Chapter 6

Their heads turned sharply to look at me—some with shock, others with confusion. Her brother gasped softly and whispered, “So it’s true.”

But I didn’t care about any of that.

I walked straight to her, where her mother knelt beside her. Lowering myself to the ground, I gently held Aina and said, “She’s in heat.”

Her mother’s eyes widened as she nodded, then said quietly, “And so are you.”

I gave her a knowing look, and right away, I caught the glint of mischief in her eyes.

Aina’s body radiated heat, like she was burning up from the inside. Just standing close to her made it almost impossible to hold myself back.

“So she wasn’t lying when she said she was your mate?” her father asked, his voice edged with disbelief.

I nodded as I stood, lifting her carefully into my arms.

“No, she wasn’t,” I replied.

Even though she was clearly in heat, her body trembled in my hold. She needed comfort, and everyone in that room knew I was the only