor.

"Nate?"

He now stared at her strangely. Not just strangely, but also horribly.

His eyes remained fixed somewhere near the left side of her neck now. His expression slowly emptied of everything else.

Aire’s pulse skipped uneasily.

"What?" she asked softly.

Nate didn’t answer. His hand lifted slowly toward her hair.

Aire immediately stiffened.

He pushed the loose strands back behind her ear carefully. Then he froze completely.

Aire swallowed.

His fingers remained there against her hair while his eyes locked onto the small half-moon birthmark hidden just beneath her ear.

Fear crawled quietly down her spine. She doesn’t know what that mark was about, but she knew it doesn’t come with good news.

Michelle was fine when she saw it. Right now, Nate was scaring her.

Aire’s throat tightened faintly. "What are you staring at?"

Nate didn’t respond immediately.

His breathing changed first. It deepened, then sharpened.

His chest began rising harder beneath each breath while something dark flickered violently behind his eyes.

Aire’s stomach twisted uneasily.

Finally, Nate parted his lips slowly. "I’ve seen this before."

Aire blinked at him.

Nate’s eyes never left the mark. "In a dream." He said thoughtfully.

The room fell silent.

Aire’s fingers tightened instinctively around the razor still in her hand. Her heartbeat quickened painfully.

A dream?

Unease crawled deeper into her chest now.

Nate’s gaze lifted slowly back toward her face. "It was you," he murmured.

The way he said it made Aire immediately want to step away from him. She did. She took a step away from him.

Nate stood abruptly. The chair shoved backward harshly across the floor when she stood up.

Aire immediately got startled.

His eyes flashed gold.His wolf surged violently beneath his skin now.

Aire’s pulse spiked. "Nate—"

"It was you." His voice came out rougher this time and louder.

Aire frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

His breathing grew heavier. His body looked too tense now and larger. The air around him suddenly felt suffocating.

"You—"

Before Aire could react, Nate grabbed her violently by the neck.

Aire gasped sharply. The razor clattered from her hand instantly.

Nate slammed her backward against the closet wall hard enough to shake the wood behind her.

Pain exploded through her back.

Aire grabbed his wrist immediately with both hands, trying to pull him off.

"Nate!"

His claws pushed out suddenly, sharp and deadly. They dug into the skin of her neck instantly.

Aire cried out sharply. Warm blood slid slowly down her throat.

Nate’s eyes burned gold now as he stared directly into her face like he no longer recognized her at all.

"You are from the fae prophecy," he snarled harshly. "Are you a fae spy too?"

Aire stared at him in complete shock. "What?"

His grip tightened harder. "You lied to us. Did you manipulate your scent, and our wolves to think you are our mate?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"I don’t know what you’re talking about!" she gasped desperately.

Her lungs burned.

Nate’s wolf pushed harder toward the surface. She could see it now. His control was slipping rapidly.

Aire clawed at his wrist desperately, trying to breathe. It didn’t move him at all, and blood trailed further down her neck.

Her vision flickered faintly.

Fear crashed violently through her chest now.

"Nate..." she choked out urgently. "Let me—"

Her fingers trembled violently. Then her gaze shifted suddenly past him toward the couch behind him.

A quick light flashed through her eyes.

The couch trembled slightly.

Nate didn’t notice.

Aire stared at it harder. The heavy couch lifted faintly off the ground. Her chest tightened painfully from the effort.

Just one second more lift, and she’ll free herself from him.

She lifted her fingers, and the couch lifted lightly. It all happened too fast, and the doors burst open violently, breaking her concentration.

A large brown wolf rushed inside immediately.

Nate turned sharply.

The wolf shifted instantly into Alaric.

Alaric’s eyes landed on Aire first, then widened in horror and anger when he saw blood on her neck.

"Nate."

Nate’s claws dug deeper instinctively. "Don’t," he growled warningly. "Don’t you dare take another step."

Alaric slowly lifted both hands upward. "Let her go first."

"She’s a fae spy."

Aire frowned despite the pain crushing her throat. What kind of mindless accusation was that?

Alaric’s expression shifted immediately toward her in shock.

"Aire—"

She turned sharply toward him instead. She hissed, and anger flooded her chest violently now.

He wasn’t moving fast enough. If nothing happened in the next few seconds, Nate would kill her.

Aire’s eyes darkened.

Furious now, she lifted her hand. Power surged violently beneath her skin and then she slapped him hard with her back hand.

The impact exploded through the room.

Nate was thrown violently across the chamber.

His body slammed into the far side of the room hard enough to crack wood beneath him.

Silence crashed down afterward.

Even Alaric looked stunned.

Aire staggered forward immediately, clutching her neck harshly as she coughed painfully for air.

Alaric moved toward her instantly.

"Aire,"

She violently shoved his hand away before he could touch her.

"So much for being my mate," she spat furiously toward Nate. The hatred in her voice stunned the room into silence again.

Aire turned fully toward Nate now.

Her chest rose sharply with anger.

"I’m not a fae spy, you sadists!" she snapped viciously. "I don’t even know what you’re talking about!"

Nate stood immediately. He stood quickly with pure rage burned across his face now as he charged toward her again.

Alaric instantly stepped between them. "Nate."

"Move."

"No."

Nate’s eyes locked onto Aire through Alaric’s shoulder.

Pure hatred filled them now.

Aire stared back with matching hate, breathing hard. Her neck burned painfully and blood stained the front of her dress.

For one horrible second, the room felt frozen between violence and disaster.

Aire walked toward the door and neither of them stopped her. She yanked it open harshly.

Her fury trembled visibly through her body now. She slammed the door behind her so hard the sound echoed through the entire corridor.