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Ephraim stood frozen for several minutes, Sophie’s command holding him so tightly that he couldn’t even think to resist. He heard a door slam in the distance, knew she’d gone through the portal to the spirit realm. His muscles locked him in place, but his mind began to relax.
For a brief, guilty moment Ephraim considered just letting her go, waiting until the night’s inevitable conclusion. If Sophie died in the spirit realm, there was some chance that she might indeed incidentally free him of his servitude.
But no. She was his, his mate. His to protect and cherish, his to save. He couldn’t let her go on alone, no matter what it meant for him personally.
The second that the spell loosened enough for him to begin to move, he started to force himself to walk. Blinding, searing pain thu
