KAEL’S POV
I dreamed of her. It was so vivid, as if I was standing inside her fears. The ground tore at her bare feet, and branches clawed at her skin. The moonlight filtered weakly through the forest, barely enough to guide her forward. Panic rolled off her in waves, thick and suffocating
I tried to reach her. Every step I took dragged, as if the forest itself resisted me. The distance between us stretched impossibly, no matter how fast I moved. She glances back once, eyes wide as terror etched deep into her face.
Something in the dark wrapped around her ankle and dragged her into the shadows. Her scream tore through my dream.
I woke up with my claws half-formed, a low snarl vibrating my chest.
The bond burned like a brand across my chest.
For weeks I had stayed away deliberately.
