7

{ Ryn }

Seeing her in that pink dress was physically painful as her hand settled comfortably into the crook of my elbow and she relaxed at our touch. I felt my own heart rate subside as she drew closer to me on instinct and the corners of my mouth turned up.

My anxiety was through the roof at the prospect of what the night might hold. For her. For us. I’d felt a draw toward her ever since I turned 18. I can’t stop thinking about her. She is practically my reason for getting out of bed. Protecting her is all that matters and watching Syn hurt her brought all of the feelings I’d been suppressing come up full force. He wasn’t her destined mate after all. She was a royal, she absolutely had a mate. Which meant she had another. And I had an inkling, I wasn’t just drawn to her because we were good friends.

We walked arm in arm through the party as if we belonged together. I shot glares at any men