Chapter Thirteen
Everything changed.
Not slowly.
Not gently.
Instantly.
It hit like a shift in gravity—like the air itself had thickened, pressing in from all sides. My breath caught, my chest tightening as something unfamiliar wrapped around me.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
But something close.
“Ethan…” I whispered.
He didn’t respond.
He was still right in front of me, closer than ever, but something about him felt different now.
Not just intense.
Not just focused.
Powerful.
That was the only word that made sense.
“You feel it,” he said quietly.
It wasn’t a question.
I swallowed, my fingers curling slightly at my sides.
“Yeah,” I admitted.
The word came out softer than I expected.
Because this—
This wasn’t normal.
And I couldn’t pretend it was anymore.
“You should’ve wal
