*Ariella*
Kieran's declaration hangs in the air like a thick mist, challenging, unnerving. I glance at Thalia and LG, seeking an anchor in their shocked expressions, but find none. They seem just as lost in this surreal moment as I am.
"Your mate?" My voice cracks slightly under the weight of my incredulity. "Isn't that something you should decide based on… I don't know, feelings… rather than a supposed destiny?"
Kieran's eyes soften, just a fraction, but it's enough to stir a strange feeling within me, a flicker of something unidentifiable. "It doesn't work like that for us," he explains, his voice losing a bit of its earlier harshness. "When a werewolf finds their mate, it's an undeniable force, a connection forged by the Goddess. It's not about choice; it's about fate."
“But I am no
