The ruined door frame stood as a grim testament to the violence that had just transpired, but within the confines of the massive bedroom, the atmosphere shifted from chaotic rage to a heavy, suffocating intimacy. Ethan kept his arms locked around Clara's waist, his forehead resting gently against hers as his ragged breathing slowly synchronized with the rapid beating of her human heart.
Through the bond, the dark, turbulent storm of his fury began to recede, replaced by a dense, crushing wave of possessiveness. He was checking her, scanning every inch of her psychological and physical state through the invisible thread that now permanently bound their souls.
"Did she hurt you?" Ethan rumbled, his voice still low and gravelly, rough around the edges from the lingering presence of his inne
