POV ROSE
She huffs. “So, your turn. If your mother worships the mate bond so much, what do you think?”
I stare at the roses, their petals glistening with dew.
What do I think?
That the idea once saved me. That I waited for him when everything fell apart. That I begged the Moon for him when they called me traitor. That he never came. That I died alone.
I swallow.
“I used to believe in it,” I say slowly. “In the fairytale version. The one where your mate feels your pain across distances, storms the gates, tears down walls, saves you just in time.”
“And now?” Aurelia asks.
“Now…” I exhale. “Now I think the Moon Goddess gives us different kinds of love. Some marked by magic. Some marked by choice. And I don’t think she takes lightly when two souls find each other the hard way.”
Aureli
