Leila's POV:
I knew I was being unfair—unfair to Lucy, to Chase, and maybe even to myself—but I couldn't face any of it. Not Lucy's kind eyes as I explained why I had to leave. Not Chase's persistence and the questions I wasn't ready to answer. And certainly not the chaos of the mate bond pulling me toward a life I'd sworn to avoid.
Lucy had given me so much. She'd taken me in without asking too many questions, provided a safe place for Ash and me to rebuild after escaping Drake's pack. How could I repay her with the truth? That I wasn't just some abused woman running from her violent husband but a rogue wolf fleeing a broken pack and the unwanted attention of a vampire mate? Lucy deserved to live in her blissful ignorance, in a world where the supernatural didn't exist, where monsters were confined to books and movies.
And then there was Chase.
