DEREK
She said it once. And again. "Mark me."
And I almost did.
The words landed like an arrow to the center of my chest, so sudden and precise it knocked the air from my lungs. Her voice was low. Steady. Certain.
"Mark me."
Goddess, I wanted to. Every part of me ached for it. Erebus, my wolf, was past the point of reason, snarling with need, pounding against the walls of my ribcage like a caged animal demanding release.
It wasn’t just want. It was desperation. An instinct so raw it scraped bone. The call of a mate bond that had been forged, broken, and reforged again.
She didn’t remember.
She didn’t know what she was asking.
And I couldn’t do it. Not to her.
Not until she knew everything. Not until she remembered everything.
I stood frozen, holding her gaze, drowning in it. T
