The door closes behind her with a finality that feels like a death knell.

That went about as badly as it possibly could.

So much for closure.

But one look at her was enough to know that closure was never in the cards. The truth is, I still have feelings for her.

I’m stillobsessedwith her.

I never stopped.

And now, knowing she's my scent match... it's like a piece of me that I didn't even know was missing has suddenly clicked into place.

As I stand there on the balcony, the weight of everything I've lost—everything I threw away—settles on my shoulders. I've royally fucked up, and I have no idea how to fix it. The gulf between us seems insurmountable. A chasm of my own making.

But I know one thing for certain.

I can't walk away.

Not again.

Not now that I've finally found her.

And this time, I have enough sense not to let her go.

The thought of leaving her here, in this place, is beyond impossible. Not while I’m alive. It won’t happen. Can’t happen.

She deserves so much more than this.

I just have to figure out how to make her see it too.

And hope that when she does, she doesn't hate me even more for it.

Because the truth is, I'm not just fighting for myself anymore.

The image of Ophelia in our home, surrounded by the love and protection of our pack, flashes through my mind. It's a beautiful vision, but it's also a reminder of how much I stand to lose if I can't make this right.

I take a deep breath, inhaling the lingering traces of Ophelia's scent. It centers me, calms the storm of emotions raging inside. I know what I have to do. It won't be easy, and there's a good chance she'll never forgive me.

But I have to try.

For her.

For us.

For the pack we could be with her.

CHAPTER 16

RHYS

Irub my tired eyes at the nurse’s station as I review a patient's chart. The fluorescent lights of the hospital cast a harsh glow over everything, making the world feel sterile and unreal. It's hour eighteen of my twenty-four-hour shift, a marathon I volunteered for despite my usual attempts to balance my personal and professional life.

The truth is, I needed the distraction.

With Leon still away and Ophelia's silence weighing on my mind, I'd rather lose myself in work than sit at home, stewing in my thoughts.

"Dr. Carver?" A voice pulls me from my musings. I look up to see Dr. Pavel, one of our newer residents, approaching with a worried expression.