My chest was heaving. The Raze was stirring, responding to my emotional outburst.
"But she was mine," I continued, my voice cracking. "The only person in the world who could control the Raze. The only person who made me feel like maybe—maybe I wasn't just a walking disaster. Maybe I deserved to live."
Tears were burning behind my eyes. I blinked them back furiously. "And she left. She saw what I was, and she ran. Just like everyone else. Just like—"
My voice broke completely.
"Just like your mother," Mina finished softly.
The words hit like a knife to the gut. "Don't even start."
"It's true though, isn't it?" Mina moved closer. "Your mother left you. Not by choice—she was taken from you and murdered. And your father did nothing. The pack did nothing. They all abandoned you to deal with your grief, rage, and pain alone. And that's when the Raze awakened."
I pressed my hands against my face. "Stop."
