ara's heart raced with fear and anger. The distant sounds of Lucian's battle with Vort

anking her arm free f

nlight, his gray eyes filled with urgency.

"You just left him there to fight Vorthar alone. He saved my

ce. "You don't understand. Lucian can handl

pped. "But that doesn'

t. You don't trust me. But you don't know what Vorthar is capabl

"You keep saying I don't understand, Adrian. So, make me unde

tightening. "It's not that

demon. You rejected me to protect yourself, and now you're dragging

nce more telling than any ex

ow but no less determined. "You said you ca

th a heavy sigh, he leaned against a tree,

r my family," he admitte

ked, stunn

ad. Then I found you-my mate. The bond gave me strength I didn't know I had. It hid me from him, made me harder to track. But it also put a target

between anger and disbelief. "You though

if I stayed away, he wouldn't see you as a threat. But

surface again. "You should have told me. You s

et that mistake for the rest of my life. But

pond, but a sharp rustling in

ehind him as his eyes scanned the sha

pounded as a figure emerged from the darknes

cia

ickering weakly. Blood stained his shirt, an

im stay upright as he leaned against

. "I'm fine," he said, though his voice was strained. "Vorthar...

his suspicion cl

d. "Because he doesn't need

dropped. "What

gaze flickering to Adr

un down her spine. "Marked

d you anywhere, anytime. No matter where

e gripped the tree for support.

rk you. The bond you share with Adrian-it's like a thread c

pacing angrily. "This is my faul

ff. "This isn't the time for blame. We

ting hers. "The only way to remove the m

ed. "What c

poke. "The bond," he said quietly. "You and Adrian are still connected, even after th

"You're saying we have to destr

ion unreadable. "It's the

"No. There has to be another way. Severing th

risk we have to take. Or do you

as the last fragile thread connecting her to Adrian, the man who had once b

ternative

said, her voice sh

e with panic. "Clara, no. You don'

g in her eyes. "If it means Vorthar ca

"It has to be done soon. The longer we w

enched. "There has to be another wa

rdened. "You don'

e breaking. "Stop. Both of you. This

her, their expressions

ly. "But there's somethin

him, her hea

Lucian said quietly, "you'

ught in her throa

g it will erase the memories tied to that connection. You

g Adrian felt like losing a part of herself, b

his voice breaking. "P

as she looked at him, her h

y," she w

is hand glowing with gold

er eyes, her b

verything