Her ultimatum prompted Atticus to shift his posture, straightening his stance.

"The same goes for you, Enzo. If you want her to understand your significance to me, then you'll reject her here and now," she gestured to the spot she occupied, demanding my rejection. It felt like she was driving a knife through me, and my mates stood there, mere observers of her actions.

"Tell her you don't even care about her. Tell her to go screw herself," she persisted, causing my eyes to well ...