RAVEN POV
I didn’t leave the cabin for two days after talking to Skye.
I told myself I was busy organizing photos, making shot lists, and studying maps. And yes, I did those things. But mostly, I was hiding. Avoiding the moment when I’d have to see Colton again, knowing what I knew now.
Three weeks in a coma. Heart stopped twice.
The words kept replaying in my head, like a song I couldn’t turn off.
I had finally looked it up. Mate bond rejection. Scoured forums, medical notes, journals. Usually, a rejection just makes the wolf sick for a few days fever, weakness, discomfort. Annoying, but survivable.
But in rare cases, when the bond was deep, strong, something called "bond death syndrome" could happen. The wolf’s body basically gave up. Like trying to keep living after someone ripped
