I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the weight of that tattoo burning into my skin, a constant reminder of the impossible connection between Zach and me. Mates. The word made my stomach churn, like I was bound to something that I hadn’t chosen. Something that could destroy me. And yet, the bond between us was undeniable, an invisible string tying us together, pulling tighter with every breath.
I sat up in the small cabin we’d found in the middle of the forest. Zach had brought me here after our encounter with the tattoo, saying it would be safer than staying out in the open. He had gone out to scout the area, making sure we weren’t being followed. But I could still feel him, even now, somewhere in the distance. His presence, like an ever-present hum at the back of my min
