The path blurred before my eyes as I stumbled through the forest, every step heavier than the last.
The farther I walked, the more the sobs clawed their way up my throat. Silent at first, until they weren’t. Until the pain in my chest broke free in a low, shuddering wail that ripped through the trees.
I didn’t care if anyone had heard.
Not Aiden.
Not the pack.
Not even the gods themselves.
Let them hear how thoroughly broken I was. Let them choke on it the way I was.
I found a clearing not far from the training grounds and collapsed to my knees.
The cold ground bit into my skin, but I welcomed it. I needed something real, something solid, to anchor me when everything inside me was falling apart.
Aiden’s words kept replaying in my head.
I was trying to punish you.
I needed you to
