Muriel sniffed. “How would you know?”
“Because I have one,” Jessie said, gesturing between herself and the door where Matt was probably pacing in the hallway. “The second we met, something clicked. It was terrifying. Here I was, being forced into a mating with Lucas, and suddenly this other wolf shows up and my entire world tilts. It’s destiny.”
“But you chose him.”
“I would have chosen him, but I couldn’t, remember? Regardless, the bond didn't make me love him. It just made it impossible to pretend I didn't.”
Ana leaned forward, her voice gentle. “I was in your position once. Vlane marked me without my knowledge or consent. One bite at a masquerade ball, and suddenly I could hear his thoughts. I was terrified.”
“But you stayed with him.”
“Eventually.” Ana's smile was slow. “But not because the bond forced me to. The bond let me feel what he felt—his genuine care, his protectiveness, his loneliness. It showed me his heart.”
“The bond is a tool,” Tedi added. “What matters is the intent behind it and what you choose to do with the connection.”
Ryssa had been silent, but now she spoke, her voice carrying weight. “Choice is complicated. Sometimes the universe makes choices for us, and we have to decide how to respond. What matters isn't how the bond formed. It's what you do with it once it has.”
“You sound like you're speaking from experience,” Muriel said.
Ryssa’s nearly colorless eyes blazed momentarily. “Choices have consequences, but destiny will not be denied. The question isn't 'did I choose this?' It's 'what do I choose now?'”
Dani, who'd been uncharacteristically quiet, finally spoke. “Look, I'm going to say what everyone's toopolite to mention. At least he didn't try to eat you.” She jerked her thumb at Ana. “Her mate literally drank her blood without permission. Brandon just didn't tell you about the bond. Yeah, he should have told you immediately. But on the scale of supernatural boundary violations? Could have been worse.”
Dani mimicked having fangs and made a snapping, chomping noise. Despite everything, Muriel's lips twitched.
“There she is,” Dani grinned. “Here's the thing. Brandon fucked up big time. But he fucked up because he was terrified of losing you, not because he was trying to control you.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because if he wanted to control you, he'd be up here right now trying to convince you to forgive him,” Dani said. “Instead, he's giving you space while sulking in abject misery. That's guilt-ridden devotion.”
Muriel reached for the bond before she could stop herself. Brandon was exhausted. Still working. Still protecting her even though she'd walked away.
Her magic stirred, wanting to comfort him.
“It’s important to remember that the bond goes both ways,” Ana said softly. “It not something that can be manufactured. What you feel from him is real. Just like what he feels from you is real.”
“I don't know what I feel,” Muriel admitted, her voice breaking. “I'm so angry with him. But I also—” She pressed her hand to her chest. “I can feel him, here.It doesn't feel like a cage though. It feels like home. And I hate that.”
“That’s okay,” Jessie said, squeezing her hand. “You can be angry and drawn to him at the same time. Hurt and still connected. Emotions aren't mutually exclusive.”
Muriel looked around at the circle of women. “How did you get past the fear of losing yourselves?”
“We didn't lose anything,” Ana said. “We upgraded to a better version of ourselves. The bond doesn't change who you are, Muriel.”
The others nodded in agreement.
“And you have us to talk to,” Tedi added, gesturing to the group. “We’ve got your back.”
Muriel wanted to believe them. She really did.
“There's something else,” she said quietly. TheCodexwarmed in her lap, encouraging. “Something Armand told me tonight. About my father.”
The women waited.
“He didn't abandon us.” The words came out broken. “He was a Consilium operative sent to find my mother, but he fell in love with her instead. When they sent retrievers, he died fighting them off. Protecting her.”
Ana's eyes widened. Jessie's hand tightened on hers.