She frowned and touched the mark.
“That’s beside the point,” she snapped.
“And look what you did to my beautiful face,” I muttered.“You don’t see me complaining.”
I didn’t understand the mate aspect—the bond. No matter how Fenrir explained it, it felt foreign.
I enjoyed aspects of her. But only on my terms.
Did I find it attractive that she carried an animal inside her?
Hell yes.
Did I want this bonding business to disrupt my way of life?
Fuck no.
You said if we keep her close, we can trigger a heat?
Fenrir pressed hard against my chest.
I couldn’t tell if it was a warning—or anticipation.
Yes.
In the end, the mating bond was inconsequential.
It only proved that Lielit Tolera was mine.
I was about to step toward her when Fenrir spoke again.
She could be the only one for us in this life.
I scowled at the thought and kept moving.
She growled—deep, repeated sounds torn from her chest. Shorter than ours, but no less fierce.
“I want off this island,” she hissed.
“No.”
“Fine,” she said, sitting back down.“Come and get me—if you’re brave enough. I’ll claw off what’s left of your face.”
Are you really going to let her speak to us like this?I demanded.
He never answered.
Fucking coward.
“Fine. Freeze your ass off—again,” I snapped.“And this time, don’t blame me.”
I walked away, pointedly ignoring Fenrir.
???
She didn’t come home.
No one had seen her at the boathouse.
