The pain was unbearable.
Ava remained on the ground where she had fallen, her hands pressed against her chest as if she could physically hold the pieces of her heart together.
It felt like something vital had been ripped out of her, leaving a gaping wound that bled agony with every breath she took.
The mate bond, or what remained of it, screamed in protest. The severance had been brutal and violent, like having part of herself torn away while she was still conscious enough to feel every excruciating second of it.
Tears streamed down her face as her body trembled. She couldn't stop them even if she wanted to. Sobs wracked her body, making her shoulders shake and her breath come in ragged gasps.
She was dimly aware of people stopping around her, of concerned voices asking if she was a
