Verity's pov

I had to lie.

I was too scared to say the truth.

The charcoal shook slightly in my hand as I wrote the lie onto the paper. My fingers trembled so badly I had to press harder than usual to make the letters even. “I had a mate once. He… he died. On the lunar eclipse three years ago.”

My heart pounded against my ribs like it wanted to claw its way out. The words were a half-truth to be honest so that eased me a little bit. Theron hadn’t died that night—at least not ...