Jasmine knew that Kael had fallen out of love with her ever since he heard her chats with the other she-wolves about Corvine.
The memory of that day burned in her mind like a brand, the way his face had crumbled, when he told Voren about it, the way something inside him had shattered beyond repair.
No matter how she tried, she couldn't nourish the secret love he once felt for her. It was dead, buried, gone.
Though she had grown for him a love that would never die, she also understood that true love could never be forced.
It was a river that had to flow freely, not a dam that could be built by will alone. Now, she was giving him the chance to accept or reject her. The choice was his.
"I'm sorry, Jasmine."
Kael's voice was heavy as he spoke, weighted with regret and something that sounded almost like grief. His eyes were dark, troubled, filled with the ghosts of what could have been.
"I…reject you."
