ARIELLE
My whole body froze the instant our eyes met beneath the shimmering sunlight. For a heartbeat—no, for an eternity—I simply stared.
It felt as though I hadn't seen him in ages, as though time itself had stretched in his absence, turning mere days into something unbearably long. All I wanted was to soak him in—every line of his face, every shadow cast by his lashes—as if committing him to memory might keep him with me a little longer.
How have you been?
What have you been doing?
Have you been sleeping? Eating? Thinking of me at all?
How did your meeting with the Lycans go?
A thousand questions surged up inside me, pressing against my ribs until it almost hurt… yet not a single word made it past my lips. My throat tightened, sealed shut by nerves, longing, and a growing dread I couldn't quite name.
And then—my heart shattered.
