Chapter Fifteen

~Mel~

My paws pounded against the earth as I tore across the land, the heavy thudding of my feet echoing in the vast emptiness around me. I fought against the tight knot of confusion in my chest, the foreign feeling gnawing at my control, trying to settle into something that resembled... regret? No. That wasn’t it. I wasn’t capable of regret.

What the hell had stopped me?

The memory hit me again, like a slap to the face. The moment I’d pushed into her, I’d felt it—her body recoiling, trying to force me out. The pain was evident, her fear intoxicating. Normally, I thrived on that. I took what was mine, her pain meant nothing to me, but the way her body had reacted—my wolf had kicked against it. Refused to keep going.

I growled low, picking up speed, the frustration building with each stride. The more I tried to shake off the feeling, the more it rooted itself into me, spreading like a wildfire I couldn’t control. It wasn’t pity. I didn’t pity her. It couldn’t be that. I wouldn’t allow