Jade’s POV
I stared at the ceiling of my small room, the pale morning light creeping through the torn blinds. My limbs felt like stone, my mind like fog. Even though I hadn’t moved all day, exhaustion clung to me like a second skin.
I couldn’t go to school today.
Not after what happened last night.
The moment had replayed in my mind over and over again, each time more humiliating than the last. The spark, the scent, the eye contact—the bond. And then him. Hunter Ashford. My mate.
And I’d run.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to will away the memory of his stunned expression. The way he whispered my name like he was seeing me for the first time. As if he hadn’t spent years making me feel invisible or worse.
A knock sounded on the bedroom door. Firm. Too early for Ashley.
“Jade?” It w
