He tilted his head slightly, his gaze searching hers.
“Put yourself in my place.”
She hesitated.
And for the first time… she actually did.
Caleb continued, his tone calm but firm.
“That’s why I asked to wait. That’s why I wanted the full moon test. Not because I wanted to reject you… but because I needed certainty.”
Iva frowned slightly, her voice softer now, but still carrying that lingering hurt.
“But you realized I was your mate before the full moon,” she said. “You knew I wasn’t lying about that… so…”
She trailed off, her eyes searching his face.
Caleb nodded slowly.
“I did.”
A beat passed.
“But that doesn’t make everything else simple,” he added, his voice firm again. “The world I live in… it’s not safe. The dangers are real, and they are everywhere.”
He exhaled slowly.
