I can feel it, surging in me like a second heartbeat. A call. A tether. A demand.
It’s not letting him walk away. Not from this. Not fromme.
“Thane.” My voice is barely there.
He exhales. Sharp. Ragged. “Don’t.”
I take a step forward. “You feel that.”
He shakes his head. But I see the way his hands tremble, his shoulders tensing—like he’s fighting something that’s alreadywon.
The tether yanks, screaming inside my chest. Heat flares under my skin and it actuallypullsme one step toward him, my body no longer mine to control.
And Thane—Thane actuallystaggers.Like ithitshim. Like ithurts.
He breathes hard, jaw clenched, whole body tight. And then—he whirls to face me.
His eyes—gods, his eyes—they are wild. Frustrated. Fierce. The golden flecks blaze. Alive. Bright. Furious.
Like he’s come undone but the pieces are still trying to hold shape.
Beneath the rage and steel walls he’s tried so hard to keep between us, I see it.Longing.
Raw. Unyielding. Undeniable.
The bond is screaming now and it’s not letting him go. Thane’s fists curl, his chest heaves. Like if he moves, even an inch, he’ll break.
I breathe. Slow. Steady. My heart feels like it might shatter my ribs, but the bond is not affecting me like it is him.
“You feel it,” I say.
I’m talking about more than just the bond. I see it in his eyes and know it in my bones.
“Amara—” he says through gritted teeth.
“Don’t.” I shake my head. “Don’t you fucking dare deny it.”
His eyes flash and the mask cracks.
“This—whatever this is—we can’t afford it. It can’t happen.Wecan’t happen,” he spits out, his body still rigid.
I exhale—sharp. My chest is starting to ache.
“You don’t get to decide that alone, Thane.” I step closer. “And neither of us gets to pretend anymore.”
His nostrils flare.
“Dammit, Amara!” His voice breaks. “I do—if it keeps you safe!”
I laugh, short and bitter.
“Safe?”My jaw clenches. “You think pushing me away protects me?”
His eyes darken.
“You think Iwantto walk away from you?” His voice is low, almost dangerous. “That I wouldn’t—”
He cuts off, breath ragged, fingers twitching at his sides. But I don’t let him walk this back.
