Asher's eyes mirrored a deep concern, an unspoken understanding passing between us that was heavy with implication. We both knew exactly who was on my mind. Jackson had been relentless in his reminders, his playful insistence that my birthday was fast approaching—a date that had become a countdown for him, a moment when he expected to claim his prize. That prize was me.
But what Jackson failed to grasp, in his fervor and excitement, was that I had undergone a transformation of my own, one that shifted the balance of power. The mate bond had snapped into place like a taut string, binding me to a reality I had yet to fully comprehend. Once the dust settled from Eden's decisive victory over the vampire, the wolf within me asserted itself, overpowering the remnants of the vampire's influence.
