"Mate," he growled.
Emerald stopped in her tracks. She couldn't breathe, her lungs felt like they were about to burst.
The sound of that word coming from him in such a deep, raw, and intense tone hit her like a bolt of lightning, sending a surge through her body.
"What… did you say?" she asked slowly, her hand reaching for the dagger at her hip.
He took a step forward, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled her scent like it was water after a drought. "You're mine."
"No," she hissed, retreating a step. "No, you don't just… just kiss someone and say that!"
But inside, her wolf was already howling… screaming… clawing at the walls of her mind.
"It's him," Viola whispered inside her. "The fourth one. The fourth mate. Our fourth mate."
Emerald's pulse thundered in her ears.
"No," she muttered again, more to herself than him. She shook her head slightly, her brain lagging behind her instincts.
That's not possible. There are already three. The bond couldn't stretch further. Could it?
