The university cafeteria buzzed with the usual lunchtime chatter as I spotted Seraphina waving at me from our regular table. I wove through the crowd, gripping my lunch tray tightly.
"There you are!" Seraphina exclaimed as I slid into the seat across from her. "I was beginning to think you'd ditched us for the library again."
I smiled weakly. "Just got held up after bio class. Professor Miller wanted to discuss my research paper."
"Of course he did," she rolled her eyes playfully. "Heaven forbid our resident genius get anything less than perfect feedback."
My other friends—Jessica and Tyler—were already halfway through their meals, engaged in a heated debate about the latest pack politics. I picked at my salad, my mind still lingering on my doctor's appointment yesterday. Dr. Collins had confirmed what I'd feared: the rejected mate bond was causing prolonged physical damage. The pain would eventually fade, he'd said, but it might take months, not weeks.
