RONAN’S POV
Ayla had been gone for hours.
I felt her through the bond like a pulse I could not silence. Sharp. Distant. Moving too fast. Her emotions hit me in waves. Anger. Hurt. More anger. And beneath it, something else. Something raw that made my own chest tighten until it hurt to breathe.
She was running. I could feel the rhythm of her body moving across the territory. Long strides. Deep breaths. A relentless pace that told me she was not slowing down for anything.
I stood at the edge of the forest with my hands clenched at my sides. The winter wind cut at my face. Snow clung to my boots. My wolf paced in circles inside me, anxious, agitated, wanting to chase her, wanting to drag her back where it was safe.
But I could not. Not after what happened.
Not after I hurt her again.
W
