Chapter 5

Ava's POV

They took me to a restaurant high above the city skyline.

The moment I stepped inside, a powerful Alpha presence hit me.

Then the man by the window looked up.

Adrian Thorne was twenty-eight, rumored to be cold-blooded, ruthless, and extremely dangerous. He had taken control of Bloodmoon at twenty. Three months later, he crushed an internal rebellion led by pack elders, tearing out their hearts with his claws. From that day on, no one on the West Coast dared question his rule.

Now he wore a perfectly tailored dark suit that emphasized his broad shoulders and powerful build. His icy blue gaze moved slowly over me, like a wolf studying prey that had wandered into its territory.

He was handsome, powerful, impossible to ignore.

For a second, I forgot how to breathe. I walked over and sat across from him.

He set down his knife and looked at me. "Ms. Crawford."

His low voice sent a strange current down my spine.

"Mr. Thorne." I forced myself to stay calm, even though my fingers were gripping my skirt under the table.

"Call me Adrian." He spoke casually as he cut into his steak, as if I were something on his plate waiting to be tasted.

"Of course, Adrian." I took a sip of ice water, trying to calm the strange heat in my chest. "I think we should talk about why I'm really here."

"You look nervous, Ava." He raised his eyes to me, amusement in his low voice. "Before you start worrying that I'm going to eat you, you might want more ice water."

My heart jumped, but I forced myself not to show it.

I set down the glass and met his eyes. "I came to thank you. If you have nothing else to say, I'll leave."

The contract had appeared too suddenly. If Adrian was only a handsome, arrogant bastard, I didn't want to leave one bad situation only to walk into another.

"Strong. Sharp." Adrian nodded, sounding faintly satisfied. "Exactly what I want in a Luna. Looks like my instinct was right."

He leaned back in his chair, one arm draped over the back of the chair beside him. A table stood between us, but it still felt as if he had pulled me into his territory.

I looked straight at him. "So you plan to honor the contract."

Adrian lowered his chin slightly. "Keeping our word is one of the reasons Bloodmoon stays strong. You need my protection to secure your inheritance, and I need a Luna to keep the pack stable. I see no reason to refuse."

Of course. For a man at the top of the food chain, marriage had nothing to do with love. It was a transaction.

"So it seems I have to become your Luna," I said dryly.

Adrian set down his utensils and leaned closer, his warm breath brushing my cheek.

"You don't sound very enthusiastic." His gaze dropped to my lips, his voice low and suggestive. "But you still came to meet me. That means you're interested in the contract. And my people just saved you from your stepmother."

Heat swept through me, but he was right. I hadn't expected Rebecca to actually try to kill me. Damn.

I forced down the reaction and said calmly, "Thank you for helping me. But I came here to see whether the man I'm supposed to partner with is worth the risk."

"You've seen me. If you're asking about the muscles, feel free to check for yourself."

My gaze slipped toward his chest before I could stop it. His fitted clothes outlined his build, and for a second I found myself wondering what those muscles would feel like under my hands.

My cheeks heated. Adrian noticed. Of course he did.

"Trust me, Ava. My size won't disappoint you," he said quietly.

Then amusement flickered in his eyes.

"I mean my body is strong enough to protect my Luna."

"I don't need anyone to protect me. I'm here to discuss a partnership." I kept my expression steady. "So what exactly do you want from me? An heir?"

"You don't have many choices right now." Adrian's gaze was heavy and direct. "Do your part, and I'll make sure you inherit the Crawford Pack."

"Honoring the contract is the least a decent Alpha should do," I said angrily. "So don't act like you're doing me a favor. We're helping each other."

Adrian clapped, then stood and moved closer.

"You're really something, Ava."

His tall body nearly boxed me in. He smelled clean, cold, and distinctly male, and my heartbeat sped up again.

"I thought Damon had broken you," he said near my ear. "Instead, you came through it stronger than I expected."

His gaze moved slowly over my face.

"I'm glad you're not the kind of princess who sits in the ruins waiting to be rescued. I need a rational, strong Luna, someone willing to show me her strength."

"I'm glad you approve." I met his eyes and tried to ignore the heat between my legs. "At least now I know you're powerful without being underhanded. That's the kind of partner I need."

"One last thing. Don't fall in love with me. It would make our arrangement complicated, Ava. I'm not the kind of man who loses his head over love. That's one of the most important lessons in running a pack."

A small disappointment flickered through me, but I quickly came back to my senses.

Right. Love only made people stupid, unless I wanted to be a fool twice.

"Thanks for the warning. But you should probably rethink your view of divorced women. We don't fall in love that easily. We know what happens when we depend on men: we can end up with nothing. So don't be too confident. Maybe we should put that in the contract."

I tilted my head. "Something like, 'Don't fall in love with me, Adrian.' What do you think?"

The corner of Adrian's mouth lifted.

"Looks like we agree."

I ignored the edge in his expression and kept my voice calm.

"Good. Now we both know exactly what kind of person we're dealing with. That seems like a decent start."

"To our agreement." Adrian lifted his glass, his eyes never leaving me. "And to you. Thank you for not letting Damon break you."

I gave a cold laugh. "Leaving one bastard isn't enough to break me."

"Perfect." Adrian leaned back. "Then tell me when you want me to announce our engagement. I bet Damon will be shocked."