As I set my suitcase down in the old living room, I felt a wave of exhaustion hit me. I barely had the energy to pull off the plastic covers that had protected the furniture while I was away. With little thought, I collapsed onto the bare mattress, not bothering to unpack.
Even after all this time together, we had never felt further apart. How had things gone so wrong?
---
The next morning, the shrill sound of my phone alarm dragged me from sleep. Groaning, I reached over and saw a string of messages from Aldric.
*Selene, stop being dramatic. It was a last-minute meeting. Seraphine needed help with negotiations for her family’s trade contract.*
*We’re not children anymore. Come back once you’ve calmed down.*
His words lit a fire in my chest.
*Dramatic?* I seethed as I tossed the phone onto the bed and stormed into the kitchen. Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, I paced back and forth, trying to shake off the anger boiling inside me.
The word *childish* echoed in my mind. Was I really overreacting? Was I being unreasonable for wanting my mate to choose me for once?