~LUCAS~
I should have taken this step the moment I married Freya. From the instant I slid that ring onto her finger and we united our lives, I knew my loyalty would always lie with her. It was clear to me that even though Avery was my mate, I could never allow myself to develop feelings for her. It was something I repeated to myself constantly until it eventually stuck with me.
There were times I stumbled in keeping those promises, moments when I strayed from my convictions, struggling to ignore the pull of the mate bond. But now, more than ever, I was resolved to break free from this internal conflict.
The devastation I caused my wife while she was pregnant with our child shattered me. Watching her cry, hearing her anguish in front of everyone, and listening to her plead with me to le
