Serena woke to arms around her.
Tears were in her eyes and she realized she must have been crying.
There was an ache in her chest and it took her a moment to remember why.
"Hey Serena… it's okay. You're safe," Gav whispered, tightening his arms around her.
They were both fully clothed, on top of Hale and Elara's bed.
She stayed like that for a minute, staring at nothing. The ache in her chest wasn't just emotional.
The severed matebond had left something raw and bleeding where the connection used to be. She could still feel the ghost of it. The place where his emotions had flowed into hers, where she'd felt his worry, his want, his certainty.
Empty now. Just empty.
She rolled onto her back. Gav brushed tears from her eyes with his thumb.
"Do you think we were actually fated mates?" Serena asked, more silent tears falling.
Gav opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. He looked like a man who had been handed a bomb and told to defuse it with feelings.
