"Dad?" I asked, my voice tentative as I waited for his answer.
My father's eyes seemed distant, lost in memories I could never touch. The look on his face was one I rarely saw—vulnerable, stripped of his usual commanding presence.
"Camille," he finally said, "the mate bond isn't something you can simply ignore. It's like having a second heartbeat inside you."
I twisted my engagement ring nervously. "But people reject their mates sometimes. Julian did."
Dad's jaw tightened at the mention of Julian's name. "Yes, and I've never seen it end well. Fighting the bond is like fighting your own nature. It creates a void that nothing else can fill."
"You're scaring me," I whispered.
"I'm trying to be honest with you." Dad reached for my hand. "When I met your mother, I felt it instantly—like being struck by lightning. Everything changed in that moment."
"Did you love her right away?"
