Every choice felt like betrayal, yet every path led to him.
Darius stood barely a breath away. His question hanging between us like a lifeline and a noose at the same time.
Do you feel it too?
Yes. God help me, yes.
I felt the bond settling when he touched me. Felt the rightness of being near him despite everything. Felt my wolf recognizing her mate and wanting to complete what the moon goddess started.
But I also felt the weight of everything that came before. The bullying. The rejection. The fact that he'd only wanted me after I proved powerful.
Every choice was a betrayal.
Yield to the bond? I betrayed myself. My pride. My vow to never let anyone control me.
Stay independent? I betrayed my wolf. The mate connection. The part of me that desperately wanted to close the distance and let him claim me.
Choose Gideon? I betrayed my instincts that screamed he was dangerous. Manipulative. Using me.
There was no winning. No clean path forward.
