The tension in the room was thick enough to cut through as the adjudicator sat across from me, eyes sharp, pen poised, waiting for answers I wasn’t sure he wanted to hear. His presence radiated an authority that put my nerves on edge, but I was determined to answer his questions truthfully, no matter how uncomfortable they made me. I could feel Ryder through the mate bond, just outside the door, pacing, filled with worry and dread. His anxiety flowed into me, heightening my own, but I needed to focus.
The adjudicator’s voice was cold as he asked, “When did you first realize Ryder was your mate?”
I swallowed, feeling my heart rate spike. “I didn’t know until my eighteenth birthday,” I said, my voice steady despite the unease growing inside me. “It just happened to be the same day as Ryder
