When we reached the house, Ronan guided me to my room. His jaw was tight, but he didn't say anything. Once I was seated on the bed, he finally spoke, "Luna, you don’t have to stay here."
I looked up at him, tears still clinging to my lashes. "What choice do I have?"
He looked down at me, his expression unreadable. "You deserve better than this. Kaidon… he’s too blinded by Elara. But you don’t have to keep suffering."
I laughed bitterly, wincing at the pain in my ribs. "Where would I go? This is my pack. Kaidon is my mate."
Ronan’s eyes softened for the briefest moment. "You could leave, Luna. Find a new life. A better one."
I shook my head. The mate bond between Kaidon and me was strong, but it was one-sided. I had loved him fiercely, but he had never returned that love. Still, leaving the pack felt like abandoning everything I had ever known.
"Think about it," Ronan said softly before turning to leave. "You don’t have to decide now. Just… think about it."
As he left the room, I collapsed back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. I could still feel the sting of the whip on my back, but it was nothing compared to the emptiness that had settled in my chest.