Liana believed ignoring someone was easier than facing the truth. At first, it worked or at least, that was what she told herself. She convinced her mind that distance was healing, that silence was strength, that pretending not to care was the same as moving on. It was easier to turn away than to admit how deeply she was still affected.

So she practiced it every day. For months, she mastered the act like it was a skill she needed to survive and she learned Jace’s routine without meaning to. She knew which hours he usually spent at the pack house, which paths he took during patrol, and which gatherings...