[First holiday spent in an event. My companion is a little grumpy today, tho!] And what made my eyebrows furrow was Dane’s hand, unmistakable with our mateship ring still on his finger, was in the frame. The location tag on her post matched the one that my mate had just told me—Acorn Hill Town.
A wave of nausea hit me. The ring on my finger burned like it should not be there. Without a second thought, I yanked it off and tossed it somewhere I didn't even look at, the betrayal and anger swirling inside me.
After that, my work at the pack's clinic became my refuge. The relentless pace and constant demands of being one of the healers were a welcome distraction. I lost myself in the whirl of patients, procedures, and paperwork. It was easier to immerse myself in the lives of others than to confront chaos on my own.
My mate's absence became a distant thing I refused to touch. His return was a question I no longer cared to ask.