Ariana
As soon as Alpha Nicholas walked through the door, I knew I needed to get out. The tension in the dining room was suffocating, and the conversation about the mate bond was just fuel for the fire. I didn’t want to hear any more about how “perfect” it was that Ryder and I were fated mates or how this union would solidify the strength of both packs. It was the same old conversation, and I was sick of it.
So, without bothering to explain myself, I excused myself from the dinner table. I could feel my mom’s eyes burning into the back of my head, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to let them decide my future, not when I had so little control over the bond as it was.
But as soon as I stepped out into the hallway, the weight of everything hit me all at once. What was I even doing? Slappi
