“Ione, I love you,” Alpha Dashiell's voice cracked as he spoke, his golden eyes full of desperation. “For so long, I fooled myself into thinking I didn’t care about you, but it was just guilt—guilt for Callista. Now, I see it clearly. Nothing matters more than you. You’re my mate.”
His gaze pierced through me, filled with an intense longing. “Without you, everything is dark. I’ve never felt such emptiness. A wolf without his mate is like a hollow carcass, unable to survive on its own.”
There had been a time when our families had torn Beta Zephyr and me apart, just as they had torn Alpha Dashiell from Callista. But the difference was clear. Callista was always playing the game, flattering the Hargrove Pack, bending to their whims, always finding ways to worm her way into their favor. They
