edging

"Natalie," he whispers, his body edging me closer to the wall. "Damien," I murmur back. I can't help the urge. Ever since my eyes fell on him that morning, all of my nerve endings have been on edge, craving him. My mate. "I want you," he groans out as his lips trail a path up and down my neck, nibbling on the spot where the mark is supposed to be. "You have a chosen mate." "You are my mate," he growls out. "Mine." And then he clamps down on my neck. Damien's life takes a wild turn when a curse prevents him from finding his true mate, marked by a cursed wrist tattoo. He rises as the strongest alpha, but everything changes when a stranger, Natalie, enters his life, claiming to be his mate. Together, they embark on a quest to break the curse, uncovering secrets that bind them. With love and destiny at stake, they face a final battle against the malevolent witch. Will their bond be strong enough to defy the odds and rewrite their fates? Who will Damien finally choose- his long-awaited mate or the woman who stood by him all through his life?

I blinked behind my glasses, stunned and confused. "Did I...do something wrong? If so, I'm sorry..." "No need to apologize," Helen cut in, frost edging her cultured voice. "You've done nothing wrong, Tristan. Except be complacent." I frowned, feeling cold dread creeping through my veins. "What do you mean?" Vivian released a short, harsh sigh, as if disgusted by my ignorance. "Must we spell it out? This marriage clearly isn't working anymore. You lack ambition. I've simply outgrown you at this point. I'm doing what's necessary and best for myself by letting you go." Her icy words slammed into me like a physical attack. I stared at her lovely face I had once adored so much, now cold and remote, trying to make sense of what she was saying. Letting me go? Was she saying... Linda held out a crisp legal envelope to me. Hands shaking, I accepted it from her polished nails. The contents confirmed my worst fears - divorce papers, all drawn up and ready for my signature. My eyes scanned the conditions outlined within. The terms were heavily skewed in Vivian's favor. "This...says I would get nothing," I murmured in stunned disbelief. "No alimony, no remaining rights to shared assets or property..." "Naturally," Linda replied coolly, inspecting her manicure. "You contributed absolutely nothing of value to this marriage financially. Therefore, you should leave with what you brought to it - nothing."