Eldric’s POV

The air around me stiffened as the words left my mouth, and I watched Lyanna’s eyes brim with tears threatening to fall. I wished I could cup her face in my hands and kiss her pain away, tell her that I was only pulling her legs, tell her that I was happy to have her as my mate, but that would be a lie.

We couldn’t be together. Not in this lifetime.

“Why… I thought you liked me?” she asked, her voice shaky as she forced the question out, but I couldn’t reply.

How ...