The diner by Lake Marrow was nearly empty on a weeknight, just a few locals nursing coffee at the counter and an elderly couple sharing dessert in a corner booth. Ravyn had chosen it deliberately—public enough to feel safe, quiet enough to have a real conversation. The same lake where they’d celebrated her birthday just days ago, though it felt like a lifetime had passed since then.
She arrived first, sliding into a booth by the window where she could see the parking lot. Her hands trembled slightly as she wrapped them around her coffee mug, the double heartbeat in her chest a constant reminder that somewhere out there, her mate was still searching for her.
When Cassian walked through the door, her breath caught despite everything. He still looked like the boy she’d fallen in love with—d
