Exiting the chat, I removed him from my pinned conversations, a small act of severance that felt like cutting a final thread. As I was about to turn off my phone, a notification popped up: Violet Frost sent you a friend request.
My finger hovered for a moment before I accepted. Immediately, her message arrived:
[Ronan, don’t forget to grab more moonflower potions when you’re out! Last night was… intense, and we’re all out. You’re insatiable, you wild wolf! 🥰]
Two minutes later, the message was deleted, followed by another:
[Oh no! I sent that to the wrong person. Miss Ayla, you didn’t see anything, did you? ]
I stared at her words, my wolf stirring uneasily within me. Violet’s fake innocence grated against my fraying composure. But instead of replying, my fingers tapped into her social media feed, curiosity overriding better judgment.
Photo after photo unfolded before me, each one like a claw to my chest. Violet had been back in the Shadowclaw territory for an entire month, during which Ronan had spared no effort to indulge her. Seraphis Valley. Mount Kaelen. Celestria Spire. Every destination I had once begged Ronan to visit with me, he had gone to with her instead.