The Fated Series
Her lips parted, questions rising, but he pressed on.
“I was in love once. Not fated, not true mates—but I loved her. And every day, I worried that her real mate would come for her, and I would lose her.” His jaw tightened. “But fate had other plans. Battle took her instead. I held her as she bled out in my arms. And since then…”
He looked away for a moment, his hand slipping from her face to hang heavy at his side. “I swore I wouldn’t love again. That I couldn’t survive it.”