that made my skin prickle. Through the bond-that damned, persistent bond-I felt his emotions

inst his control, wild and feral in a w

ice was rough, scrape

pt my tone flat, professional. "I'm

he words hung un

Good. Let him hurt. Let him feel a

n, I

explanation he'd been about to offer. "I don't want to

old Wren-the pathetic, lovesick girl I used to be-would have caved at the pain in his ey

her myself, slowly and deliberate

inally, accepting the redirect

he exit, desperate to escape his gravitat

narrow, and I had to brush against him to get by. The contact-should

ke of breath. Felt the

ked f

n, w

y wrist. Gently, not res

didn't turn ar

"Just... look at me. Really l

ter. "I see a man who rejected his mate because she wasn't good enough for him. I see some

rough. "Every day. Every single day for five years, I've looked back. I'v

those five years surviving. Rebuilding myself from the wreckage you le

ually staggered, one hand pressi

d I deserve every bit of your anger. I deserve wor

reed. "The

n as everything in him seemed to strain toward me. "I never stopped caring about you. The reje

heard enough excuses to last a lifetime. You made your choice five years a

en.

oward the exit, putting precious distance between us. "Stay away from me,

he cool evening air, not letting myself run eve

through the bond-a howl of grief

I was good at

o calm my racing heart. My hands were trembling on the steering w

he whimpered. 'Ou

d back. 'He rejected us. He d

bedient. We'd had this argument

tsman surrounded by towering pines. I'd grown up here, learned to shift i

ke a stran

gathering myself. One more reunion to endure. O

waiting on

his arms crossed, expression unreadable, watching me climb out of my car with the same i

the bottom of the po

ot a visit. Not a real conversation. Just awkward phon

my stomach. "I

tension around his mouth, the hurt he was trying to hide behind anger. "Because from where I'm standin

t partially. "It wasn't about you or Mom and Dad. I jus

hy

explain about the rejection, about Skyler, about the agony that

y. I might ne

y. "Not yet. But I'm here now. D

oment. Then, slowly, the tens

aid gruffly.

into it. My brother's arms were strong and fami

le bird," he murmur

sed yo

uniting after too long apart. When we finally s

roat. "Mom left dinner in the fridge. Y

use, into the warmth and l

er's casserole and listening to Ronan catch me up on five years

a constant reminder that Sk

ng abo

tin

fer

self I di

t belie