"But let me remind you of one thing. Fenris has been by your side since childhood. He has always adored you. A bond like that is rare. Don't do something you'll regret."
A rare bond?
I used to believe that too. That Fenris Vargr was everything I could hope for.
We were scent-promised to each other before we were born. We grew up side by side. Our wolves had brushed against each other's awareness since before we could shift.
From the first stirrings of young love, I dreamed of growing old with him. I held that dream for ten years.
Every moon-sealed letter he sent from the front, I smoothed flat beneath a paperweight and tucked carefully into a box, layer upon layer.
During the worst of the fighting, when word came that he was dead, I carved both our names into a plaque of moonpale wood. Even if he was gone, I would bond myself to his memory and never take another mate.
That was how much I loved him.
And Fenris?
To pave the way for Ravenna's entry into the Moonhold Citadel as Luna Designate, he surrendered his command and laid down his war markings.
He told me, "Seraphina, you've always been so understanding. I know you'll support my decision."