Her words struck Duke hard as he quietened down. The weight of his father’s hand on his shoulder still felt fresh, as if Duke was still living in that moment. He hadn’t understood the weight of it back then, but it had already imprinted on his soul forevermore.
“Hasn’t everyone?” Duke replied, shaking away the memory.
“No,” Natalie smiled, “until now, I have never known heartbreak.”
Duke felt tired suddenly. He sat down on the floor in front of her. Looking at Harry again, checking that he was still sleeping. A painful smile came to his lips; his Alpha had never looked more at peace.
“I met my mate when I was sixteen years old,” she began with a smile in her voice. “I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. I knew wolves that were at the end of their lives and had never met theirs.”
Duk
