When I chose Talia as a mate, I robbed her of humanity.
She never forgave me for the way she was transformed, and I never really forgave myself for putting her through it the way that I did.
I didn't give her my blood, but I was responsible for the mortal wound that was necessary to start the process, and I had not warned her about that part in advance.
She hated me back then, and she would never have trusted me enough to let me injure her like that if I had been honest with her.
It was wrong of me to do that to her, but I had been searching for someone to call my Mate for so long that I was terrified of losing her and I told myself she would understand.
I didn't usually transform women; for generations, the Emperor had chosen the strongest warriors in the Arena and transformed them i
