Riley POV
It felt like there was a leaden weight on my eyelids as I forced them open, my mouth parting open in shock as I felt tingles spreading through my hand where it was being held, a word spoken out loud by the Alpha as he stared down at me, a word I never expected anybody to say in regards to me "MATE."
He had to be mistaken. I was nobody's mate. There was no way this was the mate bond. Wouldn't he have known with our first meeting that we were mates? I stared at him in disbelief and saw the same expression mirrored on his face. Even if we were, I realized quite quickly that he had no intention of remaining mates. He looked as though he had been doused with a bucket of cold water and the person with him, looked shocked but happy for his friend.
He yanked his hand away from mine.
