“Bella…” he began, his gaze holding hers with a raw, unguarded passion. “There’s something I need to make clear to you. I want you…only the Goddess knows how long and how hard I’ve struggled against this desire for you.”
He swallowed, his voice dropping to a tender intensity. “But I need you to know that after tonight… you’ll be mine, body and soul. I want to mark you as my mate.”
Bella stared at him in stunned silence, even as pain continued to ripple through her. Disbelief flickered across her face, mingling with an almost desperate hope. “But you don’t know me, Asher. Your true mate could be out there, and everyone knows that alphas are strongest when they’re with the one destined for them.”
Asher shook his head firmly, a resolute look in his eyes. “I know you, Bella. My heart knows
