Damian POV
I didn’t leave right away. I stood outside her door longer than I should have, listening for any sign that she was slipping again. Onyx was alert for any sign she still needed us.
The bond stretched between us, thinner with distance but still there—steady, aware, anchored. Always there, connecting us despite our reservations. Simply…holding.
Caine leaned against the big oak tree in the yard, his arms crossed, watching me instead of the door.
“She’ll be okay,” he said quietly. “She just needed to break.”
My jaw tightened. I knew that, but it didn’t mean I liked it.
“If anything shifts,” I said, finally dragging my attention away from the door, “you come get me.”
“I’ve got her.”
I held his gaze for a second longer, making sure he understood exactly what I meant, then I no
