-LILIAN-
The air in my room still hummed with the echoes of my defiant outburst. I lay in bed, exhausted, disgusted by the raw, animalistic hunger the bond forced upon me. Alexander had left, his own anguish a dull ache in the bond, a direct reflection of my turmoil. I hated him for it. I hated him for everything.
The next few days were a blur of restless discomfort. My new power, the way I could calm and bloom flowers, felt like a distant dream, overshadowed by the constant, unwelcome throbbing of the bond. My body was healing, stronger than ever, but my mind remained a battlefield. Every touch from Elara, every gentle movement, was a reminder of what the bond was constantly demanding. It was a humiliating, maddening need that twisted my stomach, made my skin burn.
I knew he felt it to
