THERON’S POV
Today was the big day. I wondered if Elara was nervous in front of a crowd of people she’d never met. I wanted to go to her room, talk to her before the wedding, and try to calm her nerves. But she’d already clarified that she wanted nothing to do with me unless it was dark.
The pain of my mate’s rejection was unbearable. I thought we were turning a corner when I found her on the balcony. But those hopes were quickly dashed when she told me it wouldn’t happen again.
Part of me wanted to just give up, let her hide in her room, and never have to see her—to give her exactly what she wanted. But I couldn’t. Not only because she was my mate and I’d never give up but also because she needed to be marked, and we needed to play our parts as King and Queen.
No, giving up wasn’t an
