Chapter 88 Shadows Of The Past

• DRAKE
• She smiled at me. A real one this time. The same kind of smile she used to give me before we ever knew we were mates—before I ruined everything by rejecting her. It was that familiar, warm curve of her lips that always pulled me in when we were younger. Now I finally understand why it affected me so much back then.
• I look away quickly, feeling the heat rise to my face. I shouldn’t be thinking about how that smile stirs something inside me—how it makes the bond between us hum faintly again, like a heartbeat refusing to die. It doesn’t heal the wound I caused, but it sparks a flicker of hope I didn’t think I’d feel again.