The final word tore from her throat.
The instant the declaration left her lips, agony detonated inside her body.
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the forest floor, fingers clawing into dirt and leaves as a scream tore from her throat. The mate bond convulsed violently, shredding through nerves and bone and marrow. Her wolf howled in their shared mind, tightening around the pup as the shockwave of rejection ripped through them.
"Protect it," Julia gasped internally. "Protect our pup."
Her vision blurred. Her ears rang. Blood roared loudly in her head. This pain will not stop the moment she says the words. It will linger. Because Jason was not here to accept her rejection. The rejection was not complete. So, the pain will remain longer than it should.
Far away—through the pain—sh
