Elora’s POV
I didn’t really stop running until the castle was just a smear, trees slapping my arms, breath tearing hot from my chest. Tears streaked down my face. They stung in the cold, and I let them. If they left marks, good. Sometimes you want the pain to bite.
Dante’s damn voice was still stuck in the back of my head. You’ll still be mine. I wanted to rip out whatever bond joined us. Would have gone at my own ribcage if that had helped. Instead, I just collapsed against a huge tree, forehead digging into scratchy bark. My wolf howled inside, half-crazy from rejection that never finished breaking. Just the constant pain in my head.
I stayed there until the sun came clawing up. Legs and fingers numb, body aching all over. Eventually, the universe stopped caring about my pity party an
