Ashriel's POV
The first light of dawn barely kissed the horizon, but I was already wide awake. I barely slept the night before as I’d replayed our last conversation a hundred times, dissecting every word. Then, an idea began to form in my mind. It wasn't just her stubbornness. It wasn't just her anger. It was something I had done.
The first night. The way I had touched her. The way I had moved to claim her, even briefly, without her consent. It had been primal, instinctual, driven by the mate bond, but to her, it must have felt like an invasion. A violation. That had to be it. That had to be why she was so guarded, so determined to push me away. I hadn’t given her a choice, hadn’t given her respect. I had acted like a brute, and she had every right to be wary.
A wave of shame washed ove
