Ariella's POV
I didn’t even think. My foot moved before my brain caught up…one single step forward, boots scraping the dirt like I was about to crush a bug.
Cole stayed exactly where he was, still on one knee, head bowed to the side…just enough to show his veins and how easily I could kill him if I wanted to.
He didn’t flinch. Didn’t reach for a weapon. Didn’t even tighten his fists. Just knelt there like he was waiting for the axe to fall. That pissed me off more than anything.
“What makes you so sure I’m what you claim I am?” I snarled straight into his head through the mindlink, my voice echoing like thunder in the connection.
He lifted his eyes slowly, calm as hell, and answered in the same lowered voice, soft enough that only I could hear.
“I saw your eyes that day in the for
