“Don’t trust your thoughts.” The voice wasn’t outside anymore. It was inside me; I froze instantly.
Not because I was scared of it. Because part of me almost agreed.
Vorde’s grip tightened on my wrist, pulling me a fraction closer. Not rough. Not gentle either. Controlled. Like he was holding onto something slipping away.
And that scared me more than force ever could. Because it felt familiar. Too familiar. My chest tightened. No. Not him. Not like this. But his eyes, those eyes, weren’t fully his anymore. Something else was watching through them. And it hated how I was reacting. Jealousy hit me out of nowhere.
Sharp, Illogical. Because I wasn’t just fighting a system, I was competing with it. “For her attention,” the voice said through him softly. Viole flinched. “Stop talking like th
