My Dear Martha,
I am writing this because I cannot look you in the eye and say the things that must be said. My hands are shaking as I hold this pen, but I know I have to write this before my courage fails me completely.
When you told me that Edmund is your true mate, it felt as though the breath was ripped straight from my being. I will not lie to you and pretend that my heart isn't broken into a thousand pieces. To know that the woman I love with all my heart belongs to someone else by the laws of fate is a pain I wouldn't wish on any man. Part of me wanted to fight it, to beg you to stay with me anyway, but I know who you are. I know how deeply you revere the mate bond, how sacred it is to you, and I love you too much to ever force you to choose between your soul and me.
