Nora's POV

The weight of decades presses against my chest as I sit beside Mason in his cabin. The mate bond hums between us, new and fragile.

I've carried this secret for so long. But Mason deserves the truth.

"There's something I need to tell you," I say quietly. "About Gillian."

Mason goes very still. "You knew her?"

"She was your first fated mate. And I'm the reason she left."

The silence stretches ...