Zayne's POV
Aurora pulled back just enough to look at me, tears streaking her face, her eyes shining with raw truth.
“I always felt you,” she said. “Even when I wasn’t supposed to.”
The bond flared again, hot, fierce, right.
I cupped her face, my hands trembling. “Aurora… I would’ve waited a lifetime if that’s what it took.”
She gave a broken laugh. “I know.”
The light around us softened, but it didn’t fade. It settled, deep and unyielding. Permanent.
The bond wasn’t asking permission anymore. It was claiming.
Suddenly, the night shifted.
The wind stilled. The Moon brightened.
And then. Pain. Aurora gasped sharply, her body tensing. I felt it instantly, like a blade scraping my soul.
“No,” I growled, instinct roaring. “No, not now.”
She cried out, collapsing fully into my arms
