Chapter 12: Rejection

His words slice through the fog, sharp and clear. I blink, struggling to focus on his face. He looks… Resigned, maybe? The golden flecks in his eyes swirl faster now, a maelstrom of amber and emerald.

And suddenly, it clicks.

A hollow laugh bubbles up from my chest, tasting of bile and disbelief. It hurts to laugh, but I can't stop. The absurdity of it all is just too much.

Fated mates. It's real. And this asshole just rejected me based on what? Gossip? Or maybe Scott's words, not mine, and his own misguided sense of morality?

It must be Scott. The way he changed after leaving that office… The way he looked at me.

That asshole must have said something.

I hope Logan doesn't approach his job with this level of shit investigative work.

The pain in my chest intensifies, a physical manifestation of the bond he's trying to sever. But beneath it, there's rage.