Chapter Eighteen

Cody watched me mutter to my reflection in the mirror, concern etching lines on his forehead. "Just take a deep breath and go out there," he urged gently.

I sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "I spent my whole life trying to avoid anyone who could be my mate," I confessed, "desperate to escape the pain of rejection. But now that it hasn't happened, what else is there for me?"

A reassuring smile spread across Cody's face. "The best thing you can do is go with the flow, Annie. See where this path takes you. You're not just strong, you're an asset to your mate. Trust me, Damian knows that, and he won't let you slip away."

His words warmed me from the inside out. "So you think I'm kind of amazing, huh?" I teased, a playful glint in my eyes.

Cody chuckled. "Amazingly stressed right now, that's for sure. But yes, amazing too. Why don't you freshen up before you join Damian and your parents? You look like you could use it."