POV: Ash
I threw the ring box across the room.
It hit the wall and bounced onto the floor, the diamond sparkling under the kitchen lights. Ember jumped at the sound, and both babies started crying.
"I'm sorry," I said quickly, going to comfort Max while Ember picked up Lily. "I didn't mean to scare them."
"What's wrong?" Ember asked, rocking Lily gently.
Everything was wrong. I'd just proposed to the woman I loved, and she couldn't even give me an answer because of her bond with another man.
"This is insane," I said, bouncing Max until he stopped crying. "I can't marry you while you're still connected to Cade."
"I know," Ember said sadly. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. It's not your fault the tri-bond is complicated."
But it was frustrating. I'd been ready to start our life together, and Victoria's threat was forcing us to make decisions we weren't ready for.
"So what do we do?" Ember asked.
I looked at the ring box on the floor. The answer came to me suddenly.
