The sound of Julian's footsteps echoed around the kitchen as I struggled to process the emotional whiplash of his visit. Just when I thought he'd left, the back door swung open again, and my heart nearly stopped.
"What now?" I snapped, attempting to mask my fear with anger.
Julian stepped back inside, holding up a plastic grocery bag. "I'm making dinner for you and your mother."
"We don't need your charity," I said, even though the nearly empty refrigerator behind me told a different story.
Julian's eyes narrowed. "This isn't charity, Seraphina. This is me ensuring my future mate's mother doesn't starve to death."
"I'm not your mate anymore." The words tasted like acid on my tongue. "You made sure of that when you rejected me."
He shrugged, moving past me to set the groceries on the counter. "You can keep telling yourself that, but the bond is still there. Broken or not."