LOGINJACKSON’S POVHe looked at me with saucers in his eyes and I knew he was being honest. I knew he wouldn’t do something stupid like abandon me and do what he wanted all over again, but I just had to make sure.I had to make sure something like this would never happen again.“Are you sure?” I breathed, looking closely at him. “Are you sure you’ll never do anything like this again?”“Yes, I’m sure.” I felt his arms tighten around my waist.“You have to promise.” I lifted my pinky finger and presented it to him. I remembered teaching him that a pinky promise was one of the most important things in the world and he couldn’t afford to break it. “If you promise, then I’ll be left assured.”He took out his pinky and enclasped it around mine.“I swear to the gods. I will never leave you out of anything and try to do it on my own again.”He planted his lips where our fingers had intertwined and I felt my pulse quicken.I almost forgot how those cold, soft, subtle lips felt like against my warm s
JACKSON POV“Don’t.” I choked the words again, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “Just…please. Don’t.”How could he say that? How could he look me in the eye and say something like that? That he would give up his pack—his family—because of me?Bullshit.This wasn’t what I wanted. Not even close. How could he turn his back on his people as though they meant nothing, all because of me?Why was he willing to go this far for me?Before I could stop it, another wave of tears spilled down my cheeks.“What’s wrong?” Frost muttered in panic and I could see the absolute fear and confusion clouding his features.“What—” He scrambled to his feet, reaching for me, then hesitating. His hands hovered in the air between us, unsure. “What did I do? Did I do anything wrong? Jackson, please, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”I slapped his hands away from my face. Not hard but just enough to push them back.“I didn’t fall in love with a coward,” I said, my voice shaking with emotion.He froze. “What?
JACKSON POVI hated that I felt guilty for hurting him. I hated that seeing him break like this made something in my chest twist with the urge to comfort him.I hated that even now, even after everything, part of me still loved him.A huge part of me still loved him.Before I could think any further, I turned swiftly and reached for the door handle, only for his hand to cover mine.“Please don’t go,” he whispered shakily. “Please, Jackson. Just give me five minutes. Five minutes to explain, and if you still want me to leave after that, I will. I’ll walk out that door and never bother you again. I promise.”I should have said no. I should have opened that door and made him leave. I should have protected what was left of my shattered heart.Instead, I found myself stepping back, giving him the chance he’d asked for.“Five minutes,” I said coldly. “That’s all you get.”He nodded, wiping at his face with the back of his hand.Then, to my complete shock, he dropped to his knees.Right ther
JACKSON’S POV“Let go,” I said, my voice coming out rougher than I intended. I tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened.“Jackson, please—”“Frost. Let. Go.” I yanked harder, panic and anger rising up inside me. “What the hell are you even doing here? What gives you the damn right to?!”“I’m sorry.” His voice broke on the words.“Jackson, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things. I shouldn’t have—”“You’re sorry?” A bitter laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. “You’re sorry for what exactly? You think that fixes anything? You think—“Before I could get another word in, Frost yanked me forward, his arms wrapping tightly around my waist as he pulled against him. The desperation in his hold would've broken my heart…if it wasn’t already shattered.“I know it doesn’t fix anything,” he said against my shoulder, his voice low and muffled. “But I need you to know. I need you to understand that I never meant to hurt you.”“Get off me!” I pushed at his chest in my patheti
JACKSON’S POVThey’d seen everything. The destroyed apartment, the evidence of whatever breakdown I’d had. And now I’d have to explain it.Explain why I’d trashed my own place, why I hadn’t been answering their calls, why I’d completely ghosted them after the dinner party disaster.How was I supposed to do that?Mom, Dad, I fell in love with a supernatural being who can create ice and has amnesia, and then he broke my heart because he loves me too much to let me be in danger.Yeah.That would go just perfect.My chest tightened with a new kind of panic, different from the grief that had been consuming me only moments ago.This was the panic of impending doom, of having to face questions I had no answers for, of disappointing people who’d always expected better from me.I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready for their concerned faces, their questions that would feel like accusations, their inevitable suggestions about getting back together with Tammy and getting my life back on track.
JACKSON’S POVI turned a corner and stopped dead in my tracks.The jewelry store. I’d passed it a hundred times before without really noticing it, just another shop in a long row of them.But now, with the evening light catching on the displays in the window, I couldn’t look away.Flowers. Elaborate arrangements in crystal vases, roses and lilies and exotic blooms I couldn’t name.And beside them, jewelry—necklaces and bracelets and rings that sparkled under the lights like captured stars. Like the roses Frost had brought me.Like the chocolate he’d saved up his first paycheck to buy. Like the way his eyes had lit up when he’d presented them to me, so proud, so hopeful, so utterly convinced that he could make me happy.Before he’d decided happiness wasn’t worth the risk. That I wasn’t worth the risk.My throat tightened up and my vision blurred, trying desperately to stop the tears threatening to fall.And suddenly I was moving again, faster this time, my feet carrying me away from th







