He’s still next to me, sleeping beneath my blankets, his scent mixing into them. It’s morning now. I can feel his emotions, but they only make me more confused. I can tell he’s blocking me out of his mind. There’s something he doesn’t want me to know.
I’m almost sorry I bit him... sorry I marked my own mate. I can feel his self-hatred. I can feel the small amount of affection he has for me, for my strength.
I leave him in the bed, his hair spread out around him. My heat has ebbed for the time being, but it will return soon if I’m not already pregnant.
“Layla.”
The name, not mine, falls from his lips as I dress in an oversized sweater, and I freeze. I know I am not in his heart, but she is. Layla is. I can feel it in my bones.
I leave quickly, stumbling into the living room, nearly tri
