om across Skyler's face,

kable connection that every wolf dreamed of-had finally manifested. After years of longin

eant to b

ng at me like I was

The joy that had flooded my system moments ago

ext, his hand was wrapped around my arm and he was dragging me toward the ba

er, w

a growl, barely human. "

ws between the building and the tree line. Music and laughter drifted through the wal

h his hair, his movements jerky and agitated. I could feel his emotions through t

him, reaching out. "Talk to me. I

and the look in his

he said. "This is a mista

tand. "The bond doesn't make mistakes. We're mates. We're 'meant' f

a child. Ronan's baby sister, following me around with those

lt my eyes burn, but I refused to

to hold onto some shred of dignity. "I'm twenty-one.

urse, like a denial of re

ate. "I know you felt it. The bond is t

lickered in his eyes-longing, maybe, or reg

voice went cold, deliberately cruel.

tually staggered, my hand flying to my ches

n't mea

him, smelling the leather and pine scent that had haunted my dreams for years, while his words

ad, backing a

ional, designed to destroy. "You've only ever been a sister

at the edges, narrowing to a tunnel with Sk

everything, after all these

roat, ragged and broken. "What'

n, a fissure in the ice but he smo

ou'll find someone else. Someone better. Someone who isn't..." He stopped, j

ossible to stop. "You know it won't. Rejected bo

putting distance between us. "Because I won't a

d and wa

d the celebration, back toward his life that didn't include me. The b

around me like a puddle of broken dreams. The sob that escaped my throa

Unwanted. N

my birthday celebration continued without me. Long enough for the cold to seep int

stood, someth

unconditionally-it wasn't gone. But it had cracked, fracture

ce. I packed a bag with mechanical efficiency. I wrote a note to my parents that explain

n, I w

eared in my rearview mirror, that I would