Chapter 3

"Of course, Ms. Blackwood," Silas said.

I didn't say anything else.

Silas didn't get angry. Instead, he spoke again. "Ms. Blackwood, I thought you would be sobbing, demanding answers from me. After all, you love Declan so much."

I let out a mocking laugh. "Really? So you think I was totally obsessed with him?"

A self-deprecating smile tugged at my lips. "Yeah, I guess you're right. For all those years, I was so wrapped up in Declan that I lost myself.

It's not surprising you'd get me wrong.

"I ignored my father's objections and did everything I could to help him become the Alpha.

"I was over the moon, waiting for him to marry me. But on our wedding night, he left me, his mate, to see his mistress.

"And to make it more ridiculous, he sent his best friend to take his place.

"Lord Silas, if you were me, what would you do?"

Silas was caught off guard by my question and paused for a moment.

I thought he'd tell me to move on, in the same way as all of Declan's other friends did.

Men were all alike, especially since Declan was the Alpha.

His talent and strength were impossible to overlook.

Declan was destined to attract much attention and admiration from she-wolves.

They told me to let it go and not bother with all that.

But in the next moment, Silas said, "Ms. Blackwood, if I were you, I'd pick someone stronger, someone I can better count on, and someone who hasn't got a messy past.

"After all, a blot on one's name can never be washed out."

I looked at this tall, imposing man, his expression icy as he spoke. I couldn't help but find it amusing.

"Oh? Then tell me, Lord Silas, who is this stronger, more reliable person?"

Silas stared at me and kept his mouth shut.

I slowly moved closer to him and stopped barely a fist's width away from him.

I looked up at him and said, "What's the point of merely keeping watch? It's such a long night, Lord Silas. Do you have the guts to try something more exciting?

"After all, your buddy asked you to take care of me for him."

I dragged out the word "care" with stress, my tone laced with a tempting edge.

Then I watched a dark glint suddenly flash inside Silas's golden eyes.

I was only teasing him out of annoyance.

But before I knew it, I was suddenly pulled into a strong, broad embrace.

"Ms. Blackwood, do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?" Silas said.

I chuckled, fluttered my lashes, and drew a teasing circle on his rock-hard chest with one finger. "Oh, I have no clue. Maybe you can enlighten me, Lord Silas."

I saw his Adam's apple bob, and for a moment, a hint of crimson flickered in his eyes.

Then, his low, husky voice rang out. "Ms. Blackwood, you're playing with fire. Don't regret it."

"Yeah, I'm teasing you. So, Lord Silas, are you bold enough to play along?" I reached up, my fingertips brushing over the hard, bulging muscles of his chest.

The tension in his body was so different from the playful way I touched him. "But tell me, Silas, can you say the thought never crossed your mind?"

His breathing suddenly grew heavy.

I thought back to the past year. Declan was busy dealing with uprisings among the neighboring packs, so he "entrusted" me to Silas.

He always showed up when I needed him most.

My carriage got stuck in muddy roads during a rainstorm, and Silas rode over on horseback. He was soaked head to toe, yet he took off his coat first and draped it over my shoulders.

At noble parties, when others tried to mess with me behind the scenes, Silas kept his cool and blocked all the subtle jabs and outright hostility aimed at me.

After my father passed away, other pack members started questioning and disapproving of my relationship with Declan.

I felt totally crushed. When I hid away in the garden crying my heart out, Silas stood far off and kept me company silently.

He never breathed a word about any of it, but I wasn't clueless.

"Don't do this, Ms. Blackwood." Silas caught my hand as I messed with him. His grip was tight, but he didn't pull away.

His palm was large, rough with faint calluses and burning hot, as if it might scald my skin.

"What?" I asked, my voice so low it was almost a sigh. "Making you face what's really on your mind or tempting you to do something you've never had the guts to do?"

Something was breaking apart in the depths of his eyes.

It was his self-control, the restraint he had struggled so hard to hold back. I couldn't quite understand that.

"You love Declan," he said, his voice heavy and strained.

"I did, up until now," I replied. "But tonight, he didn't want me as his mate. Would you take me?"