I pressed myself deeper into shadow, forcing my breath to steady.
Stay hidden.
Stay away.
You will ruin her.
The thought had become a constant refrain, etched into my bones with the same permanence as the curse I carried.
Because I knew what I was.
I knew what I became when hunger overtook reason.
I had seen it.
Felt it threatening to take over.
Woken with the taste of iron thick on my tongue and no memory of how it had gotten there.
And now—now she was tied to me.
The moment I had spoken the truth aloud—the moment I told her she was my fated mate—something had broken.
Or perhaps something had finally snapped into place.
The floodgates had opened.
I could feel her now.
Not always clearly.
Not always consciously.
But she was there.
A presence beneath my own.
A second heart beneath my breastbone.
A thread pulled taut between us.
When she laughed, something in my chest eased.
When she grew frustrated, my jaw tightened in response.
When she was afraid—Gods be damned.
When she was afraid, my entire being sharpened into violence.
I had nearly torn a second-year Air Witch apart yesterday for raising his voice at her.
He had not touched her.
Had not even stepped too close.
But Serena had flinched.
And that had been enough.
