But all that bloodshed and intrigue was walled off from my little world. My days were spent with Tessa, listening to music, playing chess, tossing arrows into pots, or admiring flowers. The only thing gnawing at me was the looming date of my binding ceremony with Colton.
I stirred my chilled dessert, my mind elsewhere. Tessa, after hearing me out, scooped a piece of iced lychee and popped it into my mouth, cutting straight to the point. "Daphne, if you really didn't want to bond with him, you wouldn't be sitting here moping."
The sweet lychee melted on my tongue, and I froze for a second. Tessa went on, "It's not because of Theodore, is it? You're not still hung up on him, scared off wolves altogether? You're not that Daphne anymore."
She leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper. "I h
