The honeymoon phase of their chemical bond lasted for two months. During that time, Aria stopped attending her university classes. She lived in the inner sanctum, a gilded prisoner of her own biology. She loved him, or at least, she loved the way he made her feel. But the Apex was a demanding master.
The crashes were the worst part. When the scent wore off, Aria felt a crushing depression, a void in her chest that could only be filled by Lucian's touch and the next dose of the catalyst.
One evening, as the sun set over the city, casting long, bloody streaks across the lab walls, Aria found Lucian staring at a notebook, his face gaunt.
"What is it?" she asked, leaning against him.
"The Apex is degrading," he said, his voice hollow. "Your body is building a tolerance. The pheromones are
