#Chapter 153 – Staking a Claim

“I’m a public figure too,” I explain to Jackson, incredibly sorry, “and…my reputation, unfortunately, matters. If Luca has confirmed to the entire nation that I’m his mate, and then I’m stepping out with this super hot Alpha, kissing him in the streets? The press is going to tear me to pieces – call me unfaithful, say that I’ve betrayed Luca. No one will believe me that I have two mates – everyone will say that I’m a liar. And…I mean, as a political figure…I can’t be seen as a liar.” “Oh,” Jackson says, his eyes unfocusing as he looks away from me and starts to process this. “So…he claimed you first. So that I couldn’t.” “If he did it,” I say softly, needing that to be stated. Because, well, while it doesn’t look precisely good for Luca right now…I’m not willing to damn him without confronting him first and getting the truth from his own lips. Still, Luca isn’t my priority in this moment. “How are you feeling about this,” I murmur, softly running my fingers through Jackson’s newly