I Am Not Your Aspen Bride
Three days before our bonding ceremony, I learned that my mate, Damien, had changed the location from my clan's sacred ground to the snowy mountains of Aspen—a favorite spot of his childhood friend, Seraphina.
I rushed to confront him, only to overhear a mind-link between him and a friend:
“Thank goodness Seraphina has good taste. Otherwise, I'd be the laughingstock of all the Alphas for the rest of my life.”
The friend cautioned, “Didn't you promise to hold the ceremony at Elara's clan's sacred ground? Aren't you afraid she'll get angry and call off the bonding?”
Damien scoffed.
“Her clan is weak and fading. Bonding with me is her only way out. It's a gamble she can't afford to lose.”
“I've already had someone inform her. She's probably busy arranging her trip to Aspen right now.”
Rage and resentment seethed in my chest. I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood, then turned and stalked away.
Three days later, the ceremonial stage on the snowy mountain was set.
I didn't go to Aspen. I didn't show up at all.
Instead, at my clan's sacred ground, I exchanged a blood oath with another Alpha.
To this day, Damien still doesn't understand.
I hadn't chosen him for some convenient "way out." I chose him because of a love that had spanned a decade.
But I'm awake now. And it's time to choose again.