Lori's head dropped.
Sadness washed over her—not for herself, but for him. For the family that had pushed him away when he needed them most. For the years he had spent carrying the weight of their disappointment.
She took a long, shaky breath.
Attia misinterpreted her silence.
"Don't be sad, angel," he said, tilting her chin up with his finger. "Monica is nothing. I told you—"
Lori shook her head.
"It's not about Monica."
Attia's brow furrowed.
"Then what?"
Lori pulled back from his embrace.
Her heart was pounding. Her hands were trembling. But she had to tell him. Had to trust him. Had to let him in.
"My mother called me this morning," she said.
She told him everything.
The Alpha's plans. The arranged mating. The way her parents were trapped, unable to protect her, unable to
