The words should have softened me, but they didn't. Instead, they felt like salt poured into an open wound. "Well, congratulations," I said, sarcasm dripping from every syllable. "You've managed to do exactly that."
His face fell, and for a moment he looked like he might break. But then he straightened, his jaw tightening with resolve. "It's not that simple," he said quietly. "You can't just walk away from this."
I narrowed my eyes at him, anger flaring fresh and hot. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He hesitated, his eyes darkening. "It means… it means that you're my mate."
I blinked, thrown off balance by the term. "Mate?" I repeated, disbelief sharpening my voice. "What does that even mean?"
He opened his mouth, then closed it again, visibly struggling. For the first time since this
