Ella
Tears streamed down my face as I bolted into the forest, my heart shattering with each step. Aidan’s betrayal replayed in my mind like a broken record, the sight of him with another girl carved into my memory.
I wanted to hate him, to erase the bond I thought we shared. But the truth hit me like a slap to the face—he didn’t even know. None of them did.
To them, I wasn’t Ella. I was Nuel, the quiet, awkward boy with no real place in their world. They had no idea who I really was.
We’re not even mates, I told myself bitterly, the thought both a relief and a knife to the chest. I wasn’t sure if I was more hurt by Aidan’s actions or by the fact that I had been so foolish to hope for something more.
I came to a stop beneath a towering oak tree, my chest heaving as I wiped at m
