Alina lie on her bed staring up at the ceiling of the cottage she had always called home. She found a certain comfort in the familiar scents and sounds, comfort that she truly needed. Her life had been turned upside down in a single day. She had found her true mate, or rather, he had found her. And what should have been a joyful, exciting time had turned into a frustrating, disappointing mess. She had stayed in her parents’ room all afternoon and evening until they had finally kicked her out but not before her mother checked her back―no markings…yet. She had cried, then gotten angry all over again, and then cried some more, but now she just felt drained. Their bond had only been open for a matter of hours, and yet now that she had closed it off it felt as though she had removed her own he
