Finnick’s POV As the sun rose, I dragged myself to the bathroom, determined to face my mate and find a way to convince her I would never hurt her again, to make amends for the suffering I’d caused her in any way she’d let me. I faced the mirror as I brushed my teeth and I barely recognized the person staring back at me. My eyes were red-rimmed and swollen, highlighted by the dark circles of sunken skin underneath them. My cheeks were red and raw from rubbing away the tears that had fallen throughout the night. I washed my face in cool water, hoping to soothe the inflamed skin but it was useless. Giving up, I showered quickly and dressed in some faded jeans, a black t-shirt, and some black biker boots, then headed out the door. My heart raced and my palms were sweating, sliding along the steering wheel as I drove to Sarah’s house. I tried rehearsing what I would say but nothing I came up with was even close to good enough. Ultimately, I settled on throwing out the script altogethe

*Warning: This chapter contains mature content of a sexual nature Sarah’s POV I hadn’t slept much the past week, hoping to avoid the nightmares I knew would plague me when I did. I fought to keep my eyes open but my lids were so heavy, drooping against my will. I must have drifted off because the next thing I knew, I was being startled awake by someone calling to me. “Hey kitten, I’ve been trying to wake you!” Finn called from the doorway. What was he doing here? He stalked into the room, heading right towards me with a sexy smirk on his face. My heart thundered in my chest in both excitement and fear at the thought of him touching me. He looked good enough to eat and I couldn’t help the way my body heated for him. But giving him a chance to hurt me again terrified me. I took the opportunity to drink him in as he moved closer and closer to me. He was shirtless, his eight-pack on full display. The top button of his jeans was undone and my eyes trailed his defined v-line down to w

Finnick’s POV Sarah was home. Now my wolf’s behavior was beginning to make sense. His mate was close. Sadie, Sarah’s wolf, was drowning in her own despair and Callum could feel her anxiety through their bond. I could only hope this wouldn’t be the fight he was preparing for. “Shit!” Seth’s single word pretty much summed up how I was feeling but it brought me out of my shocked stupor and back to the situation at hand. I blew out an anxious breath and shoved open the jeep door. “Well, I guess this is the moment of truth. I might as well get it over with and go face the music.” I told myself as much as I was telling him. “Um, I’ll hang back and give you two some time to talk. Good luck man.” I felt the sincerity in his tone and knew that he meant it. “Yeah, thanks. I’m going to need it.” I said the last part under my breath but I knew he heard me. My feet dragged with every step I took towards the front door. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t going to go my way a

Sarah’s POV When I woke up hours later, I was in my room, burrowed under the covers in my bed. Thankfully, I could feel Sadie again, though she was very still in the back of my mind. At least she was still there. Moonlight streamed through the open curtains of my bedroom window and the sight of it pushed my sadness aside long enough to allow my anger to surface. I hated our Moon Goddess for what she’d done to me. I didn’t need the glowing evidence of her constant presence or the reminder of her sick use of authority. How dare she play with people’s lives this way! Finnick and I never had a chance and she knew it before she ever set our bond in motion. What had I ever done to her to deserve such a fate? I wished she’d just stayed out of my life, let me take a chosen mate. I certainly couldn’t have fucked it up any worse than she had for me. Why couldn’t I have just been happy with Kyle, never knowing what a true mate bond felt like? There was no guarantee I’d get a second chance

Finnick’s POV “I do love you, Finn!” Sarah’s words reverberated in my head, like a pinball bouncing against the confines of my skull. In light of everything she’d said afterwards, I knew I shouldn’t let that one statement give me so much hope, but I couldn’t help myself. She loved me. That was enough for now, and I would hang onto those words until I could build them into something more. I’d promised to give her space and I meant it. I knew respecting her wishes would be the first step to regaining her trust so I would do my best. I just wasn’t sure how much distance my wolf would allow. Ever since the rejection, he’d been adamant that we keep trying to see her, to convince her to accept us. I doubted I could fight him on it even if I’d wanted to. From the moment of Sarah’s confession, though, Callum had become a whole different animal. Her words settled him, brought him a peace he hadn’t felt since the day he recognized her as his mate. Where he’d been a wild beast, now he was