---- A guttural growl slipped through his clenched jaw, his wolf's fury barely restrained. "Our bond broke five years ago. Why shouldn't I claim my mate?" he snarled. Then his eyes narrowed, voice sharp and cutting. "This is ridiculous. Did she send you? What does she want now? Money? A title? Does she think she can come crawling back to be Luna again after all her regrets?" Julia's breath caught in her throat. Her lips parted, but no words came. Because in that moment- she realized something. Shawn didn't know. He had no idea. He didn't know that Kendra... was already dead. Then Shawn suddenly waved his hand at the guards. "Send them away." ---- He turned to Julia, voice cold as steel. "Tell her never to appear in my world again. Or I swear... I won't be able to stop myself from doing something I'll regret." Julia stepped forward, holding her ground. "Lycan King, do you think it's appropriate to speak that way... about someone you once loved?" Shawn's expression darkened further. His fists clenched so tightly that the knuckles turned white. A deep, restrained growl rumbled from his throat. "You say you're her friend?" he snapped. "Then you should know exactly how she humiliated me in front of the entire school." His voice was raw now-half man, half beast. "She didn't just reject me. She broke me." Julia's lips trembled, her confidence wavering. "She said... she was sorry. She cried for you ---- through countless nights." Shawn scoffed bitterly, his voice turning hoarse with suppressed rage. "Cried? You think a few tears could make up for what she did?" His eyes burned with fury now. "Do her tears equal the broken legs of my wolf? Do they match me kneeling-begging her not to leave?" "So that's it? Everything can be washed away bya few tears?" He turned sharply, storming back toward his mansion. Julia panicked and called out after him, her voice desperate. "Lycan King... don't worry. Kendra will never show up in your world again. Not now. Not ever." Shawn froze in place. ---- Then, slowly, he turned around-his body trembling ever so slightly. His sharp gaze locked on her. His voice was low, dangerous. "What do you mean by that?" Julia swallowed hard, struggling to hold his gaze. "T know Kendra hurt you deeply. But don't you think... maybe she had reasons we never understood?" "Yes, you missed each other-no matter how much you loved each other. That's the tragedy." She looked away, holding back tears. "T believe... if she knew I was here now, she'd ask me to bless your new bond. She'd want you to be happy." She bowed her head, turned around, and left with her daughter-never revealing the truth.