Chapter 5

Every muscle in Ryan's body went rigid. He was like a statue carved from ice.

"Reason?" He forced the word out, his voice unnaturally dry.

"Class differences, different species... and besides, those matching numbers might not even be accurate." I hardened my heart. "We don't have to torture each other for the rest of our lives just because some system said so. We'd only be settling."

At the word settling, the last of the light went out of his eyes.

Even his wolf ears, always so proud and alert, drooped.

"So that's what this is to you. Settling."

Without another word, he buttoned his collar back up and walked out onto the balcony.

In the night breeze, I could see the wolf tail he always kept so carefully hidden, hanging limp against his leg. He looked like a big dog abandoned by its owner, so lonely it was hard to breathe.

Half an hour later, he came back into the living room, the night's chill still on him.

He'd already put the cold, rational mask of the Commander back on.

"In three days it's my father's seventieth birthday." His tone was icy and businesslike. "Come with me to the family banquet. Don't let the old man suspect anything. After the party, I'll have my lawyer draw up the divorce agreement."

"No problem. I'll play my part." The relief was enormous.

Ryan turned to leave. At the door, he stopped. With his back still to me, he asked quietly:

"So everything you ever said about loving me... was it all a lie?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He walked out and shut the door behind him.