ALPHA JACE SLAVO Returning to my home to meet only Halle waiting for me in the dining area wasn’t what I envisioned and I was pained that my mom left with Ariana, who had been more than a thorn in my life these past few days. We had seven days left until her birthday, but that meant nothing to this growing bond. It makes me wonder what triggered the bond to be this strong or to start growing in the first place. My brain had been thinking about how abruptly the mate bond showed up and started messing with me. Truth be told, I didn’t know how to feel about the bond. Whether I should hate it for preying on my weakness or should I live it for giving me the chance to feel something this sweet before my possible death? I wasn’t sure and, at this point, I believed that I had lost my identi

