CIARA'S POV 

I sat on the floor, my back against the wall, and my eyes fixed on the empty space in front of me. I felt like I had been punched in the gut, like all the air had been sucked out of me. Alpha Bestian's words, his rejection, had hurt me deeply. I couldn't believe that he was willing to just walk away from me, from us, without even giving me a chance to explain myself.

As I sat there, trying to process my emotions, my mind began to wander. I started to think about my past, wondering if I was really ready for a relationship. Had I been...