Nolan POV
The tingling in my wrist wouldn’t fade, no matter how many times I rubbed at it. It was as if the mate bond itself had burned into my skin, branding me with a reminder of my failures.
Not after the way I had broken it. Not after everything I had done to her.
Some bitter, self-loathing part of me thought this was exactly what I deserved—to feel the mate pull now, sharp and undeniable, when I had spent years convincing myself it wasn’t real.
I had ignored it, rejected it, pretended it didn’t matter. I had told myself it was just instinct, just the goddess’s chains, and I’d been determined never to bow to her will.
And because of that stubborn pride, I had lost everything.
Ellie had run. She had been hurt, vulnerable, grieving, and instead of finding comfort in me, her mate
