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***"You're mistaken, Emilia. We're not mates." — But why did his wolf howl for hers?*** As he hurried to button up his shirt, I sensed the same thing happening and forced myself to speak up. ""Atlas, I… I don't know what's wrong, but I do know we're meant to be. I feel it. I've felt it from the first moment I met you, and tonight, I recognized for sure that we're mates..."" ""No. That's not true,"" he cut me off. He clenched his jaw tightly, his expression unreadable for a moment; then, with a cold, deliberate voice he insisted, ""You're mistaken, Emilia. We're not mates."" My heart seemed to crack, but I didn't look away. ""Don't lie to me. And don't tell me what I feel."" He hesitated, a flicker of pain crossing his eyes. But then the deep blue expanse of his eyes became unfathomable. I longed to ask what he was thinking, but coldness flooded his voice. ""I mean it. I must honor my engagement to Taylor,"" he said. ""You have to forget everything."" He was still going to marry my sister? After what just happened between us. My heart shattered at the thought that even after the passion we'd shared, he still wanted Taylor as his mate. Instantly, I chastised myself for ever thinking anything else was possible. The truth hit me like a blow: Taylor was the Alpha's real daughter. All the reasons Atlas and I could never be, our love, our future, were swept away in an instant, as the sense of smallness I'd experienced growing up in Taylor's shadow returned with a vengeance. A heavy weight settled in my chest, suffocating and cold. My hands trembled, and I clenched them into fists, fighting the sting behind my eyes. How could I have believed in something so impossible? How could I have let myself hope? A bitter, hollow ache curled inside me, twisting with the realization that I was utterly alone, betrayed not just by him, but by myself for believing in us at all. And yet, he might as well be asking me to stop breathing, didn't he realize that? My wolf yowled within, still wanting to bask in the pine and sea scent of her mate. Yet, the brutal remoteness that was schooling Atlas's features made me bite down on sharing those feelings. The hurt transformed into something sharper, something that demanded to be heard. ""You're a coward,"" I said, my voice steady despite the trembling in my chest. ""You felt everything I felt in there, everything that just happened between us, and you're too afraid to admit it. You'd rather hide behind duty and tradition than face the truth."" His jaw tightened, but he said nothing. ""Fine,"" I continued, pulling my dress over my head with shaking hands. ""Go marry my sister. Pretend this never happened. But don't you dare stand there and tell me it meant nothing when I can still smell your desire, when your wolf is practically howling for mine."" I strode toward the door, refusing to be the one he walked out on. ""You'll regret this, Atlas. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday you'll realize what you threw away."" All the way back to my cabin, I vowed to shut Atlas out of my heart once and for all. I wouldn't interfere again between him and Taylor. I was done. In a haze, I made it back to my room. ""Emilia?"" Taylor's voice called sharply from her cabin. She came through the door adjoining our cabins, her eyes immediately taking in my disheveled appearance. ""Where have you been? I couldn't find you anywhere."" Her tone wasn't concerned — it was accusatory. Damn, I must be a mess for Taylor to notice. ""I was cornered by that asshole, Daniel. I'm fine, I got away, but I'm a little shook up,"" I said, forcing the words out, trying to sound composed. Taylor's eyes narrowed, and instead of sympathy, I saw irritation flash across her face. ""Emilia, I hope you weren't causing any trouble. The last thing we need is for you to embarrass our pack or ruin things with the Blood Wood Pack."" Her voice was cold, clipped. ""You need to be more careful about the situations you put yourself in."" The blame in her tone hit me like a slap. Even after being assaulted, somehow it was my fault in her eyes. ""I didn't cause any trouble,"" I said quietly, sinking onto my bed. ""Daniel tried to force himself on me, but someone stopped him."" Taylor let out a harsh laugh. ""Oh, let me guess, someone came swooping in like your knight in shining armor to rescue poor little Emilia?"" Her voice dripped with mockery. ""You probably think he was being heroic, don't you? That someone actually cared enough to save you?"" I flinched at her tone, but she wasn't finished. ""Don't get any ideas about playing the damsel in distress, Emilia. I won't have you trying to upstage me with some ridiculous rescue fantasy."" She crossed her arms, studying me with cruel satisfaction. ""Besides, you need to be realistic about these things. No one's ever going to fall in love with you, not really. Men might use you when it's convenient, but love? That's not something you should expect."" Her words hit harder than any physical blow could have. The cruelty in them, the casual way she delivered them, as if it was simply a fact I needed to accept. My chest tightened, the pain from Atlas's rejection now compounded by my sister's venom. I said nothing, just stared at my hands folded in my lap, letting her words wash over me like poison. Because right now, after what Atlas had done, after how he'd discarded me so easily, her words felt horribly, devastatingly true. Taylor seemed satisfied by my silence. ""Good. I'm glad we understand each other. Try to get some sleep — we dock in the morning, and I need you to look presentable for the disembarking ceremony."" She disappeared back into her cabin, leaving me alone with the echoing cruelty of her words and the shattered remains of my heart. The betrayal I felt hit me in waves: Atlas didn't really care about me. He'd saved me, yes, but even our mate bond wasn't enough to change his mind about his engagement with my sister. Taylor was the daughter of an Alpha, she was the destiny he wanted, not some second-rate shifter like me. And even as I wondered how I was ever going to get over Atlas now, I knew I had to. For my own sake, for whatever little dignity I had left, this trip would be the last time I saw him. But as I lay in bed that night, one hand unconsciously moving to touch the wolf claw pendant that always hung around my neck, the one Atlas had refused, only to find that it wasn't there anymore. I got up, hands trembling as I turned my room upside down looking for it. Could I have left it somewhere? I watched dawn break and I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't really the end. Something deep inside me, something connected to the mate bond I could no longer deny, whispered that our story was far from over. FREE in Kindle Unlimited! He denied their fated bond to marry her sister—will the missing pendant uncover his lie? 🐺💔