The storm outside matched the one inside me. The air was thick with the threat of rain, clouds rolling over the sky in violent, shifting waves, but none of it compared to the chaos clawing its way up my throat.
I found Asher at the edge of the parking lot, leaning against his car like he’d been waiting for me. Like he knew I’d come looking for him, like he could already hear the war brewing in my chest.
His eyes locked onto mine the second I stepped forward, and I knew—I knew—this was about to get ugly.
“You need to take it back,” I said, my voice sharp and unsteady all at once. “The imprint. Undo it. I don’t f*****g want it.”
His expression didn’t change, but something flickered behind his eyes—something dark and unreadable. “It doesn’t work like that, Ava.”
I let out a bitter, humor
