"Then you should choose your mate. Why don’t we wait for a week? If you find her, choose her. And if you don’t, then I’ll tell you what I truly feel," she said softly.

Marcello gave her nothing no flicker of expression, no betraying shift of his eyes. His face was carved from stone as he studied her.

"It doesn’t matter who my mate is, Azzurra," he rasped, his voice low but resolute. "I’ve already chosen you. The only path left to me now is making you fall for me. There’s no ...