Janice’s words settled into the silence between us, heavy and undeniable. I didn’t want to admit she was right, but deep down, I knew she was.
Still, something about all of this didn’t sit right with me.
“If the mate bond is so strong,” I started carefully, “why did Selene reject her mate? Why didn’t she feel the same pull Kody does?”
Janice let out a sigh, her fingers tightening slightly on the steering wheel. “Because Kody’s father was human.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What?”
She nodded, glancing at me briefly before focusing back on the road. “The mate bond is designed for werewolves, Mishy. Humans… we aren’t built to withstand it the same way they are. That’s why Selene’s rejection didn’t just break Kody’s father—it killed him.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine. “Killed him?” I ec
