Cilla’s POV

After the meeting with Ridian, I forgot all about my escape plans. When he left me there, I sat down in order to process everything. The four words he had said went deep and meant a lot. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had actually meant what he said.

A part of me desperately wanted to believe it. I started to rationalize. It had to be true or he wouldn’t have said it. Why else would he have sex with me if he did not love me? Another part of me was saying he had only done that because of the attraction from the mate bond. He...