The office was quiet. Too quiet.
She sat across from him again, arms crossed, guarded. Her earlier anger had burned down and she was now staring daggers at me.
Dante didn't blame her. Not anymore.
"You wanted the truth," he said finally, voice low. "About what you are to me."
Ava's eyes flicked to his. "I want to know what it means to be your mate. Not the fairytale."
"There's no fairytale," he said flatly. He turned, expression unreadable. "It means being bound—body, mind, and soul to love . There is no ceremony. No permission. The bond chooses, not us. And once it's locked in…" He paused. "It's forever ."
"When a Lycan wolf finds their mate, it's not by choice. It's instinct. The bond is ancient—older than our laws, older than our control. It binds soul to soul, heart to heart. There is no escape."
"Sounds romantic," she muttered.
He turned to face her. "It's not. It's obsession. It's need. When you hurt, I feel it. It's my wolf clawing under my skin when you're not near. It's pain—every time you walk away. And if I lose you…"
He didn't finish.
She watched him closely, uncertain. "What happens if a mate dies?"
Dante's throat tightened. "The other follows. Sometimes immediately. Sometimes slowly—dying from heartbreak."
Ava blinked.
"That's why I kept my distance," he said, stepping closer. "You asked for space, for boundaries. I gave them. Because once I give in, once I claim you…" His jaw clenched. "There's no turning back. Not for either of us."
"You'd be stuck with me."
"I'd make you mine in every way," he said, voice like gravel. "Every part of me—wolf and man—belongs to you. Even if you don't want it."
Ava swallowed hard.
"And if you reject the bond?" she asked, quieter now.
Dante gave a bitter smile. "Then I live the rest of my life heartbroken. No one else. No peace. Just hunger I can never satisfy."
The silence returned, thick and final.
He looked at her, something raw flickering behind his eyes.
"You think I'm dangerous now?" he whispered. "Imagine what I become if I lose you."
He stepped back, schooling his expression. "The mark you have—it didn't come from me. Which means you're not just my mate, Ava."
His voice hardened.
"You're something else entirely."