ELIAS
The moment she walked through that door, my wolf had already decided. Three years, and one look at her face was enough to make every careful, rational decision I had made in my entire life feel like a mistake I hadn't finished paying for.
She hasn't changed, that was the first thing I noticed. But when I looked deeper at her face... indeed, she has changed. Harder around the edges, colder in the eyes. I knew whatever the Silver Pits had done to her, she probably must have passed through hell to survive it.
My gaze moved to her neck on instinct, the way I always had, the way I probably always would, and there was no mark.
I felt relieved at that very moment. It happened so fast, it embarrassed me before I'd even finished feeling it. Having no mark meant no mate, and having no mat
