Chapter 50.3

“The only way I could capture your attention for more than a fleeting moment was when I told you new things and gave you new experiences.”

“But that didn’t mean you had to invent a whole new persona,” I said.

He took my hand and brought it to his lips. “You’re right, but I didn’t want to lose you.”

“Even though I’m difficult?”

His sad chuckle made my chest tighten. “No wolf backs down from a challenge.”

“What?” I pulled my hand away.

Griff winced as though he had made the wrong choice of words. I clenched my teeth. If he had called me a challenge, he had probably meant what he’d said.

“You were everything I wanted to be, Cathwulf,” he said, his words strained. “I admired you so much that I thought claiming you as my mate might make me whole.”

I leaned forward, resting my chest against my bent knees. “What on earth does that mean?”

“All those years of failing to protect my mother from that bastard wore me down,” he ground out. “You would have found a way to save your family and seize c