Nellie’s POV
The air in the Silver Creek clinic break room was dense, heavy with the weight of Ethan’s words and the insistent throb of the mate bond that still tied us. His eyes locked on mine with a mixture of pleading and desperation, waiting for my answer, while my heart battled in a whirlwind of emotions. The memory of his betrayal with Serena clashed against the promise of his repentance, and the night with Caleb—his warm hands and ebony skin against mine—anchored me to Silver Creek. I wanted to speak, to say something, anything, but the words stuck in my throat. Clarisa growled in my mind, her primal instinct pulling toward Ethan, our mate, her voice echoing: He’s ours. Forgive him. The bond is eternal. Nothing will change that.
But I wasn’t so sure.
Before I could answer, Ethan’
