Nicole’s breath caught the moment the word mate left Freya’s lips. For a second, no one moved. The air in the dungeon was heavy—so still it felt as though even the torches had stopped flickering.

Then Nicole shook her head, slowly at first, then faster. “No,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “That’s not possible.”

Freya turned toward her, confused, her heart still pounding painfully fast. "Exactly. It can't be possible. It should not be possible. Never ...