DANTE’S POV
By the next morning, the decision had already been made. I did not arrive at it in a burst of rage or reckless impulse. It was quieter than that. Colder. Sharper. Like a blade sliding into place. Lucas could not remain in my pack. I had spent the night awake, staring at the ceiling of my room while Selene’s scent lingered like a ghost I refused to acknowledge. The memory of her lips—soft, confused, yielding had burned through me, but I had buried it beneath iron resolve. I had done what was necessary. Reasserted control. Reminded her of the truth she kept trying to outrun.
The bond was unbreakable… I had repeated that statement to myself the entire night. Reminding myself that I was the only one that mattered, that Selene wouldn’t be able to survive out there without me. That
