Drake's POV:
Gile had explained it to me after I finally managed to calm down. The trauma she'd experienced—the near rape—had forced her to shut down, leaving only her wolf behind. Her human side was gone, buried so deep that it severed the mate bond. That bond only works when she's whole, both her human and wolf in sync. Now, the red edge in her iris is the only sign I have that her wolf, Layla, has taken full control.
The emptiness gnawed at me, a hollow pit where our bond used to be. I stood by the window of the pack house, staring out at the fading sunset, but it was all just background noise. The beauty of it meant nothing. My thoughts were far away, consumed by her—by Leila. My mate, the one person I was supposed to protect, was slipping further and further away from me.