Chapter 17-Aylin

An hour and a half ago

I can't concentrate on anything. I can't stop thinking about him. There's a dull pain in my chest, and I can only imagine it's my own heart eating itself alive because I want him so badly.

Just the idea of him, of my mate. That's the only thing I want.

When he's gone, I crave him so badly because I completely forget who he is, what he is, what he's done.

I'm reminded of all that when he's in front of me. He wears it in the blazing red of his eyes, his cold touch, and his silent heart.

It's not that I don't understand his reasoning. I do. Even if I didn't, I have no room to talk. I'm wretched down to my bones.

But I never killed a child, I never allowed my armies to rape anyone or harm children, and the few times it has happened, I didn't look the other way. I killed them all, I let that feral part of me take over, and I melted their brains. I did that even before it was personal.

I want to believe he never took part in it and never laid a hand