Evaline:
All I could do was to stare at him, frozen in my place.
The moment he said those words - his voice steady and eyes unwavering - something deep inside me shifted. A warmth surged through my chest, spreading outward like sunlight on frozen skin. It wasn't like the burning mate mark on the neck, not like the physical seal of teeth that wolves used to finalize their bonds. But I could feel it - the bond between us responding... it was coming to life.
It started like a breath, subtle and unsure, then quickly bloomed into something real. Tangible. It was like a pulse tethering us together.
And still, I couldn't move.
I couldn't speak.
I just stared at him... my mate... who had accepted not just me, but the child growing inside me, my messy past, my bond with Draven, and all those pieces of me I had been too afraid to show.
