The wind bit into my skin as I tore through the forest, the soles of my feet pounding against the earth. I was running, not just because it’s a routine but to escape the ache in my chest. Maybe if I could run far enough, fast enough, the weight pressing against my chest would finally loosen. But it didn’t, and neither did it quell the heat that burned beneath my skin.
It’s been a week since Sadie looked at me with those wide, doubtful eyes and asked if this—if we—meant anything beyond the bond.
She didn’t believe me.
And the worst part? I understood why.
Her words haunted me. Scraped at my heart until I was left raw. It felt like sharp knives were being driven into my chest over and over again, leaving me destroyed.
I clenched my jaw, pushing myself harder through the trees. Sweat sli
