Wren falls in love before she understands what love can cost. Knox stays close enough to hurt her, never close enough to choose her, teaching her that longing can be cruel when it has no name. Years pass in avoidance and restraint, in almosts and maybes that rot into silence. By the time fate finally claims them, Wren has already learned how to live without him, and Knox has learned too late what it means to lose her without ever truly having her. The bond snaps into place like a sentence, not a gift. Love is no longer innocent. Forgiveness is not promised. But somewhere beneath the damage, something still aches to survive. This story is set in a universe where bonding and mating is commonplace. There is always a HEA ***this story explores mating bonds in humans as a cultural norm. There are no werewolves or supernatural beings in this world***