Chapter 196: Chapter 195

Mason Her hand landed across my face with a loud smack.

Lanie was f ucking strong.

| almost stumbled backward, wincing against the stinging pain radiating out from my cheek.

Gabriela gasped, and everyone else was looking around with some mix of shock and curiosity.

Except Lanie. She blinked herself out of her daze, and her expression was horrified. She clapped a hand over her mouth.

“Oh go ds, Mason, | didn’t want to do that,” she said.

“That’s the point,” | answered. “And besides, | deserved it for running out on you.”

I She touched her fingers to my stinging cheek delicately, then let them travel down to my jaw. | leaned down, not giving a f uck that everyone was watching us, and | kissed her.

It was short and tender, but still passionate. | could tell she’d missed me. And I'd missed her. So da mn much.

“Does that answer everyone’s question?” | asked, looking around at everyone.

Xander stepped forward, his face twisted into a sullen expression. “It’s my turn.”

Lanie faced him willingly, but it was all | could do not to grab her and turn her back around to face me. | didn’t want to think about what it would mean if Xander could compel her, too.

Xander’s gaze burned holes into Lanie’s eyes.

“Will you do what | tell you to do?” he asked her, stealing my line.

That moth erf ucker. My heart beat faster in my chest | didn’t want to see Lanie fall under Xander’s spell.

| prayed to the g ods that she’d say “hell no,” and all this bu Ilsh it would be settled. But of course, it wasn’t that simple.

“Yes, Xander,” Lanie said in the same eerie, robotic voice she’d used when she answered me. It made my skin crawl seeing her being controlled like that. | didn’t like it when | did it, and | f ucking hated it when Mason did it.

me.”

“Lanie,” Xander said, his eyes alight with some mix of lust and mischief. “Kiss me, and tell me you love That f ucking b astard.

“No.” | growled under my breath.

M-LIL — de asana kla — b—-?

| wanted to pull them apart or turn away. Anything except watch this. But | knew that was exactly what Xander wanted-to rile me up and f uck with my head.

So instead | stood there silently, waiting for the worst.

Lanie slid her hand behind Xander’s neck and pulled him down to her, eagerly kissing him. | watched, hot fury bubbling in my veins as her tongue slid between his lips and his hands moved to her waist. That should've been me.

After what seemed like minutes, they finally broke apart, but Lanie’s eyes didn’t leave Xander’s.

“| love you, Xander,” she said with a chilling amount of conviction.

| almost could've believed she wasn’t being compelled.

“| love you, too,” he said, a slight smile lifting his lips.

| couldn't watch this for one more second. Zane, on the other hand, looked practically giddy. | was dying to wipe his stu pid smirk off his s tupid face.

face.

“That’s great, so we both have Alpha compulsion then,” | said, interrupting their moment.

Lanie shook her head, coming back to herself. She looked at the ground, a confused expression on her “Yeah,” Xander said smugly. “By the way, is your cheek okay? That looked like it hurt.”

Lanie jerked her head back up.

“At least | don’t have to force her to love me,” | spat.

Lanie held up a hand. “Mason, don't.”

Something in her eyes made my heart s kip a beat. Maybe she wasn’t forcing it at all. Maybe she really did love him, too.

“No more fighting, either of you,” Lanie pleaded.

“What the hell does this mean?” Zane asked.

Malachi spoke up again. “It means both Xander and Mason are Alphas. When Orion went through the ritual of making Xander the next Alpha of the Constantine pack, he passed on some of his power. But he did.

the same to Mason when he died.”

“So the title belongs to us...equally?” Xander asked. My skin crawled at the idea. Xander had gotten everything he’d wanted his whole life. Why the f uck did we have to share this if it was his by circumstance and not destiny?

bit.

“In a manner of speaking.” Malachi said. “But to be frank, I’m not sure any of this matters a single f ucking Malachi’s glibness was infuriating, but at this moment | couldn’t help but agree.

I “You're right,” | said. “All | care about right now is finding the twins.”

“That won't be possible,” Malachi said. “I’m afraid I’ve just started the next Great War.”