Then, a video arrived.
The video showed Edwin massaging Carmen's ankle with a tenderness I'd never seen directed at me.
Each whimper of pain from her elicited visible concern and gentle reassurances from him.
I watched it impassively. When it ended, I replied, "If you want him, convince him to sign it and unmark me. I won't stand in your way."
Carmen had grown up alongside the Alpha Edwin and Beta Shawn. The pack was rife with bets about who she would eventually mate with. And odds were evenly split.
Then, three years ago, Carmen abruptly left for another territory.
It sent shockwaves through the Snowclaw Pack.
It was around that time I was being pressured into an arranged mate bond.
However, one day, my potential mate was Edwin. He proposed a mate bond.
Edwin had a sterling reputation within our territory, and we'd met socially a few times before. So, I agreed.
Only now am I beginning to understand. Back then, he was reeling from Carmen's departure, seeking solace in the ritual.
And I
