---- But I'd never had a choice. From the moment I took my first breath, my life had been mapped out by my mother. My only purpose was to be a pawn in a pack alliance, a bride with a price tag. I tried to fight it once. The price was my mother's cold fury and days locked ina dark room, the weight of my family's expectations crushing me. "Pipe dreams! Your path was set long ago. You don't get a choice!" I don't know what my mother did to forge the mate bond between Eric and me, but I knew it wasn't natural. The first time I met Eric, I saw the rejection in his eyes. He slammed the door and left that day, refusing to even look at me. ---- And gods help me, a part of me was relieved. Surely an Alpha like him could fight this, right? But in the end, he took over the family business and, as expected, took me as his mate. Ihad no choice but to bow to my fate. After we were mated, he was different-not warm, but ... restrained. The sharp edges dulled. The anger faded into cool detachment. He remembered my birthday. He bought me gifts-a bracelet with his pack crest, a necklace that matched my Luna rank. But the smile never reached his deep, golden wolf eyes. It just played on his lips. Still, I told myself it was better than the silence. Now, the silence is mine. As I was preparing to leave Alaska, my phone was ---- bombarded with communication requests. All from Eric. He was using the pack network now. Which meant he was getting serious. He could find me if he really wanted to. Asour feeling churned in my stomach. It felt like our roles had been reversed. Now that the bond was gone, he was the one who couldn't let go. But why? Why now, when he never cared about my pain before? After countless attempts from different numbers, I finally answered. "Lyra?" His voice was calm, but I heard the tension under it. Like he'd been rehearsing this opening line and still wasn't sure it would land. ---- "What are you doing in Alaska? You never said you wanted to go. Tell me when you're flying back, I'll pick you up."