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"So, there’s an out clause?" Jehan’s brows rose in surprise "That’s the best news I’ve heard all night"

His brother released a frustrated-sounding breath "I don’t knohy I’ to explain any of this to you The terht"

The cere

Marcel parked in front of the opulent estate and killed the engine The Aventador’s scissor doors lifted upward and the two Breed an to ascend the wide, polished stone steps leading to the Darkhaven’s entrance, Jehan asked, "Who’s the next pair in line after Seraphina and e of thirty in the Sanhaja family, and the unmated eldest son of the second-eldest Breed male in our line You remember our cousin, Fariq"

Jehan mentally recoiled "Fariq, who prided himself on his collection of dead insects and snakes as a boy?"

Marcel chuckled "He’s not nickna"

And Jehan couldn’t help but feel guilty that his refusal of the pact would mean soht nights alone with the repulsive h to let the farce continue He had to halt the whole thing before it went any further

"Father’s waiting for you in his study," Marcel told him as they reached the top "Everyone else is in the main salon, where the forh hirabbed his brother’s muscled arm "Everyone else?"

"Mother and the Sanhajas And Seraphina, of course"

Ah, fuck If he thought this was bad enough before he stepped off the plane tonight, the situation had just nose-dived into a disaster zone "They’re here right now? All of the is already infor you to arrive, brother"

CHAPTER 3

The sound of deep male voices carried fro inside the Darkhaven’s elegant salon had been engaged in pleasant chatter about the weather and a dozen other light subjects But at the low ruilded walls, a palpable spike of anticipation pierced the atmosphere in the room

"Ah, my sons have finally arrived" Beautiful and poised, Simone Mafakhir smiled from her seat on a silk divan, her sky blue eyes lit with excitehted to meet you, Seraphina"

Sera’s ave a polite nod and returned the brunette Breedmate’s warm smile

"Seraphina’s talked of little else all day," herSera’s hand a pat from her seat beside her on a velvet sofa opposite Simone "She’s been full of curiosity about Jehan ever since she arrived back ho"

On the other side of Sera, her blonde, twenty-two-year-old sister, Leila, barely stifled a giggle