Ruby's POV
The ceremony was over.
The pack had cheered.
The elders had blessed the union.
And I
I had stood there, marked and claimed, with Jake's scent burning against my skin.
Like a brand.
Like a cage.
The air was still thick with celebration as wolves crowded the packhouse, drinking, laughing, congratulating us.
I should have been smiling.
I should have felt relieved.
Instead, I felt hollow.
Trapped in a life I hadn’t chosen.
A life I had forced myself into.
Because there was no turning back now.
Riley had been silent since the bite.
She hadn’t spoken.
Hadn’t stirred.
Hadn’t even fought when Jake's bond pushed against her like a stranger demanding to be let in.
She just… disappeared.
Like she couldn’t bear to be here anymore.
Like she had already given up.
And I
