The mere idea of what she had been about to say—
It hit him like something lethal.
Iva’s breathing was uneven under his hand, her eyes burning into his as she grabbed his wrist and pushed it away from her mouth.
“I’m giving you what you want,” she shot back immediately, her voice raw, filled with pain and defiance.
Caleb’s expression darkened instantly.
“When did I say that I don’t want this bond?” he raised his voice, frustration and something deeper breaking through now. “When did I ever say that?”
But her next words—
They stopped him cold.
The fight.
The anger.
Everything.
“When you decided to betray our bond,” she said, her voice shaking but firm, “and touch another.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Crushing.
Caleb stared at her.
“What…?” he breathed out, his voice barely there now. “W
