117. Stop Doubting (Luke POV)

I stood there, my heart heavy, staring into the eyes of Lexi and Clay. The room felt cold, the warmth of our bond now just a distant memory. "After all this, my mistakes, making you both want me when maybe you didn't... you still want me?" My voice broke, the question hanging in the air, heavy with the weight of all we had lost.

They nodded, their eyes shimmering with both tears and love. The dimly lit room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for my reaction. I couldn't feel anything anymore. The once vibrant connection now just an empty void where the mate bond used to reside. I touched the mark, the symbol of our bond, and looked pleadingly at Lexi.

Her response was a silent, heartbreaking shake of her head. Her eyes, usually full of life and warmth, now mirrored the despair consuming me. She didn't feel it anymore, either.

Clay, however, clung to a strand of hope, his voice filled with desperation. "I can still feel it, Luke. It's faint, but it's there. We just need to mark each ot