Liora's POV
I woke to bruises.
Not just on my skin. Deeper than that. In places I didn't know could hurt.
The bed beside me was empty. Cold.
Of course it was.
I sat up slowly. Every muscle protested. My thighs ached. My hips felt tender where his fingers had gripped. Hard.
The mirror across the room showed me what I already knew. Marks on my neck. My shoulders. Dark purple blooming across pale skin.
Evidence.
"She means nothing to me."
His words from last night echoed.
I pressed my palm against my chest. The bond pulsed there. Warm. Alive. Contradicting everything he'd said to her.
To Seraphina.
I could feel him through it. Somewhere in the packhouse. The connection hummed with... what? Regret? Satisfaction? I couldn't tell anymore.
My hands shook a
