-LILIAN-
The days after the silent dinner were both long and short. Long, because Alexander stayed away. Short, because my own body was changing so fast. My legs grew stronger with each passing day. I walked around my room, testing my strength, taking longer and longer strides without Elara's help. My voice, too, felt more like my own. The words came easier, smoother, no longer a painful struggle. I can form proper sentences now, and speak with more than just broken phrases.
The bond, though, was a constant, hot ache. A deep hunger that gnawed at me. It felt like a betrayal. Every time I moved, every time I breathed, it reminded me of Alexander, of his presence, of what my body craved even when my heart hated. I knew he felt it too. I could sense his own torment through the bond, a dark,
