Page 64 of Love Bites

“As opposed to real couples, who are…” he trailed off, waiting for me to fill in the blank.

“In love.”

“Ah.”

“Exactly.”

His playfulness faded as we got closer to the hallway that led into the neutral building between the other wings of the Manor. “I need you to call me Hale while we’re around them,” he said.

“Alright. You use my name, too.”

“Agreed. When they ask, you tell them you don’t have any sisters,” he added.

I frowned. “Curtis knows how many of us there are.”

“Yes, and the rest of them will know he’s telling the truth. But as soon as we admit we have four unmated sirens, they will want tostart bargaining for one of their own. And we’re not bargaining, are we?”

“Hell no.”

“Exactly.”

“Alright. Anything else?”

He stopped, right before we reached the doors. There was hesitation in his gaze, and something told me I needed to wait and let him decide to tell me whatever he was thinking.

Finally, he said, “I know we refuse to let people call us kings, but deep down, we all know that we are. And wearing my mark makes you my equal, Blair. My queen. Don’t let them talk down to you. Don’t look away when they challenge you. And please, try to act like you don’t hate me.”

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, whatever I felt for him had veered away from hatred, if it had ever truly been that.

Our conversation in the club that first day had all but guaranteed that I couldn’t truly despise him. He had protected me and helped me. Even if it led to him forcing me to be his mate.

And anyway, I wouldn’t have been starving for him if I hated him.

I sighed. “Youwantus to act like a real couple, don’t you?”

He hesitated, but after a moment, dipped his head.

“Is it the best way to keep my sisters alive?”

“Without question.”

“Then for the meeting, we’re in love.”

His lips curved upward. “Good girl.”

“If you ever say that to me in public, I will kick you in the balls and smile when you collapse.”

He let out a booming laugh, recapturing my hand and lacing his fingers through mine. “Fuck, you’re fun.”

“For now.”

The grin he gave me was scorching.

And I couldn’t fight a smile of my own.

When we walkedinto the meeting with tangled hair and rumpled clothes, smelling the way we did and equally dusted with glitter, there was no question why we’d been late.

The room it was held in was basically a big lounge, with five couches set up in a circle and a gigantic coffee table between them. There was a bookshelf off to the side of the room, and a few large decorative chairs placed strategically around the massive space to prevent it from feeling messy.

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