It means nothing.
Only that she’s kind enough to comfort a stranger who is falling apart before her.
My hands fist in the fabric of her clothes as though I can anchor her back to me through sheer force.
“I’m sorry,” I choke. I don’t even know what I’m apologizing for.
For failing. For not stopping Rion. For loving her at all.
Her fingers pause in my hair. She gently grips a handful of it and tugs. Hard enough that my head jerks up.
My vision blurs with tears as I look at her.
Nora stares down at me, her brows drawn together in concern. The corners of her mouth turn down. “Why are you upset?”
“Because I’ve lost you.”
She glances around the clearing, confused. “But I’m right here.”
I drag in a shaky breath, trying to force the tears to stop. I have no idea how to explain this to her. The bond. The way she’s woven into me. The way losing it feels like someone ripped my heart out and left a hollow space behind. A void no one else can fill.
“I know this is going to sound strange,” I say hoarsely. “But you know me, and we…we shared a bond.”
She tilts her head slightly.
“Yeah…”
“And now it’s gone,” I finish.
Nora stills.
Her gaze drifts inward, distant, as if she’s searching inside herself. A shadow of sorrow passes across her face.
“You’re right, Sorren,” she says. “I don’t feel it anymore.”
The words land like a blade between my ribs. But then…
“Wait. You said my name.” I search her face desperately. “You know who I am?”
She laughs softly. “Of course I know who you are.”
My breath catches.
“You’re my mate,” she says gently. “My love.”
I sit up, confusion crashing through me. My mind scrambles for explanations. For logic. For anything that makes sense.
It can’t be.
I saw Rion drop the amulet over her head. I watched the emerald strike her chest. It rests there still, gleaming against her skin. The instrument of my despair. Evidence of what was taken. Yet she looks at me like she always has.
Like I am not a stranger.
Like I’m hers.
My gaze flicks between her face and the necklace, as if one of them must be lying.
“But how?” I ask. “We aren’t bonded anymore. The amulet erased us. It broke our connection.”
