It was strange—this connection I felt to Dominic. A connection I couldn’t explain, one that felt out of place given the circumstances. He had kidnapped me, tied me up, and turned my life upside down. Yet somehow, knowing his story had changed something inside me.
I couldn’t begin to imagine the weight he carried. The pain of losing a mate in such a violent way, the constant threat of his brother’s cruelty hanging over him. I’d never been through anything like that. But then again, my life hadn’t been a fairy tale either.
My father had walked out on us before Dexter was even born, leaving my mom to juggle two jobs and raise us alone. I’d always been the odd one out at school, picked on relentlessly for my white hair and pale features. I’d been called “ghost,” “albino freak,” and worse. No
