Ashley's POV
My heart pounded erratically, skipping beats like it couldn't decide whether to race ahead or stall out completely as I walked away from Adrian. I forced myself to ignore the whines from my wolf, Alexa, echoing in my mind—soft, pleading sounds that tugged at me but didn't force the issue. She wasn't shoving me back toward him with that fierce urgency some wolves had; it was more subtle, a quiet ache from the mate bond that I knew wore on her just as much as it did on me. Deep down, I could sense her conflict, the way the bond pulled at her instincts even after everything. When I'd started to reject him moments ago, she hadn't fought me on it, hadn't clawed her way to the surface to stop the words. Instead, she'd just braced herself, steeling for the incoming pain like a soldi
