CHAPTER NINE
I feel the weight of Ryan's stare before I even lift my eyes from the desert floor. The air between us, charged with tension, crackles like a pre-storm sky. Jake's hand, warm against my back, falls away as if burned.
"Ryan," I begin, but he cuts me off.
"I saw you." His voice is low, a dangerous growl. "Both of you. So close to kissing."
Panic and shame knot in my chest. "We didn't," I say quickly. "It was just—"
"Was it?" He steps closer, his presence commanding. "A weak moment?"
"Yes." My voice is barely a whisper, cracking under the pressure. I dare a glance at Jake, whose jaw clenches tight, a silent battle raging within him.
Ryan's gaze flickers between us, betrayal and pain etched across his rugged features. "You've always been my loyal Beta, Lily. But now, what?
