"Forgive you? You must be kidding me, Alpha Rhys," I repeated, letting the words hang between us like a death sentence.
His face crumpled, those perfect features twisting with pain. "Elara, please—"
"No." I took another step backward, needing distance from him. "You don't get to walk back into my life after four years and expect me to fall at your feet because you've had some grand epiphany about your mistakes."
"I'm not expecting that," Rhys said, his voice raw. "I just want a chance—"
"A chance?" I laughed, the sound hollow and bitter. "Like the chance you gave me to explain what happened with Rowan? Or maybe the chance you gave our mate bond before you rejected me in front of the entire pack?"
He flinched as if I'd physically struck him. Good. Let him feel a fraction of what I'd endured.
"I was wrong," he whispered, reaching for me again. "So wrong, Elara. If I could go back—"
