Ava's POV
My heart twisted painfully, like something had sunk its claws deep into it and pulled.
And then… a strange cold spread through me, numbing everything in its path. Because in that moment, I understood something with terrifying clarity.
He knew.
All along… he knew how much I loved him.
My wolf let out a low, wounded sound, and he still chose this.
A soft laugh slipped past my lips, but there was no warmth in it, no sadness either. Just hollowness.
My gaze met his again, but this time, it had hardened.
“Victor,” I said, my voice calm, almost gentle, “my love for you was never an excuse for you to hurt me, to ignore me, and to grind my feelings into dust.”
The words hung between us.
I paused, then let a faint, resolute smile curve my lips. “And anyway…” I said softly, “I do
