"You can’t be serious," Lavender chuckled, but stinging tears were streaming down her face. "You want me to accept this, to accept her?"
Cedar stepped closer, gripping her wrist. "I don’t want this either, but it’s what we must do for the pack. The bond, the ritual—it will help you understand. It will help you heal with the wounds brought by Fern mating with me."
"I don’t need healing," she spat, pulling her arm from him. She was aware that Fern was watching from a distance and amused by the argument happening. "I need freedom. And I need to be rid of this pain."
Cedar's gaze hardened once more, the alpha within him emerging as his eyes flickered to his wolf's amber ones. "This is the only way forward. Do not make this harder than it has to be."
Before she could respond, he turned and left. Lavender stood there, shaking.
How could she accept it? He was offering her nothing but chains that had once been a symbol of their love.
—
That night, as she lay in bed, the sound of footsteps outside her room jolted her from her thoughts. She opened the door to find Fern standing there.
"I thought we should talk," Fern said in a sweet face and voice.