ana

hly gala was not a req

r like a lifeline. From my vantage point, I watched Catalina hold court. I hated to admit it

long for her to

oor, her entourage of sycophantic Omega

. "You look... tired. You really should rest more. It must

I said, my voice tight

didn't just rest there; they dug into

leaning in close. "How he pitied you. How he wait

acid rising in my t

the terrace doors. The night air was cool, a shar

s loved st

ntirely. She had forced a Mind-Link connection, a vio

ith the warriors,* she continued, her mental voice echoing wit

ailing. I remembered that birthday. Ja

hts seeping into my own mind. *He didn't carry you back because he was worried. He

-the moments I thought were irrefutable proof o

hance to study abroad just to be near my

fused to let them fall. It was all a lie. The fou

ian

the link, overlayin

Catalina is lo

o idea she was mentally torturing me. Or perhaps, h

saw Jax scanning the crowded room, his ex

aze landed

s shoulders. He wasn't looking for me because he was wor

the truth

slamming a heavy iron door, shutting

er of the glass. He wasn't the boy I loved. He

glass, my breath fogging the surface f