**Rosalie's POV
Not long after Ethan left me, Vicky appeared in my suite. She was smiling.
At my excited insistence, she began to tell me about a young man she had met while wandering the grounds.
"Rosalie," she said with a smile, "I'm telling you, he has to be my mate."
She filled me in with great detail about the man, who was supposedly a warrior in the King's guard.
"He was on duty," she said, "so of course he wasn't going to run over and embrace me or anything. But our eyes met, and– I know I saw a smile cross his lips."
I was happy for my friend.
Deep down, though, I knew a little part of me was jealous that she had found her mate.
I had once wished more than anything to have that sort of connection.
And now… by choosing to become a breeder, I had long given up hope for a mate.
Even if, one day, I did meet my mate, how would I ever be able to forget about Ethan?