A new day had begun, even before they left Gabi alone in his cabin. It was the start of what appeared to be a beautiful day: warm and sunny. The smell of smoke had dissipated, and she could almost pretend a fire hadn’t happened on the property. As they trod the path back to his cabin, not saying a word but clutching each other’s hands, they crunched on curly dried leaves and listened to the coo of mourning doves.It should have been a beautiful moment.Because of the tortured look on Anton’s face, Marci couldn’t wrestle an ounce of enjoyment out of it. She wished she could make him feel better, not so agonized over his decision to stay. And yet, in her heart, she also couldn’t fault him in any way.Gabi had called them “mates.” If that was the case, they’d never want to leave each other’s sides. It wouldn’t feel natural to do so.But were they mates? She wasn’t yet sure. She saw the intense pull between Ryland and his mate Lia; had glimpsed the passion between her own mated parents.
