Chapter 20 · Smile for the Cameras

The first camera flash hit me before Ronan even got the car door open.

White light punched straight through the tinted window.

I flinched anyway.

"Smile," Ronan said under his breath.

"I’d rather bite somebody."

"That can be arranged later."

Another flash went off. Then another. Outside the black SUV, a whole line of people stood behind velvet ropes at the front steps of the Sane estate. Reporters. Influencers. Pack families with too much money and too many teeth showing when they smiled.

They all had phones out.

They were waiting for us.

For me.

The ring on my finger gave one ugly pulse.

Pain ran from my knuckle up my arm like somebody had dragged a hot wire under my skin.

I sucked in a breath.

Ronan’s hand closed around mine before I could hide it. His thumb pressed over the ring. Not hard. Just enough to ground me.

"Easy," he murmured.

"Don’t tell me easy."

"Then don’t pass out in front of the cameras. Vera would enjoy that too much."

I looked at him.

He had cleaned up for this. Black suit. Dark shirt. No tie.