THE MOONBIND, ever-present, throbbed with the tumultuous currents of Waldemar's own internal struggles, pulling her deeper into his world whether she wanted it or not.
Despite the fear, the anger, and the simmering humiliation from their recent forced intimacy, Selene found herself observing Waldemar more closely. The man beneath the Alpha was complex, driven by ancient burdens and profound loss. The vulnerability she'd glimpsed, however brief, humanized him in a way she hadn't thought possible. This unwilling empathy was a dangerous thing, softening her edges, complicating her hatred.
Waldemar, for his part, seemed to have shifted his approach. The overt, aggressive punishments ceased, replaced by a subtle, almost imperceptible change in his demeanor. He was still dominant, still posses
