Tammy laughed, her eyes twinkling with humor. "Honey, after thirty-two years of watching my daughter punch things for a living, I've learned that conventional is overrated."
As they drove back toward the estate, the comfortable atmosphere gradually shifted. Riley stared out the passenger window at the darkened countryside, her tension returning like a tide through their bond. Adrian could feel her thoughts churning, could sense the doubts Darius had planted taking root and spreading.
He didn't push her to talk. Instead, he let the silence stretch between them, offering his presence and his patience while she wrestled with whatever demons Darius's words had awakened. But beneath his calm exterior, Adrian's own fears were stirring. Because he could feel her pulling away, could sense her trust fracturing just when he'd needed it most.
Thirty minutes later, the heavy oak doors of the estate closed behind them with a finality that seemed to echo throughthe marble foyer. Adrian had barely turned the deadbolt when Riley's carefully maintained composure shattered like glass against stone.
"I can't stand it anymore." Her voice cracked with barely restrained emotion. "I need to know the truth, Adrian. Did you purposely mark me that night?"
The accusation hit him like a punch, stealing the breath from his lungs. Through the bond, he felt the storm of her emotions—doubt, fear, and something that tasted like betrayal. His jaw clenched as golden flecks ignited in his blue eyes.
"What exactly are you asking me?" His voice carried the dangerous quiet that preceded a tiger's strike.
Riley's hands trembled as she faced him, her brown eyes bright with unshed tears. "Did you coerce me with all those passionate words? Make me beg for the mate bond so you could become Alpha without challenge? Because that's what Darius suggested, and now I can't get it out of my head."
The raw pain in her voice made something savage roar inside Adrian's chest.
"You think I would manipulate you?" Each word fell like a blade between them. "You believe I would use our bond—something I consider sacred—as a tool for political gain?"
The hurt bleeding through their connection was his own, reflecting back at him through Riley's wide eyes. She flinched at the intensity of his emotion, her hand instinctively moving to the partial mark on her hip.
Adrian's control snapped.
"If that's what you truly believe, then I'll prove exactly how little I care about any Alpha title." He pulled his phone from his pocket with sharp, decisive movements. "I'll call Council Leader Morris right now and renounce my claim permanently. No Alpha title, no pride leadership, nothing."
"Adrian, no?—"
"Why not?" His fingers hovered over the contact, his voice rough with barely leashed fury. "If you think I would sacrifice your trust and autonomy for a position, then clearly that would mean that position means more to me than you do. And that's not the man I want to be. Because you mean more to me than anything, Riley."
The words hung between them like a gauntlet thrown down. Through their bond, Adrian felt the exact moment Riley's doubt cracked, replaced by something that made his chest tight with hope.
"You would give up everything?" she whispered. "Your family's legacy, your pride, your birthright—all of it?"
"Without hesitation." The fierce certainty in his voice made her stagger back a step. "Riley, I would rather spend my life as an ordinary shifter with you than rule an empire without you. The Alpha title means nothing if I can't have your trust and you by my side."
Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks as the full weight of his emotions crashed through their bond—his devotion, his desperate need to protect what they'd built, his willingness to sacrifice everything he'd been raised to value for her happiness.
"I can feel it," she breathed, her hand pressed against her chest. "Through the bond, I can feel how honest you are. How much you?—"
"Love you." The words left his lips with startling ease, carrying the weight of absolute truth. "Yes, Riley. I love you. By any rational measure, that should be impossible after such a short time, but there it is."
Her breath hitched. "You love me?"
Adrian closed the distance between them, his hands framing her face with infinite gentleness. His thumbs brushed away her tears as he studied every nuance of her expression.
"Every day I spend with you, I fall deeper. Your strength, your fierce independence, the way you refuse to bend for anyone—including me. You challenge me in ways I never expected, make me want to be better than the man my father raised me to be."
Through their connection, he poured every ounce of his devotion into her consciousness, letting her feel the depth of emotion he'd spent a lifetime learning to suppress. Riley's eyes widened as his love washed through her, warm and steady and absolutely unshakeable.
"The accidental marking, the words I spoke during our passion—all of it was real, unplanned, and completely honest. I would never force you into this bond, not when I can spend my life earning your choice instead."
Riley's tears fell freely now, but her smile was radiant. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for doubting you. It's just—I've been hurt before, and trust doesn't come easily."
"Don't apologize for protecting yourself." Adrian's expression softened further as he gathered her into his arms, her familiar scent wrapping around him like coming home. "If I have to prove my love and respect for your autonomy every day for the rest of our lives, I'll consider it the greatest privilege I've ever been given."
Riley leaned in closer and pressed her lips to his with infinite tenderness. Through their bond, Adrian felt her trust flowing back like a tide, washing away the poison Darius had planted and leaving only the pure connection that bound them together.
FIFTEEN