VAN'

nside me, twisting around my heart like tho

s eighteenth birthday, anticipating the moment the Moon Goddess would irrevocably tie her fate to m

t shattered everything, the thi

lf more for the way my blood still heated at the feel of her warm skin beneath my grip. I had

she had r

y wolf roared, a primal demand

ed, was a cheat. If things were different, I would have crushed my mout

d the truth. I would not claim

"I will never acknowledge you as my mate. And yo

ie. A part of me, the part that remember

or's daughter. The very thought of you near

tears at bay. Damn her. A part of me was still captivated by the act. I clenched my jaw so h

, deliberate space between us. "Yes. You were

off her was palpable. My wolf thrashed inside, ho

side. We were mates. She was mine. Instead, she just wrapped her arms aroun

ily is innocent. My mother is sick; she can't survive in that pl

ords sting. This was the r

actually take all those childhood promises seriously, did you? If I

curled into fists at her sides, and a familiar,

my throat. "You are dead to me, Amanda. Do not seek me out

If I stayed a second longer, I couldn't trust

-

DA'S

, I had never felt the cru

he bond between us still throbbed, a silent, achin

no

st fr

m

son I told

ly aban

ened wolf inside me whimper in agony. Today was supposed to be th

ed my chest open and left me to bleed out on the street. By the time I stumbl

up the mome

t, you look terrib

posure shattered. A torre

esn't want

, but her arms were already reachin

icy void inside me. "Donovan." My voice was a choked whisper. "He said he

ary calm. Her voice softened, taking on the same tone she used to sing me lull

ing me. "Everything is ruined. Everything is broken.

my back, just like she did when I w

, fed lies about our family. He's young, and he's u

ck, wiping

the memory of his eyes-looking at me like I was garbage. My vo

said gently. "The Moon Goddess paired you for a reason. But if. if Donovan truly cannot see your worth, then

sm of this day, I didn't know if I

Cry if you need to. But

I tried everything to fall asleep, but each time I closed my eyes, I saw Donovan shoving me away,

hing taken from us, school was my only lifeline now. If I wanted any ch

practice test as I reviewed quadratic equations. Fate mi

was the greatest healer. Given enough of

-

ull throb pounded behind my temples. Still, I forced myself

my two best friends, Lila and Brinley, ahead. I tried to s

out, forcing a bright tone as

s they gave me were ones of pure disgust, as if

her arms. "Don

trickled do

you really that clueless? Your dad'

mach c

both knew my dad.

s. "He faked his own death. Maybe t

a traitor needs to keep her distance. We don

d hot, finally

ter hunt, who was it that rappelled down and carried him back up, risking his own life? My father! And Brinley, when your family's house caught fire, wh

la retorted, though her voice had lost some of its edge. "Weren't you always boasting about being Donovan's best fr

cision, draining the color from

ut through the tension. "The final bell for the exam rang twice alrea

ester. He offered me a small, gentle smile-the first per

f wobbly, smile and hurr

nd the corner, his hand clenched white-knuckled