POV: Maya

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror in Professor Mitchell's guest house, staring at my reflection. The dress was simple, dark blue, the nicest thing I owned. Mom had helped me curl my hair, and for the first time in weeks, I almost felt pretty. Almost.

"You look beautiful, honey." Mom appeared in the doorway behind me, smiling. "Damien is a lucky boy."

"It's just dinner, Mom."

"It's more than that. It's you getting back out there, not letting everything that's happened define you." She squeezed my shoulders. "You deserve to be happy, Maya. To be treated well."

I nodded, but my chest ached. Through the mate...