TORN BETWEEN MATES
“What do you want, Aria?”
I swallow hard, my palms sweaty. “I need to talk to you. About... us.”
His look doesn’t alter, and for a second, I worry if he’s just going to walk away again. But he doesn’t. Instead, he straightens up, his gaze never leaving mine.
“There is no ‘us,’ Aria,” he replies, his voice flat and cold.
I feel a knot building in my throat, but I go forward. “You felt it, didn’t you? The tie between us. You can’t refute it.”
He approaches closer, and for a minute, I think I see something flicker in his eyes, something that nearly seems like sorrow. But it’s gone as swiftly as it appeared.
“You’re not my mate, Aria,” he replies, his voice tightening. “Don’t fool yourself.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I take a step back, my vision fading as the weight of his rejection slams over me. My heart feels like it’s being pulled apart, piece by piece.
How can he say that? How can he deny what’s so painfully clear to me?
“Damian, I...” I whispered, but he cut me off, his voice colder than ever.
“I don’t want you, Aria. You mean nothing to me.”
And with that, he turns and goes away, leaving me standing there, crushed.