Sloane's POV
I didn't go back to the Alpha Manor. Instead, I sought refuge in a mall within pack territory.
Every time I saw Zane, my heart would throb with uncontrollable pain. My entire body burned with a cruel mix of agony and desperate longing. The mate bond—was it meant to be a gift or a curse? I couldn't tell anymore.
I crumpled into the corner of the stairwell, curling into myself as if I could physically hold the pieces together. My nails dug into my back until the sharp pain cut through the fog in my mind.
Sloane, you need to forget him. It's over between you two.
I repeated these words like a mantra, desperately trying to convince myself.
My wolf went completely silent in that moment, giving me space to feel the pain and make my own decision.
Time blurred as I sat there, w
