(Rayla’s POV)
Breakfast tasted different now. Not because of the food—though the Luna had cooked enough for a full patrol—but because Ryan sat beside me, close enough that our shoulders brushed every few seconds. Close enough that I could feel the quiet strength in him settle into something solid and steady through the pre-bond link. Every time our hands touched while reaching for something on the table, a small spark traveled up my arm. Every time his thigh brushed mine, heat curled low in my stomach. And every time he looked at me—really looked—my chest tightened in ways I wasn’t prepared for.
Three days until the ceremony. Three days until the bond snapped fully. Three days until my entire life changed. And somehow…this morning felt like the calm before the rush. My father sat acros
