Chapter 47

Aisha's POV I froze. Simon's words echoed in my head, louder than they had any right to be. "I want to mark you." The world didn't tilt. The sky didn't fall. But inside me, something shifted. A mark. An eternal bond. A tie that would brand me as his forever, not just to the pack, not just to the world, but to the fates themselves. I swallowed hard. He didn't ask for it, more like a demand. His voice had been low, vulnerable. I could tell he wasn't just being possessive, he was trying to offer safety. Permanence. Proof that he'd never let anything touch me again. And maybe, deep down, I wanted that too. But what if I wasn't ready? What if my missing wolf, the voice that had once guided every heartbeat and instinct, would've had something to say about it? She'd been silent for so long, ever since the attack that left me shattered and adrift. I missed her wisdom. Her fire. Her certainty even though it was just a short period of time. "I need time," I told him, my voice soft but unwavering