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Father snorted. “It’s nonsense,”he said, “And you should know it more than anyone else, Stella. Who is thisperson?”

Itook a breath. “Mason Arkentooth.”

“Hounds of Hell,”Father said, his voice a low rumble. “You can’t beserious.”

“Mother,Father, you know me. You know that I’m not one to make rashdecisions.”

“Christophe, he’s acriminal!”Mother said. “He’s a lowborncriminal.”

“No, Mother,”I said. “He’s a good man. He’s strong, smart, and loyal. His situation is not hisfault.”

“He madethe decision to become a thief,” Father said. “That doesn't strike me as veryhonorable.”

“You don’t know him,”Isaid.

“And you do?You’ve only just methim!”

“The mark,Father. I wasn’t sure I believed it, but how else can I explain the connection I feel with him? That I’ve always felt tohim?”

“So,this is why you wanted to helphim…”

“No,I was honest when I told you my reasons. I decided on that before I fell in love withhim.”

Mother covered her mouth,and the look on Father’s face just about broke my heart. I’d never seen him look so disappointed in mebefore.

What areyou willing to sacrifice?Everything.

Ihad to be.If I really believed in what I felt for Mason, if I truly believed in the prophecy of the fated mate mark, then I had to be willing to give it allup.

“We can’t approve of this,”Father said. “I’m sorry, Christophe. You mustn’t seehim.”

“Father,after all the thought I’ve given this, I know that this is mydestiny.”

“Your destiny isto lead thisfamily.”

“With Mason by my side,”I said. “Without him, I’ll be incomplete forever. I’ll never be able to be the leader you think I’m meant tobe.”

“Don’t beridiculous,”Father boomed. “You do your duty to yourfamily!”

Ididn’t budge,but I could feel tears coming to my eyes. “You know how much the clan means to me. But how can I deny love and fate? If I sacrificed it all for one person, then I hope you’d be able to understand just how I feel aboutthem.”

“Christophe, this makes no sense.”Mother said. “What are you saying? Basch, stophim!”

Iturned to leave.My Father only stood and watched, his face pale withshock.

Ihurried downstairs,shifting as I went. Arthur appeared from somewhere, falling into step besideme.

“What happened?”heasked.

Icouldn’t bringmyself to look at him. “I have to leave,” I said. “I need to figure this allout.”

“Leave?You can’t be serious. Hey!Christophe!”

Idroppedto all fours and threw open the frontdoor.

“Don’t be insane!”he shouted after me. “Don’t forget who youare!”

Iknew who I was.In fact, I knew myself better than I ever had before. For nearly my entire life, I’d felt like I was missing a piece of who I was. That deep down, I knew that what I’d come to believe was my destiny was only a part of the picture. I’d been searching a long time to find that missing piece, and now I’d finally found it in Mason. I was not going to let himgo.