The air around us shifts, and Christobel’s soft voice takes on a pointed edge.“When you arrived in that state, I—” Christobel sits the bowl of soup on the side table and takes my hands into hers. “Rafael was inconsolable. It was the most gut-wrenching thing to see. My strong boy weakly crying out for help. And then he told me what happened to you.”Again, distress tents Christobel’s brows, and a pinched frown drags the corners of her lips down. She’s fighting the tears brimming, holding her composure by a thread. Mine slips at the sight of her heartbroken expression.“He told me about what your father did and said. How you spent your entire life hated in that place, treated like…” She squeezes my hands, bringing them to her lips and kissing gently on their backs. “I promise you, Makayla. You will never suffer like that again. Even if you double down on rejecting the mate bond and refuse to let Rafe into your heart, you will always be welcome in Io. We will accept you and treat you li

Why on earth did Thane just pledge to protect me?! Not only that, but he made it a formal oath! His vow stands binding in the eyes of Io and the Moon Goddess from now until his last breath. And if he fails to fulfill his duties as my protector, he can be stripped of his title and even his wolf, should the Moon Goddess deem him unworthy! This is too much! I can’t! He can’t!“I—”“It’s already done,” Thane grunts, cutting me off and rising to his feet. He dusts off the knees of his pant legs and flashes me a bright smile. “No protesting and no takebacks. I’m your protector from this moment on.”“B-But why?” I wheeze, breathless. Christobel spoons another serving of oatmeal into my gaping mouth, forcing me to close it and chew for dear life.“Don’t mind him,” she sighs, shaking her head. “He’s always been so dramatic.”“Bellie, you wound me.” When he glowers in her direction, an unnatural pout graces his lips. It fades seconds later, replaced by a smug grin. “Drama has nothing to do with

I can’t believe I did that.I can’t believe I said that!Three days. It’s been three days since I told Rafe I loved him, too, and I’m reeling. Milla feels like she’s bouncing around inside me, giddy as a young pup, while I’m on the verge of total mental collapse. What the hell is wrong with me?I know the risks. I know the impending doom that lurks around the corner with River Crest. I know loving him is the wrong move and only puts him and his pack in danger. And telling him I love him is one of the dumbest things I could have done.Rafe’s entire face morphed when I said those words. It was like a heavy mask fell from him, and he melted into a soft mound of butter in my arms. I’ve never seen his blue eyes not charged with the energy of a thunderstorm at sea. But when he heard me say I loved him, the waters calmed, and his body relaxed completely.Dumb, Makayla. So so dumb.Why did I do that? If I have to leave him to avoid war with River Crest, it’ll devastate him. My head throbs at

I’m off the sidewalk that follows the main road around the hospital and cutting through the grass behind toward the trees. Every step getting faster and faster until I’m no longer walking but full on sprinting toward the forest. I won’t stop. I can’t. Goddess, why did you do this to me? Why am I being tortured for something I didn’t do? I want to curse the heavens and the moon itself. Why am I Makayla Pride, daughter of Nemora? Why couldn’t I have been Quinn Iverson? Or Annabelle Lucas? Or any one of the beautiful girls of River Crest who were loved by their parents and cherished by their pack? I break through the tree line and the dense canopy overhead blocks the sun. I’m still running, legs pumping furiously as I charge toward the unknown. But I can breathe a little easier. Or so I thought. My chest burns with every painful breath and my throat aches the deeper into the woods I go. Pulling the stranger’s hoodie from around me, I throw it into the bushes as I retreat farthe

My mate, Rafael Crane, is a madman. That is the sad, ugly truth.I don’t know if he was always insane or if it is the result of our mate bond. But what I do know is this man is unwell psychologically. Well, that’s a bit of an unfair exaggeration. But what else am I supposed to think?He hasn’t left my side for two days. I can’t even go to the bathroom without him tailing me and standing outside the door. He watches my every move like he’s studying some mystifying, unknown creature. And when he’s here in the hospital room with me, he refuses to be further than six inches away from me. That’s if I can get him to let me go.I know it’s my fault he’s behaving like this.All of the running and pushing away has probably driven him crazy. One minute, I’m in his arms, feeling nothing short of the grace of the Goddess and the light of eternity. The next minute, I’m telling him we can’t work or outright pushing him back. I’d be insane, too, if my mate was acting like me.Still, this is too far.