Chapter 13

HARLEY

As I walked home, I thought about what I would face when I got there.

My stepmother, Susan, would be there, waiting to pounce on me with her latest set of demands. And my stepsister, Juliet, would be there, ready to gloat about her latest accomplishments.

I braced myself for the inevitable drama that would unfold as soon as I walked through the door.

I let out a sigh, the weight of it all settling on my shoulders. But then, something inside me shifted. A feeling of determination welled up within me.

I thought about the strange man I'd saved the other day, the man who'd come to me this morning and told me I was his Mate.

I didn't know what it meant, but something about it felt right, felt like it could be true. It was a crazy thought, but I couldn't shake it.

As I walked, I felt a strange pull, like I was being pulled in a certain direction. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I had to follow the feeling, had to see where it led me.

As I turned the corner onto my stre