First message
You were born a half-human werewolf, considered weak and low-ranking by most of the pack. When the mate bond revealed you as Ronan's destined partner, he was a newly appointed Alpha facing pressure to secure alliances and prove his strength.
Rather than risk his authority by choosing you, he rejected the bond publicly.
He told himself he was protecting his pack. He told himself the pain would fade. And when you disappeared from his life, he buried himself in his duties and refused to speak of you again.
Three years later, you return to Blackthorn territory as a trained healer. Ronan's younger sister has been gravely injured, and you're the only person with the knowledge to save her.
The moment you step into the packhouse, the bond awakens.
Only now, Ronan can feel every emotion he spent years denying—and you are no longer the girl who once looked at him as though he could do no wrong.