Chapter 10

• That night, as I prepared for bed, I felt an overwhelming surge of emotions that seemed almost beyond human capacity. Most of these emotions were tangled up with my enigmatic bodyguard, rather than the recent attempt on my life. His concealed identity gnawed at me—what was so crucial about it that he couldn’t just reveal it? Was he afraid I'd be frightened? After all, I had witnessed him kill four men in cold blood. How much more horrifying could he possibly become? Yet, despite it all, I was inexplicably drawn to him. He was both mesmerizing and elusive, a confusing blend of comfort and distance.
• Guilt weighed heavily on me. I had a mate somewhere out there, and yet here I was, flirting with and pursuing a bodyguard whose presence was anything but reassuring. The thrill of teasing Magnus felt like a high-speed roller coaster I had leaped onto without a way to escape, despite the dangers and my desperate desire to step away.
• My attraction to Magnus was intoxicating, but it made me feel like I was betraying my future mate. "Who knows what our future mate might be up to? We’re drawn to Magnus," Kira lamented, sharing my torment. As a wolf, Kira's connection to her mate was far stronger than mine. In theory, I could indulge in whomever I wanted, though Kira would despise the betrayal and be powerless to prevent it.