Damon
The report in front of me blurred.
I wasn’t tired—at least, not in the way that sleep could fix. But something shifted. A crack across the inside of my chest. Cold. Empty. A distant pulse of wrongness that made my hand still above the page.
I hadn’t felt the bond like this in days. It had been quiet, subdued. Like Lila was trying to protect herself by pulling back.
But this wasn’t a retreat or some emotional wall. This was a full collapse.
A low hum started in my ears, and for a moment I thought it was just the blood rushing faster through my skull—until the door to my study opened hard.
Ronan barged in. He never did knock when it was urgent.
“Lila collapsed,” he said, breath clipped with controlled urgency. “Inside the doors to your rooms. Not for long. Emma was with her—caug
