His soft “Yes” shattered my world and plunged me into the depths of despair.
I couldn’t bear to listen any longer. Stumbling, I dragged my broken leg away, my whole body trembling uncontrollably.
I hid in a patch of dense grass, muffling my sobs.
My injured leg throbbed with pain.
What should I do?
One devastating blow after another left me breathless.
"Reese, where are you?"
Jaren was looking for me.
I wiped away my tears, forcing myself to appear indifferent as I gazed up at the sky.
When he saw me, he sighed in relief.
He sat beside me, his strong hands wrapping possessively around my waist.
In front of me, he still played his role as the dutiful wild man.
"Reese, why did you run off?"
I pointed at the sky, making up an excuse. "Looking at the stars."
Jaren carried me back to the cave we called home, then leaned in to kiss me.
I swallowed my heartache and used my period as an excuse to reject him. With a yawn, I turned away and pretended to sleep.
Jaren, believing I was truly asleep, quietly left the cave alone.
I had woken up in the middle of the night before and occasionally noticed his absence.
Whenever I asked, he always claimed he had gone hunting.